Cat and DogPreventative Medicine:
Breeding and Genetic Medicine
Dr. N. Matthew Ellinwood, D.V.M., Ph.D.
April 2, 2012
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES
Breeding Management andDisease Prevention
• Infectious Agents
• Genetic Disease– Simple– Complex
Infectious Disease
• Canine Agents
• Feline Agents
Canine Agents
• Brucella canis– Cause of reproductive failure and zoonotic
• Transmissible canine venereal tumor– Tumor cells are the infectious agent– Over 6000 years old– Current form is 200-2000 years old– Issue in tropics/subtropics
Feline Agents
• Retroviruses– FIV– FeLV
Feline Blood Type Incompatibility
• B queens bred to A toms or A carrier toms– Blood typing– DNA testing for B carrier status
B Blood Frequency by BreedTable 1: Estimated frequency of type B cats in various breeds NB: For some breeds only small numbers of cats have been tested, so the figures may not be as accurate as they would be if results were available for larger numbers of cats. The proportion of group B cats within a breed may change with time, depending on breeding choices and patterns within that breed.
Only type A Low type B frequency (1-10%)
Intermediate type B frequency (10-25%)
High type B frequency (>25%)
Siamese* American Shorthair* Abyssinian* British Shorthair* ^
Tonkinese* Maine Coon* Birman* ^ † Cornish Rex*
Oriental Shorthair* Manx* Burmese^ Devon Rex* †
Norwegian Forest* Himalayan* Exotic*
Bengal** Persian* ^ Ragdoll*
Scottish Fold* Turkish Van*
Somali* Turkish Angora *
Sphynx* †
* Figures supplied by Dr Giger, University of Pennsylvania ^ Figures from a study of UK cats conducted by C Knottenbelt, University of Glasgow † Figures supplied by Dr Addie, University of Glasgow
** Figures supplied by Professor D Gunn-Moore, Edinburgh University
Breeds at Risk(Summary)
• Exclusive A cats– Siamese – Tonkinese – Oriental Shorthair
• Other breeds at risk ranging from 1% to greater than 25% (i.e. British shorthairs)
Cardiac Evaluationand Thyroid Evaluation
• Heart– Echo– Dipl. ACVIM (Cardio)
• Thyroid– Blood tests– OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals)
Recessive Genetic Disease in Dogs and Cats
• Dozens of genetic disease in dogs and cats for which genetic tests exist
• DNA based tests are usually breed specific• Some breeds share mutations• Involve serious inherited recessive diseases of
various body systems– Vision– Lysosomal Storage Diseases– Hematological Disorders
Breed Specific Tests Miniature Poodle
Miniature Schnauzer
Newfoundland
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers
Papillon
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Poodles (all varieties)
Portuguese Water Dog
Samoyeds
Schipperke
Scottish Terrier
Shetland Sheepdog
Shih Tzu
Siberian Huskies
Sloughis
Toy Poodles
West Highland White Terrier
Wheaten Terrier
Whippet
Wire-haired Pointing Griffon
Airdale Terrier
American Cocker Spaniels
Australian Cattle Dogs
Australian Shepherd
Basenji
Basset Hound
Bedlington Terrier
Bernese Mountain Dog
Briard
Brittany Spaniel
Bull Terrier
Bullmastiffs
Cairn Terrier
Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Chesapeake Bay Retrievers
Curly-Coated Retriever
Dachshunds
Dalmatian
Doberman Pinscher
English Cocker Spaniels
English Pointer
English Setter
English Springer Spaniel
Field Spaniel
Flat-coated Retriever
German Short-haired Pointer
German Wire-haired Pointer
Golden Retriever
Great Dane
Greyhound
Irish Setters
Irish Red & White Setters
Kerry Blue Terrier
Labrador Retriever
Large Munsterlander
Lhasa Apso
Manchester Terrier
Mastiffs
Miniature Pinschers
Commercial DNA Based Testing
• Testing for diseases• Testing for traits (hair coat color)• Testing for parentage• Testing for heritage• University based, single tests
– Usually developer of tests• University based, multiple tests and services• Commercial laboratories, University spin-offs• Commercial laboratories, usually little to no
development• Price $75-$150• Who you gonna call?
Vet Gen Coat Color Tests
• The B and b alleles of the dog– Three mutations in Tyrosinase Related Protein-
1 (TRP1) involved in the chocolate coat color in “bb” Labrador retrievers (and dogs of many other breeds).
• The E and e alleles of the dog– One mutation in the the Melanocortin-1
Receptor (MC1R) gene that causes the the yellow coat color in “ee” dogs.
Orthopedic Evaluations
• OFA• Penn Hip (1.5 years)• HD (2 years of age)• OCD• ED• Age (see above)• Retesting
– Penn Hip – no– HD - yes
Ocular Evaluations
• CERF evaluations– ACVO
• Frequency– Annually