MDR-1

Before purchasing the beautiful and intelligent, Denali, I had a very long talk with the breeder. Speaking to “my” breeder, she mentioned the possibility any dog of the Australian Shepherd breed having sensitivities to heartworm prevention and anesthesia. But, there is a test that can be run, before subjecting the dog to surgery and worming medicines. The testing kit is available through the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. See this link: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-VCPL/

MDR-1 stands for Multi-Drug Resistance and if a dog has a mutant MDR-1 gene, the dog may have a severe reaction (even death) to certain drugs. The thing is, it’s not just Australian shepherds; it’s all herding dogs and “mutts” that may have some herding dogs in their heritage. Collies are the most susceptible; over 1/2 of Collies are affected! See this link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5518665

I was planning on having my sweet Denali in for her spay surgery within the next few weeks. I knew I needed to get her tested so we’d know if we needed to take extra precautions. A very sad email from my breeder early last week stated that another puppy from her program (I later learned that this puppy is not from Denali’s litter) had gotten very sick and it was unlikely that it would recover. And while her email did not state the exact cause, she was very adamant that everyone have their puppies and dogs tested for the MDR-1 gene mutation. The email alarmed me so much that I felt that I just couldn’t wait to get her samples until Doug got home.

When playing with Denali, she’ll let me rub on her back, belly, and legs. She’ll let me tug on her ears, nubby little tail, and let me spread her toes apart on her paws. The only thing she doesn’t care for is when I mess with her nose and mouth. The testing kit is composed of two tiny “bottle brushes.” The process of the test is to get that brush, up into the dog’s upper cheek and gently scrub for a full 30 seconds; one brush for each side of the mouth. If your dog’s gums are dark, the brush may look used after getting the sample. If your dog’s gums are pink, like Denali’s, the brush may not look like it has anything on it.

So one morning, about a week and a half ago, before breakfast, I put a short leash on Denali and sat down on the kitchen floor for some “teethy” time. As expected, she wasn’t too keen on this. And as I made her leash shorter and shorter, she began to balk at the idea that she didn’t have the freedom to get away if she felt she needed to. We struggled. I struggled to get those brushes in there just right and scrub for a full 30 seconds on each side. She struggled to get free and get away. 30 seconds can be a VERY long time when it’s not fun. For us, the whole process took about 15 minutes. It probably would have been better to have someone help me hold her in place, but I was too concerned with getting the test done so I could submit the samples and get the results. I was able to send the samples off on 9/11.

This morning, the email waited for me… Results of the MDR-1 gene testing. Denali’s results: Mutant/Normal

What does this mean? Well, copied straight from the results email, Mutant/Normal means: “These dogs carry the mutation and may pass on the mutant gene to their offspring. These dogs may experience toxicity after normal doses of loperamide (Imodium®), some anticancer drugs, and high doses of ivermectin (greater than 50 micrograms per kilogram).”

What else does this mean? Well, it means that I have to be diligent about Denali’s care. When she goes in for her spay surgery, I have to make sure that the surgeon understands these results and takes extra precautions when administering her anesthesia and any other required drugs. I need to make sure that if Denali gets sick for any reason, I question the drugs that may be used on her to make sure that they will be safe for her. And if they are on the “maybe” list, that her dosing is such that any reaction is mild.

I wonder how many other dog owners, especially of herding breeds, know about this gene?