Thyroid

Unfortunately we do see hypothyroidism in Kuvasz (HYPERthyroidism is very rare and is considered to be Hashimotos disease which is a form of cancer).  Dogs may or may not show clinical signs of hypothyroidism, so it is important that this test be performed on breeding animals.  It is an inexpensive test and most veterinary offices typically use the laboratories at the Michigan State University for analysis.  It is important to note though that this test is only good for one year and needs to be performed annually, or at the very least each time the animal is used for breeding.  Some of the clinical signs could include: weight gain, laziness, increased water consumption, symmetrical hair loss, skin and coat problems, low libido in breeding animals, and irregular heat cycles (or no heat cycles) in bitches.  While some breeders may still choose to use an animal for breeding that has a slightly low thyroid count, two animals with thyroiditis should NEVER be used together.

von Wilebrands Disease

von Wilebrands Disease (vWD) is a bleeding disorder, clinically similar to Hemophilia in humans.  If a dog is cut or even bruised, it may "bleed out" (internally in the case of severe bruising).  Your vet may perform a clotting factor test prior to surgery, and a long clotting time could be an indication of vWD, but to truly test the dog for vWD one must perform a specialized test under strict blood collection protocols.  The test is not expensive, but must be performed correctly and by a qualified laboratory.  vWD is a heritable disorder, and you should insure that the breeding stock you are using, or the parents of your puppy, are free of this disorder.  It is a simple and inexpensive test that needs to be performed once in a dogs lifetime, so there is no reason for a breeder not to perform it.  The test result will return a numerical value for the vWD factor and an explanation describing acceptable levels.  Levels can indicate if a dog is completely clear, borderline, a carrier, or affected.  Because carriers and borderline animals may never show any clinical signs, it is important that this test be performed.

Both of these diseases can be registered on the OFA data base.