Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Breeding guidelines cut syringomyelia in Cavalier King Charles
By Knowler, S P et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2011·Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effectiveness of breeding guidelines for reducing the prevalence of syringomyelia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that breeding guidelines can help reduce the risk of syringomyelia (SM), a serious spinal cord disorder, in toy breed dogs like Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Griffon Bruxellois. When both parents were clear of SM, about 70% of their puppies were also free from the condition. However, if both parents had SM, nearly all puppies were affected. The research suggests that all breeding dogs should be screened with MRI for SM and that their results should be shared in a central database to help breeders make better mating choices.
People also search for: syringomyelia in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels · dog breeding guidelines for syringomyelia · MRI screening for dog breeders
Abstract
Several toy breed dogs are predisposed to syringomyelia (SM), a spinal cord disorder, characterised by fluid-filled cavitation. SM is a complex trait with a moderately high heritability. Selective breeding against SM is confounded by its complex inheritance, its late onset nature and high prevalence in some breeds. This study investigated the early outcome of existing SM breeding guidelines. Six hundred and forty-three dogs, 550 Cavalier King Charles spaniels (CKCS) and 93 Griffon Bruxellois (GB), were identified as having either one (454 dogs) or both parents (189 dogs) with MRI-determined SM status. Offspring without SM were more common when the parents were both clear of SM (SM-free; CKCS 70 per cent, GB 73 per cent). Conversely, offspring with SM were more likely when both parents had SM (SM-affected; CKCS 92 per cent, GB 100 per cent). A mating of one SM-free parent with an SM-affected parent was risky for SM affectedness with 77 per cent of CKCS and 46 per cent of GB offspring being SM-affected. It is recommended that all breeding dogs from breeds susceptible to SM be MRI screened; that the SM status at five years old is established; and all results submitted to a central database that can be used by dog breeders to better enable mate selection based on estimated breeding values.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21998144/