[Genetic and epidemiological investigation of a birth cohort of boxers]

The aim of this project, which ran from 1 January 1994 to 1 January 1999 (and which will be continued up to 2004), was to study mortality, disease incidence, and risk factors in a birth cohort of purebred boxer dogs born between January 1994 and February 1995 in the Netherlands (n = 2629). The ancestry of the boxer dogs in the cohort was considered a major risk factor. Special attention was given to genetic disorders, because a system for genetic counselling was being planned; however, non-genetic risk factors were also studied. Participation by breeders and owners of boxer dogs was very high. Pup mortality was 22% and was mainly caused by individual pup factors. Between 2 months and 4 years of age, 123 (7.5%) dogs died; the survival rate was 92.5%. The main causes of death were epilepsy (n = 23), heart disease (n = 22), and traffic injury (n = 13). Over the same age range, on average a boxer dog suffered about 4.25 times from a non-serious disease, mainly of the gastro-intestinal tract, upper respiratory tract, or locomotion system, but 20% had a serious, chronic disease. A relatively high heritability estimate (h2) was found for four diseases: cheilo-palatoschisis (h2 = 0.27), cryptorchism (h2 = 0.24), lesions of cruciate ligaments and menisci (h2 = 0.28), epilepsy (h2 = 0.36). Selection by means of genetic counselling, according to a programme developed on the basis of the results of this study, can reduce the frequency of these genetic diseases in purebred populations of boxer dogs. This genetic counselling programme will also be effective in other breeds of dog because it is based on linking specific pedigree and health information with a generally applicable method of estimating breeding values.