Articles

Moving from information and collaboration to action: report from the 4th international dog health workshop, Windsor in May 2019

Dogs are the most popular mammal kept as a companion animal globally. Positive human-dog relationships can benefit both the human owners as well as the dogs. However, popularity as a companion animal species d...

Authors: Camilla L. Pegram, Brenda N. Bonnett, Helena Skarp, Gareth Arnott, Hannah James, Åke Hedhammar, Gregoire Leroy, Aimée Llewellyn-Zaidi, Ian J. Seath and Dan G. O’Neill

Demographic assessment of the Dalmatian dog – effective population size, linkage disequilibrium and inbreeding coefficients

The calculation of demographic measures is a useful tool for evaluating the genomic architecture of dog breeds and enables ranking dog breeds in terms of genetic diversity. To achieve this for the German Dalma...

Authors: Danae Vasiliadis, Julia Metzger and Ottmar Distl

Polymorphisms in the CTLA4 promoter sequence are associated with canine hypoadrenocorticism

Canine hypoadrenocorticism is an immune-mediated endocrinopathy that shares both clinical and pathophysiological similarities with Addison’s disease in humans. Several dog breeds are overrepresented in the dis...

Authors: Alisdair M. Boag, Andrea Short, Lorna J. Kennedy, Hattie Syme, Peter A. Graham and Brian Catchpole

Epidemiology and clinical management of elbow joint disease in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK

Conditions affecting the elbow joint are a common cause of lameness in dogs. Primary-care veterinary clinical data are now recognised as a valuable research resource. Using data from the VetCompass Programme, ...

Authors: Dan G. O’Neill, Dave C. Brodbelt, Rebecca Hodge, David B. Church and Richard L. Meeson

Pedigree analysis of atrial fibrillation in Irish wolfhounds supports a high heritability with a dominant mode of inheritance

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in dogs. The Irish Wolfhound breed has a high prevalence of AF making them an ideal breed to investigate possible genetic contributions to this disease. T...

Authors: Samantha L. Fousse, William D. Tyrrell, Mariellen E. Dentino, Frances L. Abrams, Steven L. Rosenthal and Joshua A. Stern

Association between coat colour and the behaviour of Australian Labrador retrievers

Making assumptions regarding temperament and intelligence based on the physical appearance of dogs can be a conscious or unconscious human act. Labrador retrievers with chocolate-coloured coats are anecdotally...

Authors: Diane van Rooy and Claire M. Wade

Molecular characterization of cytidine monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (CMAH) associated with the erythrocyte antigens in dogs

N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) is synthesized from its precursor N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) by cytidine-5′-monophospho-N acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (CMAH), which is encoded by the CMAH gene. Most...

Authors: Yumiko Uno, Shota Kawakami, Kazuhiko Ochiai and Toshinori Omi

Correction to: West Highland White Terriers under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2016: demography, mortality and disorders

In the original publication of this article [1], due to an error in a single count relating to the denominator used for this study, some of the derived values were wrong, so that abstract, plain English summar...

Authors: Dan G. O’Neill, Zoie F. Ballantyne, Anke Hendricks, David B. Church, Dave C. Brodbelt and Camilla Pegram

West Highland White Terriers under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2016: demography, mortality and disorders

The West Highland White Terrier (WHWT) is a relatively common breed in the UK, although Kennel Club registrations have declined in recent years. The VetCompass™ Programme collates de-identified clinical data f...

Authors: Dan G. O’Neill, Zoie F. Ballantyne, Anke Hendricks, David B. Church, Dave C. Brodbelt and Camilla Pegram

The impact of incorrectly recorded parentage on inferred genotypes over multiple generations

The absence of selective pressure against recessive deleterious mutations in the heterozygous state means that virtually every individual will carry several such mutations which have arisen over time. The infl...

Authors: T. W. Lewis

Greyhounds under general veterinary care in the UK during 2016: demography and common disorders

The greyhound is a sighthound known for its speed and agility. Greyhounds were selectively bred as functional racing animals but increasingly are kept as pets in the UK, often after their racing careers are ov...

Authors: Dan G. O’Neill, Nicola J. Rooney, Callum Brock, David B. Church, Dave C. Brodbelt and Camilla Pegram

Glaucoma-causing ADAMTS17 mutations are also reproducibly associated with height in two domestic dog breeds: selection for short stature may have contributed to increased prevalence of glaucoma

In humans, ADAMTS17 mutations are known to cause Weill-Marchesani-like syndrome, which is characterised by lenticular myopia, ectopia lentis, glaucoma, spherophakia, and short stature. Breed-specific homozygous m...

Authors: Emily C. Jeanes, James A. C. Oliver, Sally L. Ricketts, David J. Gould and Cathryn S. Mellersh

vWDI is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner with incomplete penetrance, in the Kromfohrländer breed

Von Willebrand disorder type I (vWDI) is known as an inherited bleeding disorder in different dog breeds following an autosomal recessive inheritance. The Kromfohrländer is a rare dog breed with an increased i...

Authors: Julia H. Segert, Jana-Marie Seidel, Walter J. Wurzer and Anja M. Geretschlaeger

DLA class II risk haplotypes for autoimmune diseases in the bearded collie offer insight to autoimmunity signatures across dog breeds

Primary hypoadrenocorticism (Addison’s disease, AD) and symmetrical lupoid onychodystrophy (SLO) are two clinical conditions with an autoimmune etiology that occur in multiple dog breeds. In man, autoimmunity ...

Authors: Liza C. Gershony, Janelle M. Belanger, Andrea D. Short, Myly Le, Marjo K. Hytönen, Hannes Lohi, Thomas R. Famula, Lorna J. Kennedy and Anita M. Oberbauer

Miniature Schnauzers under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2013: demography, mortality and disorders

Individual dog breeds are often reported as predisposed to specific breed-related disorders but reliable epidemiological data on disease prevalence are sparse. The Miniature Schnauzer in the UK is a popular sm...

Authors: Dan G. O’Neill, Charlotte Butcher, David B. Church, Dave C. Brodbelt and Alex G. Gough

Heterozygosity testing and multiplex DNA panel screening as a potential tool to monitor health and inbreeding in a small, closed dog population

Selective breeding in populations with a limited effective population size may result in a loss of genetic diversity, which can cause an increased concentration of specific disease liability genes. The Dutch S...

Authors: S. F. A. Keijser, H. Fieten, M. Vos-Loohuis, C. J. Piek, H. Anderson, J. Donner, I. Scholten, M. Nielen, J. W. Hesselink and F. G. van Steenbeek

Neuter status as a risk factor for canine intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) in dachshunds: a retrospective cohort study

Intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) involves displacement of the intervertebral disc secondary to disc degeneration and is extremely common in dachshunds. Clinical signs include pain with or without paresis ...

Authors: Marianne Dorn and Ian J. Seath

Labrador retrievers under primary veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders

Labrador retrievers are reportedly predisposed to many disorders but accurate prevalence information relating to the general population are lacking. This study aimed to describe demography, mortality and commo...

Authors: Paul D. McGreevy, Bethany J. Wilson, Caroline S. Mansfield, Dave C. Brodbelt, David B. Church, Navneet Dhand, Ricardo J. Soares Magalhães and Dan G. O’Neill

Longevity and mortality in Kennel Club registered dog breeds in the UK in 2014

The domestic dog is one of the most diverse mammalian species, exhibiting wide variations in morphology, behaviour and morbidity across breeds. Therefore, it is not unexpected that breeds should also exhibit v...

Authors: T. W. Lewis, B. M. Wiles, A. M. Llewellyn-Zaidi, K. M. Evans and D. G. O’Neill

Lipoma in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK: prevalence and breed associations

Lipomas are masses of mesenchymal origin, comprising of adipocytes, and are often clinically unremarkable but can be alarming to owners. Although lipomas are reportedly common in dogs, no studies have specific...

Authors: Dan G. O’Neill, Caroline H. Corah, David B. Church, Dave C. Brodbelt and Lynda Rutherford

Selected canine abstracts from the Companion Animal Genetic Health conference 2018 (CAGH 2018): Canine Genetics and Epidemiology

Authors:

Meeting report from the Companion Animal Genetic Health conference 2018 (CAGH 2018): a healthy companionship: the genetics of health in dogs

Authors: Sally L. Ricketts and Thomas W. Marchant

Work-type influences perceived livestock herding success in Australian Working Kelpies

Working dog handlers and breeders have very different behavioural requirements in the animals that they employ for managing livestock. The Australian Working Kelpie breed may be used in several working context...

Authors: Jonathan B. Early, Elizabeth A. Arnott, Lisa J. Mascord, Diane van Rooy, Paul D. McGreevy and Claire M. Wade

Demography and disorders of the French Bulldog population under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2013

Despite its Gallic name, the French Bulldog is a breed of both British and French origin that was first recognised by The Kennel Club in 1906. The French Bulldog has demonstrated recent rapid rises in Kennel C...

Authors: Dan G. O’Neill, Lauren Baral, David B. Church, Dave C. Brodbelt and Rowena M. A. Packer

Letter to the editor regarding an autosomal recessive mutation in SCL24A4 causing enamel hypoplasia in Samoyed and its relationship to breed-wide genetic diversity

Authors: Frank W. Nicholas, Cathryn Mellersh and Tom Lewis

Nationwide genetic testing towards eliminating Lafora disease from Miniature Wirehaired Dachshunds in the United Kingdom

Canine DNA-testing has become an important tool in purebred dog breeding and many breeders use genetic testing results when planning their breeding strategies. In addition, information obtained from testing of...

Authors: Saija Ahonen, Ian Seath, Clare Rusbridge, Susan Holt, Gill Key, Travis Wang, Peixiang Wang and Berge A. Minassian

Assessing the relative importance of health and conformation traits in the cavalier king Charles spaniel

The selection of a future breeding dog is a complicated task, in which disease characteristics and different traits have to be combined and weighed against one another. Truncation selection, that is the exclus...

Authors: Katrien Wijnrocx, Liesbeth François, Peter Goos, Nadine Buys and Steven Janssens

Moving from information and collaboration to action: report from the 3rd International Dog Health Workshop, Paris in April 2017

Breed-related health problems in dogs have received increased focus over the last decade. Responsibility for causing and/or solving these problems has been variously directed towards dog breeders and kennel cl...

Authors: Dan G. O’Neill, Sylvia F. A. Keijser, Åke Hedhammar, Caroline Kisko, Gregoire Leroy, Aimée Llewellyn-Zaidi, Sofia Malm, Patricia N. Olson, Rowena M. A. Packer, Jean Francois Rousselot, Ian J. Seath, Jason W. Stull and Brenda N. Bonnett

Border Terriers under primary veterinary care in England: demography and disorders

The Border Terrier is a working terrier type that is generally considered to be a relatively healthy and hardy breed. This study aimed to characterise the demography and common disorders of Border Terriers rec...

Authors: Dan G. O’Neill, Elisabeth C. Darwent, David B. Church and Dave C. Brodbelt

Rottweilers under primary veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders

Rottweilers are reportedly predisposed to many disorders but accurate prevalence information relating to the general population are lacking. This study aimed to describe demography, mortality and commonly reco...

Authors: Dan G. O’Neill, Wee Yin Seah, David B. Church and Dave C. Brodbelt

An autosomal recessive mutation in SCL24A4 causing enamel hypoplasia in Samoyed and its relationship to breed-wide genetic diversity

Pure breeding of dogs has led to over 700 heritable disorders, of which almost 300 are Mendelian in nature. Seventy percent of the characterized mutations have an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance, indic...

Authors: Niels C. Pedersen, Bonnie Shope and Hongwei Liu

Population characteristics of golden retriever lifetime study enrollees

Studying cancer and other diseases poses a problem due to their protracted and multifactorial nature. Prospective studies are useful to investigate chronic disease processes since collection of lifestyle infor...

Authors: Melissa Simpson, Erin Searfoss, Sharon Albright, Diane E. Brown, Barbara Wolfe, Nancy K. Clark, Susan E. McCann, David Haworth, Mike Guy and Rod Page

Lumbosacral stenosis in Labrador retriever military working dogs – an exomic exploratory study

Canine lumbosacral stenosis is defined as narrowing of the caudal lumbar and/or sacral vertebral canal. A risk factor for neurologic problems in many large sized breeds, lumbosacral stenosis can also cause ear...

Authors: Meenakshi Mukherjee, Jeryl C. Jones and Jianbo Yao

Single nucleotide polymorphisms and microsatellites in the canine glutathione S-transferase pi 1 (GSTP1) gene promoter

Genetic polymorphisms within the glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) gene affect the elimination of toxic xenobiotics by the GSTP1 enzyme. In dogs, exposure to environmental chemicals that may be GSTP1 substrate...

Authors: James Sacco, Sarah Mann and Keller Toral

Obituary: professor sir Patrick Bateson FRS and dog welfare

Authors: David Richard Sargan

Large-scale survey to estimate the prevalence of disorders for 192 Kennel Club registered breeds

Pedigree or purebred dogs are often stated to have high prevalence of disorders which are commonly assumed to be a consequence of inbreeding and selection for exaggerated features. However, few studies empiric...

Authors: B. M. Wiles, A. M. Llewellyn-Zaidi, K.M. Evans, D. G. O’Neill and T. W. Lewis

Demography and disorders of German Shepherd Dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK

The German Shepherd Dog (GSD) has been widely used for a variety of working roles. However, concerns for the health and welfare of the GSD have been widely aired and there is evidence that breed numbers are no...

Authors: Dan G. O’Neill, Noel R. Coulson, David B. Church and Dave C. Brodbelt

Corneal ulcerative disease in dogs under primary veterinary care in England: epidemiology and clinical management

Corneal ulcerative disease (CUD) has the potential to adversely affect animal welfare by interfering with vision and causing pain. The study aimed to investigate for the first time the prevalence, breed-based ...

Authors: Dan G. O’Neill, Monica M. Lee, Dave C. Brodbelt, David B. Church and Rick F. Sanchez

Correlation of neuter status and expression of heritable disorders

Gonadectomy, or neutering, is a very common surgery for dogs having many positive effects on behavior, health, and longevity. There are also certain risks associated with neutering including the development of...

Authors: Janelle M. Belanger, Thomas P. Bellumori, Danika L. Bannasch, Thomas R. Famula and Anita M. Oberbauer

Genetic mapping of principal components of canine pelvic morphology

Concentrated breeding effort to produce various body structures and behaviors of dogs to suit human demand has inadvertently produced unwanted traits and diseases that accompany the morphological and behaviora...

Authors: Mark J. Fealey, Joy Li, Rebel J. E. Todhunter, Ursula Krotscheck, Kei Hayashi, Marina J. McConkey, Adam R. Boyko, Jessica J. Hayward and Rory J. Todhunter

Osteosarcoma inheritance in two families of Scottish deerhounds

Osteosarcoma is the most common neoplastic disease in Scottish Deerhounds. For Deerhounds, a 2007 population-based study concluded that a single dominant genetic factor largely governed disease risk. For Greyh...

Authors: John E. Dillberger and Sara Ann McAtee

DNM1 mutation status, sex, and sterilization status of a cohort of Labrador retrievers with and without cranial cruciate ligament rupture

Exercise-induced collapse (EIC) due to DNM1 mutation and rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament are both common syndromes in the Labrador retriever breed. A cohort of 313 Labradors was recruited based on their ...

Authors: Kari J Ekenstedt, Katie M Minor, Aaron K Rendahl and Michael G Conzemius

Polymorphisms in the canine monoamine oxidase a (MAOA) gene: identification and variation among five broad dog breed groups

In humans, reduced activity of the enzyme monoamine oxidase type A (MAOA) due to genetic polymorphisms within the MAOA gene leads to increased brain neurotransmitter levels associated with aggression. In order to...

Authors: James Sacco, Andrew Ruplin, Paul Skonieczny and Michael Ohman

No evidence of prenatal diversifying selection at locus or supertype levels in the dog MHC class II loci

Despite decades of studying, the mechanisms maintaining high diversity in the genes of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) are still puzzling scientists. In addition to pathogen recognition and other fu...

Authors: Alina K. Niskanen, Lorna J. Kennedy, Hannes Lohi, Jouni Aspi and Tanja Pyhäjärvi

DachsLife 2015: an investigation of lifestyle associations with the risk of intervertebral disc disease in Dachshunds

Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) represents a major problem in the Dachshund, with at a relative risk of IVDD 10–12 times higher than other breeds, and an estimated 19–24 % of Dachshunds showing clinical sig...

Authors: R. M. A. Packer, I. J. Seath, D. G. O’Neill, S. De Decker and H. A. Volk

A genetic assessment of the English bulldog

This study examines genetic diversity among 102 registered English Bulldogs used for breeding based on maternal and paternal haplotypes, allele frequencies in 33 highly polymorphic short tandem repeat (STR) lo...

Authors: Niels C. Pedersen, Ashley S. Pooch and Hongwei Liu

A large deletion in RPGR causes XLPRA in Weimaraner dogs

Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) belongs to a group of inherited retinal disorders associated with gradual vision impairment due to degeneration of retinal photoreceptors in various dog breeds. PRA is highly ...

Authors: Regina Kropatsch, Denis A. Akkad, Matthias Frank, Carsten Rosenhagen, Janine Altmüller, Peter Nürnberg, Jörg T. Epplen and Gabriele Dekomien

Demography and health of Pugs under primary veterinary care in England

The Pug is an ancient dog breed and was the fifth most commonly registered UK pedigree breed in 2014. However, the breed has been reported to be predisposed to several disorders including ocular, respiratory a...

Authors: Dan G. O’Neill, Elisabeth C. Darwent, David B. Church and Dave C. Brodbelt

The epidemiology of patellar luxation in dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in England

Canine patellar luxation is one of the most common orthopaedic disorders of dogs and is a potential welfare concern because it can lead to lameness, osteoarthritis and pain. However, there are limited epidemio...

Authors: Dan G. O’Neill, Richard L. Meeson, Adam Sheridan, David B. Church and Dave C. Brodbelt

Protein expression and genetic variability of canine Can f 1 in golden and Labrador retriever service dogs

Valued for trainability in diverse tasks, dogs are the primary service animal used to assist individuals with disabilities. Despite their utility, many people in need of service dogs are sensitive to the prima...

Authors: Christina Breitenbuecher, Janelle M. Belanger, Kerinne Levy, Paul Mundell, Valerie Fates, Liza Gershony, Thomas R. Famula and Anita M. Oberbauer