Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Polycystic kidney and liver disease in West Highland White Terrier
By McAloose, D et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·1998·Department of Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Polycystic kidney and liver disease in two related West Highland White Terrier litters.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A litter of West Highland White Terrier puppies showed signs of serious health issues, including liver failure, by just 5 weeks of age. Out of 11 puppies, four females and three males were affected by polycystic kidney and liver disease, which caused severe complications. Unfortunately, the affected puppies had to be euthanized due to their condition. This case suggests that the disease may be inherited in a way that could affect future litters, as the parents were closely related. This is the first known instance of this disease in West Highland White Terriers, and it may help researchers understand similar conditions in humans.
People also search for: West Highland White Terrier kidney disease · puppy liver failure symptoms · inherited diseases in dogs
Abstract
Polycystic kidney and liver disease was present in four of six female and three of five male offspring born in two matings between the same pair of West Highland White Terriers. Clinical signs were apparent and serum biochemistry analysis consistent with liver failure was evident by 5 weeks of age. Affected pups were euthanatized because of their disease. Renal cysts were confirmed to be of collecting duct origin by Dolichos bifluros agglutinin lectin histochemistry, and hepatic cysts were of biliary origin. The clinically unaffected parents were related through multiple common ancestors, and there were no reports of similar disease in related dogs. An autosomal recessive mode of inheritance is therefore suggested. This is the first report of polycystic kidney and liver disease in the West Highland White Terrier. The features of the disease in these pups are similar to those of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) in humans. The West Highland White Terrier may therefore be a potential animal model for ARPKD.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9545140/