Breed distribution and history of canine mdr1-1Δ

Breed distribution and history of caninemdr1-1Δ, a pharmacogenetic mutation that marks the emergence of breeds from the collie lineage

1. Mark W. Neff * , †, 
2. Kathryn R. Robertson *, 
3. Aaron K. Wong *, 
4. Noa Safra*, 
5. Karl W. Broman ‡, 
6. Montgomery Slatkin §, 
7. Katrina L. Mealey ¶, and
8. Niels C. Pedersen *

+Author Affiliations

1. ^*Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616; ^‡Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205; ^§Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720; and ^¶Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164

1. Edited by Arno G. Motulsky, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, and approved June 22, 2004 (received for review April 3, 2004)

 

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Abstract

A mutation in the canine multidrug resistance gene, MDR1, has previously been associated with drug sensitivities in two breeds from the collie lineage. We exploited breed phylogeny and reports of drug sensitivity to survey other purebred populations that might be genetically at risk. We found that the same allele, mdr1-1Δ, segregated in seven additional breeds, including two sighthounds that were not expected to share collie ancestry. A mutant haplotype that was conserved among affected breeds indicated that the allele was identical by descent. Based on breed histories and the extent of linkage disequilibrium, we conclude that all dogs carrying mdr1-1Δ are descendants of a dog that lived in Great Britain before the genetic isolation of breeds by registry (ca. 1873). The breed distribution and frequency of mdr1-1Δ have applications in veterinary medicine and selective breeding, whereas the allele's history recounts the emergence of formally recognized breeds from an admixed population of working sheepdogs.

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It’s Always Tick Season Somewhere… - Whole Dog Journal Blog Article

It’s Always Tick Season Somewhere… - Whole Dog Journal Blog Article:

"Once upon a time, I used to think ticks were just gross -- and of course painful for the dog. But I’ve become increasingly aware of the number of people who have been infected with Lyme disease from tick bites – and in just the past year, newly aware of the tick-borne diseases that dogs can get from tick bites."

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Health Benefits of Pets - How Owning a Dog or Cat Can Reduce Stress

Health Benefits of Pets - How Owning a Dog or Cat Can Reduce Stress:

"For those who love animals, it’s virtually impossible to stay in a bad mood when a pair of loving puppy eyes meets yours, or when a super-soft cat rubs up against your hand. Research supports the mood-enhancing benefits of pets. A recent study found that men with AIDS were less likely to suffer from depression if they owned a pet. (According to one study, men with AIDS who did not own a pet were about three times more likely to report symptoms of depression than men who did not have AIDS. But men with AIDS who had pets were only about 50 percent more likely to report symptoms of depression, as compared to men in the study who did not have AIDS.)"

Please click through for more on this interesting article. You might be surprised the ways animals help us...

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Three “M”s for Canine Weight Management | mysmartpuppy.com

Three “M”s for Canine Weight Management | mysmartpuppy.com:

"More than 50% of America’s dogs are overweight, a problem that eats away at both the length and the quality of their life. No one wants that for their companion but many people are stymied by both exactly how their pet got this way and what to do about it.

Here are three simple tips for how to help Spot slim down:"

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Morris Animal Foundation | Keeping aging dogs healthy in twilight years

Morris Animal Foundation | Keeping aging dogs healthy in twilight years:

"Dogs, like people, begin to experience health problems as they age. Diagnosing these geriatric illnesses can be challenging. All too often, metabolic and endocrine system disorders are the silent factors leading to a senior dog’s sudden decline in health.

Although it is normal for aging dogs to experience fluctuations in their production of hormones and enzymes, extremely high or low levels of a hormone affect glandular function and can progress into full-blown metabolic or endocrine system disorders."

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Morris Animal Foundation | New Science Tackles Antibiotic Resistance and Much More

Morris Animal Foundation | New Science Tackles Antibiotic Resistance and Much More:

"Have you ever wondered why your doctor insists that you finish your prescription of antibiotics? With all the fuss that we hear in the media about antibiotics becoming less effective and overused, one might assume that quitting your antibiotics when you feel better, instead of taking the whole course, would be better for our bodies.

Not so—for us or for our pets. In fact, the opposite is true, and antibiotics are becoming less effective precisely because people don’t take their full prescriptions or make certain their pets complete their medications.

Germs remaining after incomplete treatment of an infection are more likely to become stronger and more resistant to antibiotics. In fact, recent research suggests that the ability to resist antibiotics may go back 30,000 years, indicating that finding an easy fix for antibiotic resistance will be nearly impossible. "

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Lifelong Immunity – Why Vets Are Pushing Back | Dogs Naturally Magazine

Fascinating article to add to your research on how to best care for your own pets. Definitely something to discuss further with your veterinarian.

Lifelong Immunity – Why Vets Are Pushing Back | Dogs Naturally Magazine:

"The duration of immunity for Rabies vaccine, Canine distemper vaccine, Canine Parvovirus vaccine, Feline Panleukopenia vaccine, Feline Rhinotracheitis, feline Calicivirus, have all been demonstrated to be a minimum of 7 years by serology for rabies and challenge studies for all others.
In the Duration of Immunity to Canine Vaccines: What We Know and What We Don’t Know, Proceedings – Canine Infectious Diseases: From Clinics to Molecular Pathogenesis, Ithaca, NY, 1999, Dr. Ronald Schultz, a veterinary immunologist at the forefront of vaccine research and chair of the University of Wisconsin’s Department of Pathobiological Sciences, outlines the DOI for the following vaccines:"

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Preventing Obesity in Pets

Obesity is one of the most common preventable health problems in pets. It's estimated that 40 percent of all dogs and cats in America are overweight. Dr. C. A. Tony Buffington, professor of clinical nutrition in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at The Ohio State University, gives easy to understand advice to pet owners on how to keep pets trim and healthy.

Tetanus: Not Just from Bites and Rusty Nails | The Bark

Tetanus: Not Just from Bites and Rusty Nails | The Bark:

"We have all heard of tetanus shots and have some sense that we are supposed to periodically get them, especially after a dirty cut, scratch with a piece of metal or some sort of bite wound. Some of us may even know that tetanus is often referred to as lockjaw, but the general knowledge of tetanus generally does not extend much beyond that, and many people are not aware that tetanus can be a problem for animals as well as people.


Different animal species have different sensitivity to the tetanus toxin. On the spectrum of tetanus sensitivity, horses, humans and livestock are most sensitive and dogs are less sensitive. And then there are cats: They are quite resistant and almost never get infected (as we all know, cats have a different rule book than the rest of us). We will, of course, focus on our favorite, dogs."

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