Tag archives: polyneuropathy

Throughout human history, people have learned to use a variety of animals to help perform essential tasks in an attempt to make their lives easier. While dogs are often recognized for their skill as hunters or as integral hunting companions in pursuit of a variety of game, one under recognized skill of dogs is as draft animals. While we often associate draft or sled dogs with competitive racing such as the Iditarod or Yukon Quest races, many do not realize that these races were developed from the historical use of dogs as draft animals. One dog breed with significant roots as both a hunting and draft animal is the Alaskan malamute.

Early accounts describe ancestors of the Alaskan malamute being used by the native Alaskan tribe previously known as Mahlemuts. These dogs played a crucial role in helping the tribe succeed in the harsh and unforgiving land of northwestern Alaska by assisting them with hunting and pulling sleds. When gold fever struck the Yukon and Alaska in the 19^th century, demand for malamutes and other capable draft dogs increased substantially to assist hopeful prospectors in their quest for a golden fortune. Often confused with the Siberian husky due to ...

From their ancient Egyptian roots depicted in carvings of their predecessors, the speed and agility of the greyhound has long fascinated humans who found great potential in the breed as hunting companions, and much later, as fantastic family dogs. Like other members of the large grouping of dog breeds known as sighthounds, it was obvious to their ancient human handlers that the greyhound’s exceptional athletic skill, lean muscular body, and keen vision could be invaluable for hunting both large and small game. While it is no longer as common for greyhounds to be used for hunting, their docile temperament outside of the hunt contributed to an easy transition to the more domestic lifestyle most greyhounds now live. Though able to run 40 miles per hour when properly conditioned, with regular exercise the greyhound is just as content taking it easy with their human family members. Despite their majestic appearance and impressive athletic attributes, like other purebred dogs, greyhounds are known to inherit some genetic diseases that may keep this talented runner at the starting block. One such disease, known as greyhound polyneuropathy (GP), is caused by a mutation in the NDRG1 gene.

GP is a severe, progressive neurological disease similar ...

Another of the ancient breeds, the greyhound has long been associated with nobility and depicted hunting with them in artwork, as well as described in official records. The greyhound, with its long, lean body and legs, has the ability to accelerate quickly and maintain some of the fastest sprinting speeds of any land mammal on the planet. While their original use was for hunting, in more modern times they’ve been used for lure chasing and other forms of racing. With the rise of adoption centers, many retired racing greyhounds are now finding popularity as pets in the home.

Records of greyhounds date to the Celtics in Europe, although some contend that they originated in ancient Egypt, with modern lines tracing first to private 18th Century studbooks and then public kennel club records in the 19th Century. They arrived in America with Spanish explorers in the 1500s.

With incredible sprinting speeds, strength and acceleration, greyhounds can chase down just about anything that runs. Throughout history they’ve been used to hunt a wide variety of game, from deer, foxes, rabbits and hares to antelope, gazelles and wolves. In America today, they’re still used for small-game hunting of rabbits, as well as coyote ...