Dog genetic disease
Hereditary disease is very common in dogs. There are over five hundred genetic diseases prevailant in dogs. Individual breeds of dogs have over hundred genetic diseases. The poodle breed is the top carriers of genetic diseases with over 145 types of diseases carried in its body. This is due to the variety inside the breed like difference in size.
Each and every dog carries at least 4 to 5 defective genes. All over the world, dog breeders spend at least 5 million for treating the genetic diseases inside dogs that will be carried on to the offspring. It is an alarming situation that has to be approached in the right sense which requires the support of the dog owners.
Gene pool
Dog has evolved from Wolves in order to reside in the developing society around fifteen thousand years ago. The dogs revolved around human camps in order find food effortlessly. This behaviour led to in breeding among the wolves. This led to the limitation of the gene pool and the evolution of dogs came mainly from only a few females. This led to the development of intensive traits that propagated the instant evolution. Hence the dog pool is very limited due to which genetic diseases develop in dogs.
Dog breeds
The development of variable breeds among dogs also involved reproduction through in breeding. In order to develop some specific traits inbreeding was done but in the process some undesired traits also developed in dogs. For example, Dalmatian dog developed the traits of uric acid genes that are abnormal along with the distinctive spot patterns. Some dogs are homozygous due to defective genes.
Gene Linkage
Dogs have gene linkages that occur when the genes expressing different characteristics are found on the same chromosome due to its inheritance as a unit. Dogs have different morphologies (difference in size) because of gene linkages.
Wile performing selective breeding in dogs, it comes with a risk of carrying defective and unwanted genes that cause problems for the dog. A lot of diseases like kidney stone or dyspalsia arise due to selective breeding. When dog was bred for the trait of tameness, other properties also arise like floppy ears, distinctive coat colour, and punctured nasal passages.
Genetic diseases
Some of the most common genetic diseases include Hip Dyspalsia
(It is an orthopedic disease that makes a dog lame), Auto immune diseases that causes dysfunction of the immune system. Skin diseases can also be genetic like polyarthritis, hemolytic anemia and lupus. Breeding may change the gene pool and due to this the chromosomes will get mixed up creating a defect in the dog.
Countering genetic diseases
Every dog from different breeds carries at least four defective genes even in case of pure breeds and mixed breed. It requires active measures to tackle the gentic flaws so that it does not get worse. Through research and careful breeding the problem of genetic diseases can be kept under control.
Hip Dyspalsia
It is an orthopedic disease that makes a dog lame. It is prevailant in around 60 dog breeds. It is found in over 170 dog breeds.