Cynologist

Cynology: Puppies Dogs

Archive for the ‘Genetics & Heredity’ Category

February 18th, 2010 by admin

The faults and defects of the breeds: Toy Dogs

Affenpinschers Patella luxation, either medial or lateral; Legg-Calves Perthes disease Brussels Griffon Shoulder dislocation Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Patella luxation; Episodic weakness and collapse, a rare, inherited disorder Chihuahuas (Long and Smooth coats) Shoulders dislocation; Patella luxation, medial or lateral; Hypoplasia of dens, which produces atlantoaxial subluxation, causing neck pain and quadriplegia Chinese Cresteds Medial patella luation; Legg-Calves Perthes disease English Toy Spaniels (Blenheim/Prince Charles and King Charles/Ruby) Patella luxation, medial or lateral can occur with medial the most common, Congenital Femoral Shift Italian Greyhounds Predisposed to forelimb fractures Japanese Chin Dwarfism Maltese Patella luxatin Miniature Pinschers Shoulders dislocation; Legg-Calves Perthes disease; Epiphyseal dysplasia; Decreased long-bone growth; OIsteopenia Papillons Patella luxation Perkingese Hypoplaisa of dense (Odontoid Process, an atlantoaxial subluxation, causes neck pain and quadriplegia); IVD (intervertebrate disk disease); Swimmers syndrome; Atypical pannus; Legg-Calves Perthes disease Pomeranians Patella luxation, either medial or lateral; Dwarfism; Read more [...]
February 17th, 2010 by admin

The faults and defects of the breeds: Terriers

Airedale Terriers Hip dysplasia; Trembling hindquarters seen after six months of age; Thyroid disorders American Staffordshire Terriers Ruptured curciate ligament (very common) Australian Terriers Legg-Calves Perthes disease; Patella luxation Border Terriers Patella luxation; Hip dysplasia Bull Terriers None recorded in veterinary literature Cairn Terriers Patella luxation; Legg-Calves Perthes disease Dandie Dinmont Terriers IVD (intervertebrate disk disease); Achondroplasia; Patella luxation, either medial or lateral; Hip dysplasia; Shoulder luxation; Elbow dysplasia; Neoplasias Fox Terriers (Smooth and Wire) Shoulder dislocation; Legg Calves Perthes disease; Myasthenia gravis Irish Terriers Muscular dystrophy Kerry Blue Terriers UAP (ununited anconeal process) Lakeland Terriers UAP (ununited anconeal process); Legg-Calves Perthes disease; Manchester Terriers (Standard and Toy) Legg-Calves Perthes disease Miniature Schnauzers Legg-Calves Perthes disease; Muscular dystrophy Scottish Terriers Dwarfism; Scoottie cramp, characterized by rigidity of limbs with dog recovering in 30 seconds; Thyroid disorders; Elbow dysplasia; IVD (intervertebrate disk disease) Sealyham Terriers IVD (intervertebrate Read more [...]
February 16th, 2010 by admin

The faults and defects of the breeds: Working Dogs

Akitas Juvenille polyarthrities causing incapacitating pain and fever; Hip dysplasia; Elbow dysplasia; Thyroid disorders Alaskan Malamutes Hip dysplasia; Chondrodysplasia, a dwarfism associated with anemia that produces stunted growth in the forelegs, lateral deviation of the foot, carpal enlargement, bowing of forelegs, and a sloping topline; Polyneuropathy, an hereditary progressive muscle weakness Bernese Mountain Dogs Hip dysplasia (very high incidence); Elbow dysplasia; Neoplasias Boxers Neoplasias; Interverterbral disk degeneration Cardiomyopathy. Bullmastiffs Hip dysplasia; Elbow dysplasia; Cervical vertebral malformation; UAP (ununited anconeal process) Doberman Pinscher Wobblers syndrome; Polyostotic fibrous dysplasia (osteophytes and cysts form in distal metaphyses of ulna and radius); Neoplasias; Elbow dysplasia Read more [...]
February 15th, 2010 by admin

The faults and defects of the breeds: Hounds

Afghan Hounds Elbow dysplasia; Malformation of articular surfaces of proximal radius and ulna; Thyroid disorders American Foxhounds Spinal osteochondrois (affects the ability to run) Basenjis Hip dysplasia Basset Hounds Vertebral deformity with pressure necrosis results from anomaly of third cervical vertebra; Achondroplasia (foreleg lameness caused by anatomical irregularity; cartilage of growth plate grows in irregular directions and is scant); OCD (osteochondrities dissecans) (shoulder); Osteodystrophy; Radial carpal joint irregularity; Patella luxation, medial or lateral that produces lameness at four to six months of age; IVD (intervertebrate disk disease); Panostetis Beagles Hip dysplasia; Epiphyseal dysplasia; IVD (intervertebrate disk disease) Black and Tan Coonhounds Hip dysplasia (high incidence); Polyradiculoneuritis; Coondog paralysis Bloodhounds Hip dysplasia; Elbow dysplasia Borzois Thyroid disorders Dachshunds IVD (intervertebrate disk disease); Osteoporosis clinically similar to swimmers, with radiographs showing dense bones and abnormal bone resorption; UAP (ununited anconeal process); Patella luxation; Achondroplasia; Thyroid disorder English Foxhounds Osteochondrosis Read more [...]
February 14th, 2010 by admin

The faults and defects of the breeds: Sporting Dogs

Brittany Patella luxation: Hip dysplasia Chesapeake Bay Retrievers Hip dysplasia; Elbow dysplasia Clumber Spaniels Hip dysplasia Cocker Spaniels (American) Hip dysplasia; IVD (intervertebrate disk disease); Patella luxation, either medial or lateral; Elbow dysplasia; Thyroid disorders; Neoplasias; Anury (no tail, no caudal vertebrae); Brachury (short tail) Curly-Coated Retrievers Thyroid disorders; Calcium metabolic disorders; Juvenile osteoporosis. English Cocker Spaniels Swimmers syndrome (i.e. the inability to stand at four to six weeks of age) English Setters Hip dysplasia; Neoplasias English Springer Spaniels Hip dysplasia; Myasthenia gravis Field Spaniels Thyroid disorders; Hip dysplasia Flat-Coated Retrievers Hip dysplasia; Patella luxation; Neoplasias German Shorthaired Pointers Pannus; Neoplasias German Wirehaired Pointers Hip dysplasia; Toe fractures Golden Retrievers Hip dysplasia (very high incidence); Elbow dysplasia; OCD (osteochondrities dissecans) of elbow; Muscular dystrophy; Thyroid disorders; Neoplasias Gordon Setters Hip dysplasia; Thyroid disorders Irish Setters Generalized myopathy (i.e. stiff gait and other difficulties); Carpal (pastern luxation; Read more [...]
February 13th, 2010 by admin

Balanced Angulation

The term "balanced angulation" in general refers to the various angles of the legs, though it could include the neck angle, the angles of the head, angle of tail set, etc. According to Spira's book "Canine Terminology", balance is a synonym for symmetry. When something is symmetrical, it does not mean identical. The right and left hands are symmetrical, but, as everyone knows, the left glove will not fit the right hand. Thus, balanced angulation of the legs means that the angles of the front legs should be approximately symmetrical to the equivalent angles of the rear leg. While we can say that the rear leg angles should approximate the front leg angles, specifically, which angles are we referring to? Although I have never seen a written definition of which leg joints have equivalent angulation, it is logical to assume that the point of shoulder angle should nearly equal the angle at the stifle joint and that the angle at the elbow should nearly equal the angle at the hock joint. By present findings those dogs designed for ideal trotting should have the shoulder blade layback about 300 off the VERTICAL (not 450 degrees as commonly quoted); whereas the pelvis should be about 300 off the HORIZONTAL. Thus, these two angles Read more [...]
February 12th, 2010 by admin

Mysteries of color

In my time I have read a lot of books on dogs written by people from many breeds - there is one point that has always interested me but which I have never seen positively answered. It arises in many different breeds, especially in the bull breed subgroup, and in several different ways., The point is the genetic difference between the colours red and fawn, if indeed there is a genetic difference. Old sourmug.the Bulldog is behind many breeds in which these two colours occur, perhaps not quite in. his present day form, but undoubtedly behind them an many generations ago. Now the Bulldog appears in a wide range of colours, two of which are rich deep red and pale smutty fawn - light fawn with dark tip to the hairs. He a so appears in lighter shades of red and deeper shades of fawn, with or without smart markings, sometimes so that it is not at all easy to say whether a particular dog's coat is pale red or deep fawn. Similar In the first example mentioned above, there is a very marked difference between the two dog's colors.. In the second one they are very similar indeed. both are recessive to brindle and probably dominant to black and tan but how ,genetically, are they related to each other?. Is the deep red dominant to Read more [...]
February 11th, 2010 by admin

Colour breeding

Breeding Great Danes Is complicated by the fact that the breed Standard condones only five colours - fawn, brindle, black, blue and harlequin - though when standardised as a recognisable breed in Germany about 100 years ago Danes appeared in many and various colours. Colour was not considered important by early breeders and a great deal of white was often present in the coat colour of fawns and brindles. The extension of white was so common that eventually German breeders disallowed the breeding of harlequins - dogs with a predorninance of white - to fawns or brindles. It's also true to say that early Danes were often referred to as being 'smokey' In colour, evidence of the recessive blue colouration being widespread. So there we have the background to the generally accepted colour Code of Ethics of today. The basic rules of breeding only fawn to fawn or brindle, brindle to brindle or fawn, black to black or blue or harlequin, blue to blue or black, harlequin to harlequin or harlequin derivates or black. By so doing, the five colours were established and stabilised. However, such matters get more complex. Without going Into all the facts of colour breeding, I would like to make the following observations. 1) One must Read more [...]
February 10th, 2010 by admin

Breeding systems

The first stage of any breeding program is selecting the dog, the second deciding which dog to mate to which. Crossbreeding is the most effective for farm livestock, but dog-breeding is greatly influenced by pedigree. In pure breeding, mating is between unrelated animals of the same breed (outbred) or with closely related animals of the same breed (inbred). It is commonly but erroneously thought that all dog breeds are highly inbred, with consequent character failings. While a purebred animal is more inbred than a crossbred, not all purebreds are highly inbred. Taking 0 per cent as a totally outbred dog and 100 per cent as purely inbred (brother sister mating for many generations), many dog breeds would have average inbreeding levels of 4-5 per cent and below. In numerically small breeds, the levels may reach 12-14 per cent, equivalent to having the same grandparent on both sides of a pedigree. Inbreeding is a powerful tool for fixing certain features and is almost always undertaken in the establishment of breeds of any species. However, it does bring to the surface hidden defects, usually recessive, and at high levels(in excess of 0-30 per cent) can bring about serious problems usually affecting viability traits. Experiment Read more [...]
February 9th, 2010 by admin

Breeding and selection

Polygenic characters tend to follow a pattern in which most individuals under study fall around the center or mean, with fewer at the two extremes. Taking wither height as an example, there are few really small animals of a particular breed and few really large ones, with most around the middle height. The number of genes which, with environmental influences, control height may he unknown, but selection can still be undertaken; many breeds have been altered or 'improved' without breeders knowing the number of genes involved. A breeder seeking to improve or increase a particular trait must first identify those members of the breed which excel in that trait and then mate extreme examples. Progress depends on two features. One, called the selection differential, is the extent to which the selected group (parents) exceeds their population mean; the other, called the heritability, is the extent to which the character under examination is inherited in an additive fashion. If a trait is not highly inherited, even intense selection will give little response; in contrast a highly inherited trait will not be altered if minimal selection is made for it. Most breeds have been altered over the years, some out of all recognition, Read more [...]