Tag archives: skin infection

Like other popular retrieving breeds such as the Labrador, golden, and flat coated retrievers, the American bred, Chesapeake Bay retriever can trace its roots back to the St. John’s water dog, a purpose bred dog originating in the Canadian providence of Newfoundland. With its wavy and slightly oily, waterproof coat, the Chessie has become a prominent fixture at the side of bird hunting enthusiasts since its development in the 19^th century. Not surprising to those that have lived and worked with a great Chesapeake, the breed has increased in popularity in the US over the past several years as indicated by their jump in the AKC registration rankings from 49^th in 2009 to 40^th in 2014. Unfortunately, like other pure bred dogs, along its path to modern popularity the Chesapeake has developed some inherited genetic disease concerns that are known to cause medical issues for some dogs and can be a source of heartache for those that love them. One particularly severe, inherited condition unique to the Chesapeake Bay retriever, is a condition known as ectodermal dysplasia or skin fragility syndrome (ED/SFS).

What is ED/SFS?

ED/SFS is a severe, inherited disease in which affected dogs are ...

In this third part of a four part blog series examining preventable inherited diseases in the Labrador retriever (See previous blogs here; part one and part two) we will be examining a relatively common neuromuscular condition known as exercise-induced collapse and a skin disorder unique to the Labrador known as hereditary nasal parakeratosis.

Exercise-Induced Collapse

There aren’t many inherited diseases more concerning to Labrador lovers than exercise-induced collapse (EIC). This potentially fatal condition caused by a mutation in the DNM1 gene results in an inability to produce adequate amounts of a protein called dynamin 1, which plays an important role in nerve signal transmission in the body. As its name suggests, dogs affected with EIC typically present during periods of intense exercise, often before 2 years of age. During an episode of collapse, affected dogs will commonly develop an awkward, wobbly gait that progresses to severe weakness, dragging of the hind limbs, and collapse lasting for 5 to 10 minutes. Though unable to rise, dogs experiencing an episode of collapse are usually mentally alert and pain-free. Most dogs completely recover within 30 minutes and appear normal between episodes. Most concerning however, is that in some cases affected dogs can progress ...

From a thorough mixture of spaniels, pointers, and other setter breeds, the Irish setter made its rise to popular gun dog status in the 18^th century in its native homeland, Ireland. Though originally of the red and white color pattern (now called the Irish red and white setter), by the time the Irish setter made its way to North America, the solid red color most commonly associated with the breed had been established through selective breeding practices. Originally bred for their versatility in hunting game birds, by the mid 1900’s the Irish setter’s role in the field had greatly diminished despite their popularity in the show ring. Controversial, yet successful, efforts were taken to outcross the breed to red and white champion English setters in order to preserve and improve field varieties. The resultant field variety, often referred to as the Red setter, is unique in its hunting abilities and appearance when compared to American show varieties of the Irish setter. However, the field variety still falls under the Irish setter name in the US.

Unfortunately, at some point during the breed’s development, a spontaneous mutation in the ITGB2 gene occurred in a single Irish setter. A portion of ...

The Golden Retriever’s easy going, gentle demeanor combined with their robustness of body, eagerness to please, and significant intelligence have consistently kept them near the top of the most popular American dogs for many years.  As a result, Paw Print Genetics frequently comes in contact with golden retriever owners and breeders looking for specific genetic tests to help make sure their dogs are going to be healthy, and in addition, that their favorite breeding sire or dam is not a carrier for a recessive disease that may be inherited by their offspring.

One of the genetic diseases most commonly tested for in Golden Retrievers is the skin disease, ichthyosis.  Ichthyosis is an autosomal recessive disease occurring due to mutations in the PNPLA1 gene and can be seen as early as the first few weeks of life in affected animals (to be affected, dogs must carry two copies of the mutated gene, one from each parent).  The prefix of the word, “ichthy-”, comes from the Greek word, “ikhthus”, meaning fish.  This is in reference to the fish-like dermal scales that characterize this disease.  Most commonly, dogs present with mild to severe generalized skin scaling of ...