Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs have higher risk of prostate enlargement
By Werhahn Beining, Franziska et al.·Published in Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene·2020·Unit of Reproductive Medicine - Small Animal Clinic, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Rhodesian Ridgebacks have an increased risk to develop benign prostatic hyperplasia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that Rhodesian Ridgebacks are more likely to develop benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate, compared to Labrador Retrievers. The researchers discovered that Ridgebacks not only had larger prostate glands but also showed signs of BPH at a younger age. This suggests that there may be breed-specific factors affecting hormone levels that contribute to this condition. If you have a Rhodesian Ridgeback, it's important to monitor for symptoms like difficulty urinating or blood in the semen and discuss regular check-ups with your veterinarian to catch any issues early.
People also search for: Rhodesian Ridgeback prostate problems · dog blood in semen · benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment in dogs
Abstract
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-dependent primarily non-inflammatory enlargement of the accessory gland in the intact dog. The aim of the present study was to control a previously raised suspicion of a breed-related higher incidence of BPH in dogs of the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed. For this, 18 Labrador Retrievers/LR and 20 Rhodesian Ridgebacks/RR were assigned to the age groups 18-24 months (n = 12), 25-48 months (n = 13) and 49-72 months (n = 13). Prostate gland status was determined by rectal palpation, B-mode ultrasound, calculation of the prostate gland volume and semen analysis regarding haemospermia and was classified according to blood plasma concentrations of canine prostate-specific arginine esterase (CPSE) (normal ≤ 60 ng/ml, increased ≥ 61 ng/ml; Pinheiro et al., 2017). Concentrations of testosterone, 5α-dihydrotestosterone and estradiol were analysed in peripheral blood serum or plasma for detecting breed-specific conditions regarding the endocrine metabolism. Prostatic volume was significantly larger in RR irrespective of the CPSE status. In RR, BPH occurred more frequently and started at an earlier age compared with the LR. Breed-related specificities in steroid metabolism in the RR were indicated by correlations of 5α-dihydrotestosterone and estradiol with age and of testosterone with prostate gland volume. Although the incidence of sonographic signs of BPH and haemospermia did not fit with normal and increased CPSE concentrations, a breed-specific higher incidence of BPH in the RR breed could be clearly verified.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31885111/