|
URATE STONES - URIC ACID EXCRETION (CANINE HYPERURICOSURIA)
This disease is characterised by the excretion of uric acid leading to the formation of urinary calculi (stones) which may then require surgery. The test is valid for Russian Black Terriers, for Bulldogs and Dalmatian crosses. If a dog from a breed susceptible to this disorder is seen to experience problems urinating freely, then veterinary advice should be sought immediately.
The mutation underlying the disorder is in a gene called SLC2A9 and was discovered by the research group of Dr Danika Bannasch at the University of California (Davis).
In Dalmatians, only the mutant form of this gene occur, so all Dalmations are susceptible to urinary calculi. In Russian Black Terriers and Bulldogs, the disease follows an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. For a dog to be affected with the disease, it must have two copies of the mutation in SLC2A9, one inherited from each parent. Dogs with only one copy of the mutation show no symptoms but will pass the defective copy of the gene on to (on average) 50% of their offspring. Carriers are a reservoir of the mutation in the population which can only be detected by DNA testing.
Since carriers are free of the disease symptoms, they can be freely crossed with dogs which have been DNA tested clear of the mutation, without producing any clinically affected pups. The litters produced (averaged over a sufficiently large number of pups) will be split 50:50 between genetically clear pups and carriers. The genetic status of any pups (clear or carrier) to be used for breeding can be readily identified by further DNA testing.
Using DNA testing, breeders can readily eradicate effectively the disease from the breed population. When both sire and dam have been DNA tested clear of the SLC2A9 mutation, then all the pups from that mating must be clear by heredity.
The test is available now and information on submitting samples is given below.
Breeders will be sent results identifying their dog as belonging to one of three categories:
This dog is CLEAR of URATE STONE DISORDER:
This dog has 2 copies of the normal gene and will neither develop URATE STONE DISORDER nor pass this mutation to its offspring.
This dog is a CARRIER of URATE STONE DISORDER:
This dog has one copy of the normal gene and one copy of the mutation associated with this disease. It will not develop URATE STONE DISORDER but will, if bred from, pass mutation to 50% of its offspring, on average.
This dog is affected with URATE STONE DISORDER:
This dog has 2 copies of the mutation associated with this disease.
ELONGATED SOFT PALATE
Elongated Soft Palate and other airway disorders: Every bulldog has an elongated soft palate to a certain degree, this is because of the shape of their heads (ie: brachycephalic - short nosed). In most cases this causes nothing more than snoring, but in severe cases may cause your bulldog difficulty in breathing. Heat and exercise will cause loud, gurgly breathing, (commonly known as "roaring") and your bulldog may appear to be "lazy". The severity can range from loud breathing when excited, during/after exercise to total exercise intolerance, regurgitation of food to permanent breathing difficulties. The condition can be corrected with surgery and you need to be sure that the vet you chose to carry out this surgery totally understand brachycephalic breeds
INTERDIGITAL CYSTS
Red lumps that appear between the toes on the front feet, causes include inverted hair follicles, grass seeds or cutting very long toe nails and altering the pressure put on the toes. There is very little that can be done to prevent interdigital cysts but you can help alleviate them by soaking the dogs feet in a solution of Epsom Salts and cooled kettle water, dry thoroughly and apply MSM Cream between each toe. A short course of anti biotics may help in the short term. If your dog will allow it squeeze out anything that is ready to burst prior to soaking the feet in the salt solution
ENTROPIAN
Where the eyelashes have turned inwards and are rubbing against the eye, again surgery may be required. Don’t confuse this with stray eyelashes that are just growing astray, these can be plucked with tweezers (you may prefer your vet to do this). Entropian needs surgery - if left the in-turned lashes will scratch the cornea and the result will be a severely damaged, ulcerated eye, at worst blindness or loss of eye
DRY NOSE
Bulldog noses almost always go dry and flakey. Dab some petroleum jelly on the nose 2 or 3 times a day to restore a crusty nose and a couple of times a week to prevent it. The dog will try and lick the petroleum jelly off but enough will soak in to soften the nose again. In severe cases petroleum jellythe nose upto 6 times a day - you'll be surprised at how quickly the nose recovers
TEAR STAINS
If your dog has a white face you may find that over time the tears from his eyes cause his face to stain red. This may be attributed to the red colouring in the food he’s eating but this is not always the case, some bulldogs produce red tears and some don’t, those with white faces will have these stains more than dark coloured faces. A daily wipe with "Diamond Eye" eye wash will help
CHERRY EYE
Cherry Eye: Where the gland under the third eyelid protrudes and looks rather like a cherry in the corner of the eye. Your vet will need to remove the gland (some prefer to tuck but it's not recommended). Occasionally removal of the gland causes dry eye but dry eye is a very common bulldog problem anyway regardless of if the dog had cherry eye surgery as a pup. More recently we have heard of vets that refuse to snip, try and find one that will if possible. The risk of dry eye is increased but we see so much dry eye in dogs that haven't had this surgery that it's not usually a factor - bulldog tear glands often block even if they still have this gland.
DRY EYE
Dry Eye: Caused when natural tear production slows or stops. Symptoms include green gungy eyes, especially in the morning and a dry appearance or blue haze to the eye itself. Can be confirmed by your vet who will perform a dry eye test with blotting type paper to see how much moisture can be soaked from the eyes surface. Artificial tears will need to be applied to the eye for life, your vet can prescribe this.
SORE WRINKLES
Sore Wrinkles: Looking after a bulldog involves daily care of the face and the deep folds. Wash their faces on a daily basis with either a soft cloth and water. Be sure to dry the face properly, extra care is needed to the nose roll which in some bulldogs can be very deep
Severely hot weather can be fatal to a bulldog, they don’t even need to be moving about in it to succumb to the heat. Please make sure that any exercise is given early in the morning or late in the evening, don’t be tempted to go for a nice Sunday afternoon stroll when it is very sunny or hot. Also please don’t allow your bulldog to lay out in the sun for long periods, they do not know when they have had enough and it doesn’t take long for their panting to become out of control.
DNA PROFILING IDENTIFICATION
The DNA profile is the ultimate in individual identification and offers a 'tamper-proof' means of identity. The profile need only be produced once and the DNA sample used to produce it can be stored as a permanent DNA record throughout the dog's life. Identification could be essential in a number of instances. For example, the availability of a profile could be used to identify an animal that may have been lost or stolen, and subsequently recovered. The profile could also be used to check the authenticity of a DNA sample being used to screen for the presence of disease-causing genes. Many such tests are being developed and it would be invaluable to be able to verify that the correct dog's DNA is being tested for the presence of the deleterious gene. Repeating the DNA profile on the same sample of DNA being used to carry out the gene test would be straightforward and prove conclusively that the correct animal is being tested.
Please note: DNA profiles are not instantaneous, so it is worthwhile microchipping your dog in addition. They also do not give information on the disease status.
Parentage/pedigree analysis
Provided that the DNA profiles of both parents are available, pups in a litter can be profiled and their profiles checked with their parents' profile to verify that the correct parents have been registered.
DNA profiling kit request - KC DNA profiling service
DNA profiling costs £25 per dog, and this amount is payable on ordering a profiling kit. Once ordered, a kit will be sent to you together with instructions on how to get a sample from your dog (by rubbing loose cheek cells onto a swab). Once you have taken the sample, you will need to return the kit, in the envelope provided, to the laboratory. Once a DNA profile has successfully been completed, you will receive a DNA Profiling Certificate and your dog's KC records will be updated accordingly.
THE PROOF OF THE PUPPY IS IN ITS PROFILE
A more detailed explanation of the process of DNA profiling - by Dr Jeff Sampson.
Buried within the DNA of each and every individual is a special DNA signature that can be used to uniquely identify that individual. DNA profiling is the name given to the technique that has been developed to reveal this DNA signature. Initially, DNA-based approaches to identifying individuals were pioneered in humans, but the same technology has easily been transposed to the dog. Nowadays, special sequences found in DNA called microsatellites are used to build up this DNA signature. Microsatellites have become the system of choice for DNA profiling and genetic testing in humans. The US Armed Forces, FBI, Scotland Yard, The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and multiple forensic laboratories use microsatellites for their forensic, paternity and individual identification tests. The reasons that have made them come to the fore in humans are the very reasons that currently make them the system of choice for dogs.
The technique essentially involves preparing a DNA sample from an individual dog. For this we need to obtain some tissue from the dog in order to prepare the DNA. The ideal source of material would be a blood sample which will permit us to isolate DNA from the white cells; this however requires a vet to take the sample of blood before passing it onto the laboratory for testing. Less invasive techniques which don't require veterinary intervention have therefore been sought to make the procedure more convenient. One alternative source of tissue are the cells that can be easily removed from the inside of a dog's cheek, called buccal cells.
In this case all that is required is to gently rub a small plastic brush against the inside of the cheek to remove the buccal cells. The brush, containing the cells can then be returned to the laboratory for analysis. DNA can be made from both tissue sources, although considerably less DNA is provided by the buccal cells because they are considerably fewer in number.
Once isolated, the DNA can then be treated to reveal the individual-specific DNA signature. Several laboratories throughout the world have been using this technique successfully for a number of years. Many of you will have read in the dog press of the American Kennel Club's pilot study on DNA profiling which has recently been concluded.
What can DNA profiling offer? Well, as I have explained, the DNA signature that is revealed can uniquely identify an individual dog. However, the profile is not just a means of identification because it also carries within it information on the parents of the dog. This is because a puppy inherits half of its DNA from its mother and the remaining half from its father. This essentially means that half of the components that make up the profile are maternal in origin and the other half paternal. So it is in these two areas that profiling has impact: individual identification and parentage verification
|
