You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Scientific advances are allowing us to understand the structure of dog DNA and, as the canine genetic map is drawn, we will be able to identify the genes that cause inherited problems in our pets and working dogs. 

In the USA the Institute for Genetic Disease Control in Animals runs an open Registry containing information on the occurrence of genetically inherited diseases in specific animals or families. This data bank of genetic history for breeds helps to identify bloodlines that are carrying the genes for the disorder. This helps breeders to avoid breeding from affected lines, and so should help to reduce the occurrence of the disease in the breed in the future.

For this information to be valid owners and breeders must support the scheme and allow information about their dogs to be released to third parties. Such an initiative should be adopted worldwide so that a concerted effort can be made to eliminate the worst genetic diseases from our dog population.

If you would like further information about the GDC visit their site CLICK HERE

Update in preparation October 2013