Thank you to everyone who has donated to the Canine Genetic Centre’s “Fund our Future campaign“. As of the beginning of May we have received donations and pledges from around 100 different clubs, associations and groups, totalling almost £80,000. We have received approximately the same amount from individual donors, with sums donated ranging from £5, via our Text2Donate code, to a few extraordinary donations made by incredibly generous donors. Collectively, on top of some other sources of funding, these donations mean that the CGC team is now safe until the end of 2024. So I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has donated – it means such a lot to me and the whole team. Continue reading
News
Epilepsy study sample collection off to a flying start
Earlier this year the CGC announced the broadening of its idiopathic epilepsy (IE) project to include Beagles, English Springers, Giant Schnauzers, Hungarian Vizslas and Irish Setters. The IE team is pleased to report that the launch has met with a very enthusiastic response from dog owners: around 160 swab kits for the above five breeds have been sent out, with more kit requests coming in every day. Continue reading
Breeding with Carriers – yay or nay?
With the recent launch of the Paradoxical pseudomyotonia (PP) test in the Cocker Spaniel, we have seen an increase in breeders asking whether it is OK to breed with carrier dogs or not. This is not a simple yes/no question and we need to look at a lot more information than just the single CARRIER result that you might have received. Please read more from our experts to help you better understand this area and what is best for your personal breeding program. Continue reading
Paper detailing PRA modifier frequencies published
The Canine Genetics Centre has had an important study published, in collaboration with Wisdom Panel, on the genetics of progressive retinal atrophy in dogs. The paper describes the frequency of two genetics variants, called RPGRIP1ins44 and MAP9del, in 132 different breeds of dog. Both the variants were originally identified in Miniature Longhaired Dachshunds, and both are known to modify the development and progression of PRA. Continue reading
Text to Donate Poster
Can you help us safeguard the Canine Genetics Centre by helping us spread our “Text to Donate” message with other dog lovers? 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
Canine Genetics Centre researchers collaborate with specialist veterinary neurologist to identify genetic cause of dog’s illness.
Most of the researchers who work in the Canine Genetics Centre (CGC) are geneticists and we regularly collaborate with colleagues from the veterinary profession to ensure that we fully understand the diseases that we investigate, and that the dogs we include in our investigations have been robustly diagnosed. Continue reading
Launch of DNA test for progressive retinal atrophy in the English Shepherd dog
The Canine Genetics Centre (CGC) is excited to announce the launch of a new DNA test, for progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) in the English Shepherd Dog, a breed that has shared ancestry with the Border Collie, the Rough Collie and the Australian Shepherd. Continue reading
Introducing Bruno Lopes – PhD student based in the Canine Genetics Centre
We would like to introduce you to Bruno Lopes. Bruno is a veterinary neurologist, from Southfields Veterinary Specialists, who has recently started studying for a PhD on a part-time basis at Cambridge University Vet School. Bruno, who will be based within the Canine Genetics Centre, will be investigating the genetics of intervertebral disc diseases in several breeds of dog, the aim being to improve our understanding of the genetics of this complex, debilitating disease that affects some of the UK’s most popular breeds. Continue reading
Update on Primary Hyperparathyroidism in Keeshonds
We are still trying to identify the genetic change that causes Primary Hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) in the Keeshond. It is proving to be much more challenging than initially anticipated, which may explain, at least in part, why the original research was never completed and published.
As part of the original Give a Dog a Genome project, we used short-read based Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to sequence a PHPT case and an epilepsy case (as a PHPT control). We have sequenced a further case and a progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) case as a control, giving us two cases and two controls. These data have enabled us to independently identify the chromosome that harbours the causative genetic mutation for PHPT, however we have been unable to precise variant.
We have recently been awarded a small grant from CamVet to undertake long-read sequencing of the candidate region in an attempt to identify additional variants. Preliminary data suggests that the region of interest is highly structurally complex and very difficult to interrogate, but sequencing and data analysis is ongoing.
