Genetic Risk Factors for Lumbosacral Stenosis in Labrador Retriever Working Dogs (Canis familiaris)
Abstract
Lumbosacral stenosis (LS) is a structural narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back region. This disease is an important cause of debilitation and early retirement in military working dogs. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for maximizing active duty service for the dogs and mission readiness for the teams that depend on them. Labrador retrievers are commonly used as military working dogs and are also predisposed to LS. Current standard phenotyping methods for canine LS include clinical examination, radiography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, clinical signs of LS are often delayed in military working dogs because they are bred and trained for stoicism and high working drive. By the time clinical signs are detected, the disease is often too far advanced for effective treatment. Standard diagnostic imaging methods are based on qualitative assessments and therefore limit the use of robust statistical analyses. For research purposes, a noninvasive method for quantitative phenotyping of LS would therefore be beneficial. Computed tomography (CT) is an established method for qualitatively determining presence of LS, however at the time of this study, published evidence for a consensus on any such quantitative CT phenotypic traits was lacking in humans or dogs. The causes of LS in dogs are incompletely understood, however previous researchers have proposed that genetics may play a role. The predominant genetic approach for research in canine LS has been pedigree analysis (especially in the German shepherds); but no genetic association studies have been reported in any breed. The long-term goals of our research are to determine whether there may be genetic risk factors for LS in Labrador retriever military working dogs, and, if so, to develop screening tests that could be used to assist decision-making at the time of procurement.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 14, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1070110
Entities
People
- Jeryl Jones
- Jianbo Yao
- Kari Childs
- Meenakshi Mukherjee
- Patrick J. Grimm
Organizations
- West Virginia University