Dr Bruce Cattanach (genetics expert and Boxer breeder) has been asked by a group of Boxer breeders to investigate a juvenile renal dysplasia (kidney disease) that seems to be around to assess whether it is inherited or not.  He needs some detail of the dogs (eg KC registered name and date of birth if possible), their diagnosis and pedigree - all in confidence.

If you have a Boxer that has been diagnosed with kidney disease or sadly have already lost a Boxer with kidney disease you will still be able to help him and also the breed we all love. By providing him with the info above.
(Or if you know of someone that owns a Boxer with this disease perhaps you can forward this to them)

If your dog is a rescue perhaps the Rescue involved may be able to forward the pedigree details on to Dr Bruce Cattanach directly, thus your dog could still help with this investigation.

Dr Cattanach's email details are bcattanach@steynmere.freeserve.co.uk
If you can help with this it would be much appreciated
Thanks in advance

JRD is a disease which is inherited and there are various forms of the disease.

Here is a website which provides lots of information on JRD.

http://www.videxgsd.com/JRD_PAGES.htm

I hope this helps.

Here is another link about JRD and how it is inherited and how dogs can be tested for JRD.

http://www.dogenes.com/

The dogenes site is only in the research stage still, although you have to pay.   Flatcoats have had a lot of problems with faulty results.

Jo

BUMP

With the added published info from Dog World this week from
Dr Cattanach

I wrote last time that the kidney disease had broadened;
I am afraid it is getting worse. Just as an example, I have just
heard of another litter with two affected pups and this time I
would never have taken the sire in question as a candidate for
carrying the gene but would have written the case off as a chance
spontaneous occurance despite there being two cases in the litter.
But then I learned that the bitch had produced four cases in a previous
litter, this to a dog who had produced seven cases in two other litters.
One can't explain this away easily.
I think I may now have well over 20 cases, but most are dead.
What I can't understand is how this has not been brought to attention much sooner.
It is incorrectly stated in the last breed council report that I have suggested a breeding control scheme;
this is totally incorrect.
There is absolutely no scope for a breeding control scheme.
There is only one option and this is a gene screen, hence my focus on seeking this.
As I wrote last time, a screen for the gene has virtually been set up
using a new method which seems ideally suited to the situation.
The research suggests that five cases, plus a larger number of controls,
would be the minimum number required.
I have got 4 promised, even if three  are from one litter, but the situation
seems bleak for getting any more.
The dogs have to be a year or so old before developing the disease and
then survival is limited. There is therefore only a small window of time
when blood collection is possible. A further limiting factor is that while
breeders who have been hurt by the disease are working hard to help,
others are standing back and refusing to get involved.
All I can think to do is go ahead in early January with the blood samples that
I will have collected from the few certain cases, trust that some of
you will help me get enough of the needed controls and then hope the
screen will work well enough to provide some indication of the region where the gene lies.
It is a sad business.
Bruce Cattanach.

Your breed needs YOU.
If you can help with DNA donation (plus pedigree information) from Boxers with kidney disease,
or donate DNA (plus pedigree information) for control purposes please do get incontact with
Dr Bruce Cattanach on bcattanach@steynmere.freeserve.co.uk
Title the Email Kidney Disease and I'm sure he'll get incontact.

I'm really pleased that Bruce Catternach is getting involved over here;  there have been quite serious problems with 'results' from abroad in FCRs, and also, I'm led to believe, in GSDs

Jo

I am too but sadly as his above report shows not all breeders are being
as supportive :( Very sad for our breed.

Also Australian Shepherds too Jo, there wasn't one single clear Aussie in the whole world that had been tested !!

Gabrielle

Was very disappointed to read this weeks breed notes & find out that Bruce has actually had 2 legal threats?!?!? Thats insane, he is trying to HELP our breed & people won't let him............. :(
And what has our breed council said about the matter.....sweet FA - critiques & judges coming round twice in a few years are their major concern!

lack of action speaks volums so much for caring about the breed
where do the samples have to go and what else is needed

Bruce is passionate about our breed's health.

Just hope people will come forward and donate DNA
from affected dogs to help get a gene test underway.

Sadly this problem is being kept in the dark or shouldi say the breeders are keeping the problem close to their chests
My two are free from any known health probs but sadly i now own a bitch from a kennel who is not helping this problem
im only to happy for either of mine to be dna tested.Will contact bruce

In sweden they are also investigating JRD in Boxers, Bernese Mountain dog and Cocker Spaniels.

The contactperson is Katarina Tengvall from the university in Uppsala.

http://hunddna.slu.se/_eng/projekt/renaldysplasi_en.html

We (dutch spanielbreeders) had contacted her, about the claim from dogenes on cocker spaniels. She mailed us she was not convinced about this gentest since there is no peer-review.
She also told us it was (genetically) unlikely that JRD is caused by a single dominant gene with such a low penetrance (only 2-5%). At the moment they suspect JRD is polygenic.

Regards,

Pien Bogers

> im only to happy for either of mine to be dna tested.Will contact bruce

:) It's nice to read there are people out there wanting to help x

Any news about JRD ? I have send some material to Bruce Cattanach pedigree and the swedish list of affected dogs.( all public material )

Polly, I have also sent blood from my healthy 'older' ladies to help Bruce with his research.  I think they are getting used to having blood taken.  They were also part of the BCM study :-)  and attended Liverpool Uni to have their hearts ultra - sound tested and were also holter monitored.  All of this at my expense.  I will always help if I can. I love the breed too much to ignore these issues. There is too much money at stake for some people which is why they want to keep this under the carpet IMHO.