A novel disease in the Segugio Italiano dog breed – our search for the causal variant

Our research project dedicated to inherited eye disease (IED) in dogs, CRIEDD, often sees us work in close collaboration with veterinary ophthalmologists. When they see novel diseases, or a disease emerging in a new breed of dog, they will send us DNA samples so that we can work together to identify the genetic cause. Continue reading

Relieving the pressure of inherited glaucoma in dogs

The Canine Genetics Centre is excited to be resuming its research into primary glaucoma in dogs. This article explains what glaucoma is, and what we are doing to resume our investigations of this painful and blinding canine disease. Continue reading

The TTPA variant causing retinopathy with vitamin E deficiency (RVED) is found in two more breeds of dog

In January of this year we published our research into an inherited eye disease called retinopathy with vitamin E deficiency (RVED) in English Cocker Spaniels. You may  have heard of this disease before under a different name, perhaps central progressive retinal atrophy or retinal pigment epithelial dystrophy. Continue reading

Primary lens luxation in the Lancashire Heeler

In 2010 we published our findings from a collaborative research project with our colleagues at the University of Missouri, into primary lens luxation (PLL) in Lancashire Heelers, Miniature Bull and Jack Russell Terriers. The causative variant for the condition was found to be a single nucleotide variant (SNV) in the ADAMTS17 gene. Further research found the variant to segregate in a number of additional dog breeds. Continue reading

Multiocular Defect in the Cocker Spaniel – The Next Challenge

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. Continue reading

Watching for inherited eye disease in every dog breed

This week, we turn our focus to Dr Katherine Stanbury, who manages our inherited eye disease programme, CRIEDD (Consortium to Research Inherited Eye Disease in Dogs). The CRIEDD project was established in 2019 with funding from Dogs Trust, and Katherine joined the group that same year. “It was serendipitous that I took on this role,” Katherine said. “I re-homed my dog Wyatt from Dogs Trust a few years before.Continue reading

A Focus on Eyes

Last month we told you about an eye disease variant we recently identified in the English Shepherd Breed. Today we wanted to give you a bit more information on the research we do into inherited eye diseases (IED), all of which is now carried out under the CRIEDD (Consortium to Research Inherited Eye Diseases in Dogs ) project. Continue reading