Tag archives: Canine Health

Prepare to unleash your excitement because we have some paw-some news to share! We proudly announce the release of over 100 new tests for our Paw Print Genetics® and Canine HealthCheck® genetic solutions!

Paw Print Genetics®

We have some wonderful news for all dog owners and lovers out there! Paw Print Genetics, the leading provider of canine genetic testing, has expanded its offerings with the introduction of 49 new tests, bringing our total collection to nearly 350 breed-specific tests!

Our team is dedicated to ongoing research and development to improve the health and well-being of our beloved furry companions. With this latest expansion, we aim to provide even more valuable insights into your dog's genetic makeup.

Our comprehensive genetic tests cover a wide range of aspects, including identifying potential diseases, uncovering risk factors, and revealing intriguing traits. Whether you have a Golden Retriever with Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome or a Portuguese Water Dog with Progressive Retinal Atrophy, we've got you covered. Our tests offer valuable information that can help you make informed decisions about your dog's health.

Moreover, our R Locus test can shed light on your dog's coat color genetics, revealing the secrets behind their unique appearance. We also offer ...

Four things to Consider Before Buying

Whether you are looking to adopt from a breeder or a shelter, it is important to thoroughly think the decision over. While we want pups to be adopted, we also want to ensure the dog is a good match for home & lifestyle

If you are thinking about adding a new addition to your family, here are a few thoughts to consider and questions to ask yourself before adopting a dog.

1. Your Living Space

Do you live in an apartment? Do you have a backyard? Does your home have a lot of stairs? These are all good questions to ask yourself as some dog breeds have different needs when it comes to living spaces. Breeds with long backs and short legs, such as Corgis, can injure themselves by ascending or descending stairs. On the other hand, high energy breeds such as Australian Shepherds, thrive by having a backyard that they can run freely in. By considering these items, you can ensure a successful fit for your home.

2. Other Family Members

Who lives with you? Do you have small children or other animals? Certain dog breeds do better with ...

Researchers at the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute in China have pre-released a study that indicates the virus SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the COVID-19 disease, can infect and replicate efficiently in cats.  They have also found that cats can transmit the virus to other cats via respiratory droplets.  There is still little evidence to suggest that cats can be a source of viral transmission to humans.  This study also found that dogs appear to have low susceptibility to the virus. 

Accordingly, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) makes these recommendations when it comes to COVID-19 and your pets.

- If you are not ill with COVID-19, you can interact with your pet as you normally would, including walking, feeding, and playing. You should continue to practice good hygiene during those interactions (e.g., wash hands before and after interacting with your pet; ensure your pet is kept well-groomed; regularly clean your pet’s food and water bowls, bedding material, and toys).

- Out of an abundance of caution, it is recommended that those ill with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus. Have another member of your household take care of walking, feeding, and playing ...

With the COVID -19 Pandemic creating many challenges today, we thought we would provide information to help you understand the condition and reduce any risk to you or your furry family members.

A novel coronavirus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of Hong Kong reported on March 4^th, 2020 a pet dog had repeatedly tested weak positive for SARS-CoV-2.  This is consistent with a low level of infection.  The transmission was most likely human to animal, as the dog lived with a human that tested positive for the virus.  The pet was quarantined for 14 days and never developed clinical signs. Sadly, the pet passed away shortly after its quarantine from unrelated causes. 

Although this case is concerning, we don’t really know if SARS-CoV-2 can infect dogs, cats and other animals.  The World Health Organization stated there is no evidence at present that dogs and cats can be infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, or develop ...

Discovery of disease-associated, canine genetic mutations has greatly increased over the past two decades. As a result, identification of these mutations through genetic testing has quickly become a useful tool for dog kennels and veterinary practices by allowing for the identification of asymptomatic disease carriers, diagnosis of affected dogs, and prevention of inherited diseases through informed breeding practices. However, because mutation discovery is often funded by specific breed clubs with interest in a breed-related disease concern, study investigators may not perform extensive, species-wide population studies for a newly discovered mutation. Therefore, in many cases, additional breeds inheriting the same mutation (and developing the same disease) may remain unknown for quite some time after the initial discovery.

As any modern veterinarian can attest, for better or worse, animal lovers have more veterinary medical information at their fingertips than ever before. Occasionally, at Paw Print Genetics, we are contacted by breeders or owners whose veterinarian had opted not to pursue a diagnosis that the client suspected because of the veterinarian’s historical understanding of a disease’s breed-specific distribution rather than the current knowledge. For veterinarians building a differential diagnosis list, keeping the mind open to a particular inherited disease manifesting in an unexpected ...

Interactions with our clients are valuable to Paw Print Genetics. It helps us understand their concerns when it comes to genetic testing. One question that we have been asked on occasion is about the number of genetic tests we have available for a particular breed as compared to a different breed and what that number means for the health of that breed as a whole. For example, Paw Print Genetics currently offers 12 genetic tests for the Labrador retriever, which is more than any other breed. For some of our clients, the natural follow-up question after this discovery has been, “Are Labradors more unhealthy than other breeds?” Though there are many diseases that have been identified in the Labrador retriever, we cannot make the assumption that they are more unhealthy or carry more genetic problems as a whole than other breeds without doing some statistical evaluation of the entire dog population. However, to my knowledge, this potentially expensive and time-intensive evaluation has not been performed. Despite the fact that veterinarians may sometimes get the impression that certain breeds are overrepresented in regards to disease, there are many factors that must be considered when objectively evaluating the number of genetic ...

In recognition of the AKC’s Responsible Dog Ownership Days, I thought I’d reflect on what it means to be a responsible dog owner, as it’s a very subjective topic.

Some people believe simply providing food, water and shelter is the only responsibility of owning a dog. I’d say that’s the bottom line, lowest common denominator of responsible dog ownership. Below are some thoughts on what it means to responsibly care for, train and breed dogs. Which do you think are most important?

The Basics: As said, providing your dog with quality diet, water and shelter from heat/cold/precipitation are the bare minimums of responsibility. I’d add sufficient exercise and interaction to that list as well.

Socialization: Raising a puppy that has had proper socialization during the first 12 weeks of age will make a difference in its character and psychological stability for the rest of its life. Safely introducing your puppy and allowing it to meet and interact with other dogs teaches it how to behave around other dogs, and what the proper protocols and canine rituals are. Failure to socialize your dog can handicap it; creating a fearful or aggressive dog that will have difficulty interacting with other ...

Dedicated in loving memory of Rigel - the blue star Afghan - may his star burn brightly.

Many understand the "need for canine health testing".  People will dutifully test their dog’s hips, eyes (CERF exam), maybe elbows, thyroid, knees and the one DNA test for the BIG recessive genetic disease that has been known to exist in their breed for years.  This sequence is what they have been taught that they must do to be a responsible breeder by the forefathers in their breed clubs.  But how much do people really understand the need for genetic testing?

What about uncommon genetic disease in the breed?  Every individual carries recessive non-working or disease genes; many of which are uncommon and can run silently in the family for generations before two carriers are bred together and produce affected puppies.   It has often been touted that one reason for inbreeding is to identify and weed out recessive disorders, but how often is this actually done?  If the problem is uncommon and unknown, affected individuals, especially those that die young, can go undiagnosed, especially if each and every puppy is not extensively evaluated.   So the problem occurs unrecognized, unidentified and ...

A novel service has launched that aims to connect dog owners with other owners who have a puppy from the same litter. The free online service, r-u-mylitter.com, is in its infancy, but it could serve as an excellent source of information for future puppy buyers, current dog owners and in genetic research and canine healthcare.

Spurred by a co-founder Wendy Margolis’ experience picking a puppy, r-u-mylitter.com seeks to unite curious dog owners who wonder what happened to their dog’s littermates. The site has received quite a bit of press, including registration by reality star Khloe Kardashian, who made headlines when she began searching for the littermates of her new boxer puppy.

Besides offering novelty information, like where in the world littermates have dispersed and personality traits of each puppy, the site has the potential to offer more important and useful knowledge.

As Dr. Steven Suter, the Medical Director of North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine Canine Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, explains on their site, connecting with the owners of littermates could help your dog if it were to need a bone marrow transplant or other similar procedure.

“My impression is that using …cells harvested from a ...

In a continuation of our discussion of puppy "health guarantees" the question is: is it feasible to expect breeders to guarantee against all congenital and genetic defects and what should breeders guarantee or promise?  It is a pervasive "wisdom" that "good" breeders will only produce healthy puppies with no genetic problems or congenital defects and a "responsible breeder" certainly would never sell a puppy with a congenital or genetic defect.  This has long been a stated or implied expectation that breeders have placed on themselves and others and a notion that has passed on as conventional wisdom regarding the purchase of a puppy.   As a result, when a problem occurs, it is to be approached with chagrin, shame or denial on the part of the breeder and blame placed on the breeder by others.  But is this expectation reasonable?    Is expecting breeders to recognize the presence of all congenital defects even feasible?

Articles like Empowering international canine inherited disorder management by BJ Wilson and CM Wade published in Mammalian Genome in Feb of 2012, and the increasing volume of canine health and genetic research illustrates the reality of genetic risk inherent in dog breeding ...