A new study led by VGL director, Dr. Rebecca Bellone, in collaboration with UC Davis Professor, Dr. Monica Aleman, and University of Minnesota Professor, Dr. Molly McCue, determined that the genetic variant causing malignant hyperthermia (MH) is at a low frequency in Quarter Horses and related breeds, and horses homozygous for the mutation remain undetected.
A newly published study led by Dr. Leif Andersson and colleagues at Uppsala University in collaboration with researchers at the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL) discovered the existence of two different Gray alleles, one of which is associated with fast graying and increased risk for melanoma.
Congenital myotonia (CM) is a heritable neuromuscular disorder that is characterized by a slow relaxation of skeletal muscles following voluntary contraction. Affected animals exhibit sudden muscle stiffness when excited or startled and this stiffness often causes the animal to fall over briefly.
A recently published study led by Dr. Mandi de Mestre, from Cornell University, revealed that horses may be a valuable model species for studying miscarriage in humans. The UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL) was honored to collaborate on that work.
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine researchers, Dr. Bannasch and Dr. Thomasy, have identified the likely cause of one form of PRA in racing Greyhounds. The researchers have shared these finding with the VGL pre-publication so that we could more rapidly offer genetic testing to Greyhound breeders.
The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory has launched a new test that is specific to the Shetland Sheepdog: Progressive Retinal Atrophy (Shetland Sheepdog type).
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is a term used to describe a group of inherited disorders of the retina, characterized by progressive retinal degeneration and consequent blindness. More than 20 mutations in various genes have been associated with PRA in dogs, many of which are breed-specific.
In collaboration with the Collie Health Foundation, we are happy to announce our new Collie Health Panel that bundles together 6 health tests that are relevant for Collie Health, three of which are brand new tests at the VGL.
Equine Juvenile Spinocerebellar Ataxia (EJSCA) is an inherited neurologic disease that causes ataxia in American Quarter Horses. The variant causing this disease was identified at UC Davis by Dr. Carrie Finno, Gregory L. Ferraro Endowed Director of the UC Davis Center for Equine Health (CEH), and colleagues, and the scientific paper describing this finding is currently in progress.
Dr. Finno found that affected foals developed ataxia, or incoordination, between 1 and 4 weeks of age. In most affected foals, the hind limbs appeared to be more severely affected than the front limbs.
Saluki encephalopathy is a neurological disorder caused by Succinic Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase Deficiency (SSADHD) and clinically characterized by early onset of seizures and abnormal behaviors. The condition, also known as central nervous system status spongiosus in Saluki dogs (SSSD), is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner and affected puppies typically display seizures, hypermetria (exaggerated gait), and abnormal behaviors, such as episodes of vocalization, within the first 10 weeks of age.
