Dr Cathryn Mellersh, who Heads the Canine Genetics Centre (CGC), has been working in the field of canine genetics for more than 30 years. During that time she has, inevitably, amassed a lot of expertise that she puts to effective use both within the CGC and beyond. Cathryn is a member of the Hereditary Disease Committee (HDC) of the (WSAVA) and last week she travelled to Rio de Janeiro, alongside six other members of the committee, to attend the 50th WSAVA congress. The committee includes veterinarians and geneticists from around the world, each contributing specific canine and/or feline expertise. Continue reading
The Cocker Spaniel is one of the most popular dog breeds in the UK and so it is unsurprising that a number of inherited diseases have been reported over the years in this breed including Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), Retinal Dysplasia (RD) and Retinopathy with Vitamin E Deficiency (RVED). A DNA test for PRA (prcd) has been available for a long time and so this disease is now, fortunately, very rare in this breed. Very recently, the Canine Genetics Centre has also solved the cause of RVED in this breed and so, with the use of DNA testing, this disease should be easy to eradicate in a few generations. 
On 1 November, Dr. Cathryn Mellersh, principal investigator at the Canine Genetics Centre, and 
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. 
We have recently published our preliminary genetic investigation of 
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 
