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Inheritance of urinary calculi in the Dalmatian
D L Bannasch1, G V Ling, J Bea
1Departments of Population Health and Reproduction, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. dlbannasch@ucdavis.edu
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine
|August 24, 2004
Summary
Dalmatian dogs excrete uric acid, increasing urate calculi risk. Genetic factors significantly influence calculi formation, with high heritability allowing for selective breeding to reduce disease incidence.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Genetics
- Canine Urology
Background:
- Dalmatians uniquely excrete uric acid, unlike other dog breeds that excrete allantoin.
- This metabolic difference predisposes Dalmatians to urate (salts of uric acid) urinary calculi, potentially causing urethral obstruction in males.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic basis of clinical urate calculi formation in Dalmatians.
- To estimate the heritability of urate calculi disease manifestation within the breed.
Main Methods:
- A survey identified urinary calculi status in adult Dalmatians (≥6 years old) based on clinical signs.
- Pedigree data from surveyed dogs were analyzed to estimate heritability.
Main Results:
- The estimated heritability for clinical urate calculi was high at 0.87 (.75-.96).
- The prevalence of urate calculi disease was 34% (24.99-43.70%) in the surveyed male Dalmatians.
Conclusions:
- Clinical urate calculi formation in Dalmatians is a highly heritable trait.
- Effective selective breeding strategies can be implemented by breeders to reduce the incidence of this condition.
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