Pet-Specific Care for the Veterinary Team. Группа авторов

dysplasia, including hypoplastic trachea – client education, early surgery if needed, give estimate for soft palate surgery with spay/neuter estimate. Skilled individual to intubate at every age, to look for elongated soft palate

      3.13.6 DNA Testing Recommendation Scripts

      3.13.6.1 Mixed‐Breed Composition

      This is the test that identifies the likely breed components of a mixed‐breed dog. This is a one‐time investment that provides a lot of information about a dog's genetic make‐up, so we know what genetic diseases are likely or possible.

      3.13.6.2 Acute Ventricular Dysrhythmia Syndrome

      Also known as arrhythmogenic right‐ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), this is a serious heart condition seen in boxers and boxer mixes. It can cause acute collapse and death. All boxers and boxer mix dogs should be DNA tested for this, ideally when they are young.

      3.13.6.3 Hemophilia and von Willebrand Disease

      There are quite a few different forms of inherited bleeding disorders, including von Willebrand disease. Failure of the blood to clot properly can range from mild to severe and can worsen with age. Von Willebrand disease is extremely common in several breeds, and they should be DNA tested for it. For other breeds, we usually do a less expensive buccal bleeding time instead of a DNA test whenever we are performing surgery, to make sure we don't have a problem with excessive bleeding.

      3.13.6.4 MDR1

      Several breeds and their crosses may possess this variant that affects tolerance for ivermectin and many other drugs. If a dog inherits two copies of the MDR1 gene, one from each parent, we must be very careful with certain medications and usually choose not to use them at all. Dogs with one copy of the gene can usually tolerate low doses of drugs if they really need to be used. We recommend all dogs from susceptible breeds be tested so we can properly prescribe medications for them.

      Exercise‐induced collapse (EIC) is just like it sounds – affected dogs collapse when exercising strenuously, especially in hot weather. This problem is seen especially in Labrador and golden retrievers but in other breeds as well. The problem is not common so we generally only test for it if a dog has symptoms or will be used for breeding.

TAKE‐AWAYS

       A great deal of the illness we see in dogs and cats is breed related.

       Some heritable diseases can be tested for, enabling earlier diagnosis and intervention.

       Some simply require awareness on the part of the owner as to what to watch for and when to call the veterinarian.

       DNA screening is becoming an increasingly important component of pet healthcare.

       Our goal is to try to make sure that every owner of an at‐risk breed knows about the diseases and problems that could affect their dog or cat and the testing or treatment that is currently available for them.

MISCELLANEOUS

      Abbreviations

      DNADeoxyribonucleic acidMDRMultidrug resistancePro‐BNPPro B‐type natriuretic peptide

Reference

      1 1 Bellumori, T.P., Famula, T.R., Bannasch, D.L. et al. (2013). Prevalence of inherited disorders among mixed‐breed and purebred dogs: 27,254 cases (1995–2010). J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 242: 1549–1555.

Recommended Reading

      1 Ackerman, L. The Genetic Connection: A Guide to Health Problems in Purebred Dogs, 2. AAHA Press, Lakewood, CO, 2011.

      2 Fleming, JM, Creevy, KE, Promislow, DEL. Mortality in north American dogs from 1984 to 2004: an investigation into age‐size and breed‐related causes of death, J. Vet. Intern. Med. 2011; 25 : 187–198.

      3 Gough, A. Breed Predispositions to Disease in Dogs and Cats, 3. Wiley Blackwell, Ames, IA, 2018.