Canine Research Introduction
In 2009 the Animal Health Trust received a £1.2 million donation from the Kennel Club to form the Kennel Club Canine Genetics Centre (KCGC) at the Animal Health Trust.
This exciting collaborative venture aims to help dog breeders eradicate inherited disease from their breeds by both the development of essential tools that breeders need to avoid the birth of affected puppies and the design of breeding programmes to improve the overall health and welfare of the breed. The KCGC is co-managed by Principal Investigators Dr Cathryn Mellersh, who leads the Canine Genetics team, and Dr Sarah Blott who leads the Quantitative Genetics team.
The Canine Genetics team aims to prevent the pain and suffering that is caused by the inherited diseases that affect some purebred dogs. Working closely with dog breeders, owners, breed clubs and clinicians we identify inherited conditions that have a negative impact on the health and well being of dogs. We aim to understand the genetic basis of these conditions and develop robust DNA tests that can be used to identify the genotype of dogs shortly after birth or at any time during their lives, from a blood sample or a cheek swab. The tests provide valuable information that breeders can use to plan successful breeding strategies to avoid the birth of affected dogs and to ultimately eliminate disease mutations from breeds at risk.
All the DNA samples that we use for our research come from pet dogs, from the UK or overseas, and not from affected animals purpose-bred solely for research. This is preferable on welfare grounds as it avoids the deliberate breeding of animals affected with inherited diseases.
During recent years, working closely with clinicians, scientific collaborators and dog breeders and owners from around the world, we have used a variety of scientific strategies to successfully identify novel mutations associated with inherited diseases that affect various breeds of dogs. Our research strategies have included candidate gene approaches, where we have investigated genes known to cause disease in man for their role in the development of similar diseases in the dog, and also whole genome association studies, where we compare the entire genomes of dogs affected with a particular inherited disease with the DNA from healthy dogs to identify regions of the genome where disease mutations are located. Over the years we have taken advantage of the increasingly sophisticated technical tools that have become available with which to undertake whole genome association studies in the dog and we are undoubtedly the leading Canine Genetics research group in the UK. Examples of some of our successes are discussed here.
Can you help us and your breed? Visit our current research section
Breeds and conditions that we have successfully investigated in the past and that are currently under investigation.
Breed |
Disease/condition |
|
Any breed |
|
|
Alaskan Malamute |
|
|
American Cocker Spaniel |
|
|
Australian Shepherd |
|
|
Beagle |
|
|
Bedlington Terrier |
CT |
|
Border Collie |
|
|
Boston Terrier |
EHC, LHC |
|
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel |
EF, DECCS |
|
Chinese Crested |
PLL |
|
English Springer Spaniel |
|
|
German Pinscher |
|
|
Golden Retriever |
|
|
Gordon Setter |
|
|
Icelandic Sheepdog |
|
|
Irish Red and White Setter |
|
|
Irish Setter |
|
|
Italian Spinone |
|
|
Jack Russell Terrier |
PLL |
|
Jagd Terrier |
PLL |
|
Lancashire Heeler |
PLL |
|
Large Munsterlander |
|
|
Lhasa Apso |
|
|
Miniature Bull Terrier |
PLL |
|
Miniature Long-Haired Dachshund |
|
|
Miniature Schnauzer |
CHC, HC |
|
Miniature Smooth-Haired Dachshund |
|
|
Miniature Wire-Haired Dachshund |
|
|
Norwich Terrier |
|
|
Parson Russell Terrier |
PLL, LOA |
|
Patterdale Terrier |
PLL |
|
Samoyed |
|
|
Sealyham Terrier |
PLL |
|
Siberian Husky |
|
|
Staffordshire Bull Terrier |
HC, L2HGA |
|
Standard Poodle |
|
|
Tenterfield Terrier |
PLL |
|
Tibetan Spaniel |
|
|
Tibetan Terrier |
PRA, PLL |
|
Volpino Italiano |
PLL |
CHC = Congenital Hereditary Cataract; CT = Copper Toxicosis; DECCS = Dry Eye Curly Coat Syndrome; EHC = Early onset Hereditary Cataract; EC = Epileptoid Cramping; EF = Episodic Falling; HC = Hereditary Cataract; IE = Idiopathic Epilepsy; LHC = Late onset Hereditary Cataract; L2HGA = L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria; LOA = Late Onset Ataxia; MRD = Multifocal Retinal Dysplasia; PLL = Primary Lens Luxation; PRA = Progressive Retinal Atrophy; SA = Sebaceous Adenitis; SCA = Spinocerebellar Ataxia; SRM = Steroid Responsive Meningitis.
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