• Exercise Tips

    A high-energy, athletic dog, the Aussie needs a great deal ofexerciseon a daily basis. At a minimum, he should have a large, fenced-in yard to run around in for at least an hour or two daily. Aussies bond closely with their owners and love to accompany them on long walks—or, better yet, hikes.

    Once an Aussie leaves puppyhood behind, and his skeletal system is fully formed, he can make a great running companion. The best course, however, is to give the Aussie a job, whether that is herding livestock, shepherding children, or competing in canine events such asobedience,herdingoragilitytrials, or dock diving.

  • Feeding Tips

    An Australian shepherd should be fed two meals a day of up to 1.25 cups of dry dog food per meal. The amount will depend on your dog's size, activity level, age, and other factors. Be sure to monitor your dog's weight and address any tendency to be overweight. Discuss your dog's nutritional needs with your veterinarian to get appropriate recommendations.

  • Trainability

    Early socialization and obedience training are both musts for the Australian Shepherd. One of the most frequent reasons Aussies end up in rescue situations is owners couldn’t (or wouldn’t) constructively channel the breed’s boundless energy through training.

    Aussies bond strongly to their families and so can be territorial and overprotective of their owners’ property, and they can become destructive if left without companionship for long periods too often. Fortunately, that loyalty combined with the breed’s keen intelligence and high energy makes them very easy to train.

What is MDR1?

MDR1 is the abbreviated name of a gene called Multi-Drug Resistance 1.  A mutation of this gene causes sensitivity to Ivermectin and a number of other drugs.  Dogs with the mutation will react to those drugs.   Whether a dog reacts depends on the dosage of the drug.  A dog may not react to very low doses, as with the amount of Ivermectin found in heart worm products.  Typical doses of a variety of medications will cause reactions in dogs with two copies of the mutation, but some drugs – most notably several chemotherapy agents – can cause reactions in dogs with only one.  Dogs with this mutation have a transport defect—the drug goes in to their brains, fails to be transported out, and builds up to toxic levels.  This causes serious neurological problems including seizures and sometimes death.

What drugs are not safe?

There are multiple drugs that will affect dogs with the mutated MDR1 gene. As long as your veterinarian is aware of your dog’s MDR1 status, they are able to consider which drugs are best suited for the current treatment. Those with a Normal/Mutant gene may be less susceptible to these drugs, though they would likely react to increased doses. Below is a list of drugs that should be generally avoided in dogs with an MDR1 status, or herding breeds or mixed breeds of unknown MDR1 status.

  • Ivermectin

  • Selamectin

  • Milbemycin

  • Moxidectin

  • Loperamide

  • Acepromazine

  • Butorphanol

  • Vincristine

  • Vinblastine

  • Doxorubicin

  • Paclitaxel

  • Apomorphine

The following list is drugs that are known to be removed from the brain via the MDR1 gene, but appear to be safely tolerated by dogs with the mutation.

  • Cyclosporin

  • Digoxin

  • Doxycycline

  • Morphine

  • Buprenorphine

  • Fentanyl

Ivermectin was a catalyst for the first testing of MDR1. The majority of farm dogs are herding breeds, and veterinarians used to give them high doses of injectable Ivermectin as a dewormer because they were highly susceptible to getting worms by being around livestock. With so many dogs showing adverse reactions, farmers and veterinarians looked for a pattern, which is where the adage ‘white feet, don’t treat’ came from.

Now, Ivermectin is still used as a dewormer in heartworm medication, and those that are sold in veterinary clinics have been tested as safe for dogs with the MDR1 mutated gene if used to the manufacturers’ specifications. There are other options for heartworm medication, so Ivermectin doesn’t necessarily need to be used. If your dog is still living near livestock, ensure they are not eating any feces or any discarded dewormer. When livestock are given dewormer, it is a high dose of Ivermectin, and it can remain in the feces (untested to know for how long) for your dog to accidentally ingest. High doses of Ivermectin are still used for treating mange and should be avoided in any MDR1 status dogs.

A common misconception is that MDR1 status dogs are affected by metronidazole, but that is inaccurate because it is not transported by P-glycoprotein. Also, vaccines do not cause any reactions related to the MDR1 gene. Any reactions to a vaccine are due to other reasons, such as allergy or the type of vaccine used.