On 1 November, Dr. Cathryn Mellersh, principal investigator at the Canine Genetics Centre, and Karen Wild, clinical animal behaviourist, dog trainer, and author, participated in a series of radio interviews across the UK. The aim was to engage listeners in the science behind Wisdom Panel’s latest DNA testing innovation, which explores the genetic foundations of dog behaviour. Wisdom Panel has launched a pioneering behaviour insights feature within its portfolio of dog DNA tests, making it the only dog DNA service to characterise the genetic links influencing dogs’ individual tendencies – from splooting to anxiety and much more. Continue reading
Author: Canine Genetics Centre
Collaboration across the world to identify genetic cause for wobbly puppies
Our team at the Canine Genetics Centre are often contacted to collaborate with veterinary professionals and owners from around the world when it comes to challenging canine genetic problems. We recently received a communication from a Welsh Springer Spaniel breeder from Australia asking for our expertise regarding two wobbly puppies out of one litter of nine. Continue reading
First genetic investigation of a movement disorder in Norwich Terriers published
We have recently published our preliminary genetic investigation of paroxysmal dyskinesia (PxD), a movement disorder, that is prevalent in the numerically small Norwich Terrier breed and for which no cause has been established to date in this breed. Our paper has been published in the peer-reviewed, open access journal, Animal Genetics.
Jenkins CA, De Risio L, Dietschi E, Leeb T, Rytz U, Schawalder P, Schoenebeck JJ, Mellersh CS, Ricketts SL. A preliminary genome-wide association study of paroxysmal dyskinesia in the Norwich Terrier. Anim Genet. 2024 Oct 12. doi: 10.1111/age.13479
BIG data gives us BIG results but also BIG headaches!
A couple of weeks ago Bryan gave you an overview on our sample database, but how do we get from those samples to creating a DNA test for breeders to use? Well, it’s a long process and this week we are going to explain how we use whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to find plausible candidate variants which are then taken into our lab for validation. Continue reading
More bang for your bark – PBGVs will double your donation
The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen used to suffer from a painful and blinding eye disease called Primary Open Angle Glaucoma. But thanks to research by the Canine Genetics Centre, in collaboration with veterinary ophthalmologists and the worldwide PBGV owning and breeding community, the causal mutation was identified and published in 2015. Continue reading
Over 41,000 samples and counting: Bryan maintains CGC’s ever-expanding DNA database
The CGC’s research database currently consists of 41,717 samples from 215 dog breeds collected since the early 1990s for the purpose of tackling inherited canine diseases. Roughly three quarters of sample contributions have come from UK-based donors, and the remaining quarter from 46 countries around the world. Alongside the data generated by the group over the years, our sample collection is a key resource that enables researchers to determine genetic variants responsible for heritable diseases in dogs. Continue reading
CGC and veterinary hospital team up for innovative investigations
The two main specialist areas of focus for our work in the Canine Genetics Centre (CGC) are ophthalmology and neurology. For this week’s newsletter, Dr Sally Ricketts, Senior Research Associate, tells us about how the CGC joins forces with the Queen’s Veterinary School Hospital (QVSH) to enhance our research into these conditions. Continue reading
Chris Jenkins on Border Collie brilliance and unravelling the epilepsy enigma
This week we turn our attention to canine genetics researcher and Border Collie enthusiast Dr Chris Jenkins. Chris has worked with the CGC since the team moved to Cambridge in 2021, and before then with the same group when based at the Animal Health Trust in Suffolk. We talked to Chris about his work, and learned about how his favourite dog breed may have influenced his career choices. Continue reading
CGC’s relay runners run rings round London landmarks
On Sunday 1st September, five runners teamed up on behalf of “Team CGC” to take part in London’s Big Relay – to raise money to support the Canine Genetics Centre and its idiopathic epilepsy (IE) research. It turns out that relays involve a lot more planning than the average race (which station is nearest to which start point? What time does each runner need to be in place? Who will look after whose kit bag…?), but the preparations paid off and after an early start all five runners were at their various start points, spread out from Tower Bridge to Canary Wharf, in plenty of time and raring to go. Continue reading
Cocker Crazy at the KC International Agility Festival!
Last weekend we attended one of the largest Dog Agility shows in the UK, the Kennel Club International Agility Festival (KCIAF), where we met up with over 100 Cocker Spaniels. We were collecting data for research into Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) as part of Bruno’s PhD. Continue reading
