Degenerative Myelopathy / Degenerative Radiculomyelopathy) DM (Exon 2)

Breeds

English Cocker Spaniel, Minature Poodle, Cockapoo

The Disease

Canine degenerative myelopathy (also known as chronic degenerative radiculomyelopathy) is a progressive disease of the spinal cord in older dogs. The disease has an insidious onset typically between 7 and 14 years of age. It begins with a loss of coordination (ataxia) in the hind limbs. As of July 15, 2008 the mutated gene responsible for DM has been found present in 43 breeds including English Cocker Spaniel, Poodle and Cockapoo. The disease is chronic and progressive, and resulting in paralysis.

Clinical Signs

Degenerative myelopathy initially affects the back legs and causes muscle weakness and loss, and lack of coordination. These cause a staggering effect that may appear to be arthritis. The dog may drag one or both rear paws when it walks. This dragging can cause the nails of one foot to be worn down. The condition may lead to extensive paralysis of the back legs. As the disease progresses, the animal may display symptoms such as incontinence and has considerable difficulties with both balance and walking. If allowed to progress, the animal will show front limb involvement and extensive muscle atrophy. Eventually cranial nerve or respiratory muscle involvement necessitates euthanasia. Progression of the disease is generally slow but highly variable. The animal could be crippled within a few months, or may survive up to three years

 

Familial Nephropathy (FN) / Hereditary Nephropathy

Breeds

English Cocker Spaniel , Cockapoo (English).

Kennel Club

This test is part of the Official UK Kennel Club DNA Testing Scheme in English Cocker Spaniel.

The Disease

The Familial or Hereditary Nephropathy (FN) is a juvenile-onset fatal kidney disease in English Cocker Spaniels. This renal disease is progressive and ultimately fatal. Dogs with FN typically develop chronic renal failure between 6 month and 2 years of age, with eventual and sometimes rapid destruction of both kidneys. It is caused by a type IV collagen defect, which can be detected by a mutation-based gene test.

Clinical Signs

FN is a fatal kidney disease and the first clinical signs are excessive water consumption, excessive urine volume, a slowdown in growth, weight loss, reduced appetite, vomiting and diarrhoea.

 

Gallbladder Mucoceles

Breeds

English Cocker Spaniel , Cockapoo (English).

The Disease

A gallbladder mucocele is the distention of the gallbladder by an inappropriate accumulation of mucus.

Decreased bile flow, decreased gallbladder motility, and altered absorption of water from the gallbladder lumen are predisposing factors to biliary sludge. Biliary sludge may be a precipitating factor for the development of canine biliary mucoceles. However, it is more likely to be a small part of a complex disease process involving inflammation of the gallbladder wall and changes to the lining of the gallbladder changing the consistency of its secretions.

Hypersecretion of mucus leads to an accumulation of thick gelatinous bile within the gall bladder. Increased viscosity over a period of weeks or months leads to thick gelatinous material eventually occupying the entire lumen of the gallbladder and in some cases also being present in the ducts. The inciting cause of mucus hypersecretion is likely multifactorial and may be linked to certain diseases, such as, Cushing’s disease (hyperadrenocorticism), hypothyroidism, inflammatory bowel disease.

Clinical Signs

Clinical signs associated with gallbladder mucocele are often nonspecific and vague and, in some cases, a mucocele is discovered incidentally. Your pet may show signs including: decreased appetite, anorexia, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea,  a yellowish tinge to the skin or gums and abdominal pain or splinting.

 

Adult Onset Neuropathy * (AON)

Breeds

English Cocker Spaniel

The Disease

Adult Onset Neuropathy (AON) is an inherited neurological disorder in the English Cocker Spaniel breed

Clinical Signs

Clinical signs typically begin between 7.5 and 9 years of age and consist first of an uncoordinated gait or wobbling in the hind limbs. The stance in the hind limbs is wide-base and the hocks will drop lower to the ground. The weakness eventually progresses to also involve the front limbs. When dogs become non-ambulatory in all limbs, difficulty in swallowing also becomes apparent. The neurologic signs seem to progress gradually over 3 to 4 years and more slowly than those of degenerative myelopathy. All English Cocker Spaniels clinically affected with this form of neuropathy have tested clear for the mutation that underlies DM. So far the disease has only been clinically diagnosed in English Cocker Spaniels. However, the mutation has also been detected in Field Spaniels where it is very rare.

 

Hyperuricosuria / Urate Stones (HUU, SLC)

Breeds

English Cocker Spaniel, Minature Poodle, Cockapoo

The Disease

This disease is characterised by the excretion of uric acid leading to the formation of urinary calculi (stones), in their bladders or sometimes kidneys which may then require surgery.

Clinical Signs

Problems urinating freely.

 

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (prcd-PRA)

Breeds

English Cocker Spaniel, Minature Poodle, Cockapoo

The Disease

An inherited disease that occurs in many dog breeds and also in different forms. The form of progressive rod-cone degeneration (prcd-PRA) is a photoreceptor degeneration in dogs with varying ages of onset. This genetic disorder causes the degeneration of retinal cells in the eye: firstly, rod cells are affected, thus leading to progressive night blindness. Secondly, degeneration of the cone cells results in complete blindness of the dog, even in full light situations during the day.

Please Note: PRA is a nasty eye disease and is rife within the breeds and a lot of mis-information about it.  PRA a catch all term for a group of eye diseases, the DNA test for PRA only tests for 1 eye disease PRCD1. In addition to the DNA test, ideally being done on both parents as are ours, you should ensure that both parents are also tested by a specialist Opthalmic Vet who has been chosen by the British Vetinary Association to conduct tests which looks into the eye for any early onset signs of all the other eye diseases. These tests cannot be done by any vet.

Our dogs are tested every two years and all hold current BVA Eye Certificates showing they are clear of any eye problems. In addition we go one step further and check for Glaucoma which is also in both breeds. With our puppies you get peace of mind knowing that any puppy we produce is completely clear of any eye conditions. Simply stating PRA Clear as though that is the end of it is not enough.

Clinical Signs

Age of onset of clinical symptoms is typically in early adolescence or early adulthood. Degeneration of sight.

 

Exercise Induced Collapse

Breeds

English Cocker Spaniel

The Disease

A mutation in a gene involved in the communication between nerves of the central nervous system.

Clinical Signs

An inherited disease, affected dogs can endure mild to moderate exercise but after 5 to 20 minutes of heavy exercise with extreme excitement, the dog shows weakness and then collapse. Severely affected dogs may collapse whenever they are exercised to this extend – other dogs only exhibit collapse episodes sporadically.

 

Macrothrombocytopenia ( MTC-D )

Breeds

English Cocker Spaniel, Minature Poodle

The disease

Platelets, also called thrombocytes, are produced in the bone marrow. Platelets play an important role in the blood clotting system when a blood vessel is injured. Congenital macrothrombocytopenia is characterized by oversized  platelets,  also  called  macroplatelets,  and  an  abnormally  low number of platelets. Macroplatelets function normally and the affected dogs do not exhibit any health problems due to either the size or the fewer numbers of its platelets. Macrothrombocytopenia is not associated with  spontaneous  bleeding;  however,  it  is  important not  to  mistake

macrothrombocytopenia for other more severe conditions characterized by low platelet counts. Does not respond to treatment. Although a dog can function normally with this disease, your vet would need to be aware so as not to diagnose wrongly other conditions.

Clinical Signs

No signs

 

Von Willebrand disease Type I (vWD I)

Breeds

English Cocker Spaniel, Minature Poodle, Cockapoo

The disease

Probably the most common inherited bleeding disorder in dogs. It is caused by lack of von Willebrand factor which is a protein that plays a key role in the blood clotting process resulting in prolonged bleeding. The disorder occurs in varying degrees of severity ranging from trivial bleeding to excessive life threatening haemorrhages.

Clinical Signs

Spontaneous bleeding from the nose, gum and other mucous membranes. Excessive bleeding occurs after an injury, trauma or a surgery. Often dogs don’t show clinical signs until something starts the bleeding, such as nail trimming, teething, spaying, sterilizing, tail docking, cropping or other causes. Bleeding also occurs internally in the stomach, intestines, urinary tracts, the genitals and / or into the joints.Type I von Willebrand’s disease is considered relatively mild when compared to Type I.

 

Malignant Hyperthermia

Breeds

English Cocker Spaniel, Minature Poodle, Cockapoo (all breeds)

The disease

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a life-threatening, inherited disorder that can lead to metabolic disease of skeletal muscles in susceptible animals after exposure to triggering agents such as halogenated inhalation anesthetics, depolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs, stress, and/or exercise.

Clinical Signs

Malignant hyperthermia is characterized by abnormally high body temperature, muscle rigidity, a very rapid and irregular heartbeat, increased breathing rate, bluish tinge to skin and mucous membranes, unstable blood pressure, fluid buildup in the lungs, impaired blood coagulation, kidney failure, and death.

Malignant hyperthermia is consistently triggered in susceptible animals by excitement, apprehension, exercise, or environmental stress. Giving certain anesthetics or specific drugs that affect the neurologic and muscular systems also consistently triggers malignant hyperthermia in susceptible animals.

Usually, malignant hyperthermia episodes come on suddenly and are very severe. If the condition is recognized early in an animal under anesthesia, supportive measures may be able to save the animal. Unfortunately, regardless of treatment, malignant hyperthermia is usually fatal.