We identified a pedigree of Labrador retrievers (LR) that develop hereditary cataracts between 6 and 18 months of age. In humans, galactokinase deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by juvenile onset of cataracts. 1 In order to evaluate GALK1 as a candidate gene, we cloned and sequenced the canine GALK1 gene and tested a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the gene for...

Objective. To establish signalment and phenomenology of canine idiopathic head tremor syndrome (IHTS), an episodic head movement disorder of undetermined pathogenesis. Design. Retrospective case series. Animals. 291 dogs with IHTS diagnosed between 1999 and 2013. Procedures. Clinical information was obtained from an online community of veterinary information aggregation and exchange (Veterinary...

Centronuclear myopathies (CNM) are inherited congenital disorders characterized by an excessive number of internalized nuclei. In humans, CNM results from ~70 mutations in three major genes from the myotubularin, dynamin and amphiphysin families. Analysis of animal models with altered expression of these genes revealed common defects in all forms of CNM, paving the way for unified pathogenic an...

BACKGROUND This study investigated differences in kinematic and spatiotemporal variables in Labrador retrievers during introduction to treadmill walking, with the aim to determine the time required for them to become habituated. Twenty-five healthy, treadmill-naive Labrador retrievers participated in the study. The total angular displacement of the carpus, elbow, tarsus and stifle, as well as s...

OBJECTIVES To report the outcome of unilateral surgery, by a plantaromedial approach, in 15 Labrador Retrievers with osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) of the medial trochlear ridge of the talus. To evaluate the influence on outcome of age at surgery, bilateral involvement, periarticular soft tissue increase (PSI), osteophyte size (OS), decrease of range of joint motion and follow-up. To assess th...

Canine osteoarthritis (OA) commonly occurs in association with articular diseases, such as hip dysplasia (HD), elbow dysplasia (ED), or cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR). We hypothesized that a common genomic risk for the development of canine joint disease and canine OA would be identified by evaluating the allele frequencies of candidate gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in d...

The aim of the study was to estimate prevalence of tricuspid dysplasia (TD) in dogs with respect to breed, age, sex, clinical signs, and echocardiographic findings and to compare this data with literature. TD was found in 15 dogs (6.5% of congenital cardiac disease) of 215 dogs with congenital heart defects. All dogs had right heart enlargement on thoracic radiographs, echocardiography, and ele...

The energetics of lactation was measured in two breeds of domestic dog during peak lactation. Labrador Retrievers (30 kg) had larger litter sizes than Miniature Schnauzers (6 kg). During the 7-day experimental period, Labrador pups increased more in mass than Schnauzer pups, both absolutely and relatively. Consequently, the energy demands of the litter, relative to maternal metabolism, were hig...

Progressive rod-cone degeneration (PRCD) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by c.5G>A mutation of the PRCD exon 2. This mutation has been identified in various breeds, including Labrador Retriever. The present study aimed to examine the allelic frequency of PRCD in Labrador Retrievers in Japan. A domestic and a guide dog population were genotyped for PRCD using polymerase chain reaction-r...