The popularity of the Labrador retriever doesn’t seem to wane. It has been the number one dog breed registered by the American Kennel Club from 2002 to 2012 (the last time registration statistics were calculated) and is currently the most popular breed in the world. Their cheerful dispositions, great prey drive, and high intelligence, has made them a common sight in American households. Unfortunately, like many dog breeds, certain inherited diseases have become an issue as the popularity of the breed has increased. One such disease, centronuclear myopathy (commonly referred to as “CNM” by Labrador breeders), has become a concern for the breed. It is currently recommended (though considered optional) by the Labrador Retriever Club to perform genetic testing for CNM on all Labradors. Despite that many Labrador breeders are currently testing for the disorder, from conversations, I have discovered that many breeders still have a significant number of questions in regards to what the disease actually is and what causes the symptoms seen in CNM.
CNM is a hereditary muscle disease of dogs caused by a genetic mutation in the PTPLA gene. This disease was first described in dogs (Labrador retriever) in ...