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HIGH QUALITY DNA
TESTING YOU CAN TRUST
OUR PANELS
The tests in our DNA health testing panels are selected based on the scientific evidence available for disorders in the breed. Our scientists stay up to date with the latest developments and discoveries in the field to ensure that our testing panels are as up-to-date as possible.
DID YOU KNOW?
Our ISO-accredited testing services are relied upon by UK police forces for assessing the suitability of canine recruits for police duties.
TESTIMONIALS
approx. 2 weeks
Typical turnaround
3
Conditions screened
Simple cheek swab
At-home sampling
UK laboratory
Tested in-house
Degenerative MyelopathyDM
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a progressive disease of the spinal cord that usually appears in older dogs. It gradually weakens the hind limbs, leading to loss of coordination and eventually difficulty walking. It is not painful, but it is progressive. Knowing a dog's status supports breeding decisions and early awareness.
An autosomal recessive condition with variable expression between breeds caused by a mutation in the SOD1 gene.
Signs to look for
Usually from around 8 years old: wobbliness or dragging of the hind paws, loss of coordination in the back legs, worn nails, and gradually progressing hind-limb weakness.
How it's inherited
Recessive with incomplete penetrance — a dog needs two copies to be at risk, but not every at-risk dog develops signs.
What your result means
Clear (N/N): no copies of the variant; not expected to develop this inherited form.
Carrier (N/DM): one copy. Very unlikely to develop DM, but can pass the variant on.
At risk (DM/DM): two copies. At risk of developing DM, though not all at-risk dogs do.
Degenerative Myelopathy (Bernese Mountain Dog variant)DM-BMD
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a progressive disease of the spinal cord that usually appears in older dogs. It gradually weakens the hind limbs, leading to loss of coordination and eventually difficulty walking. It is not painful, but it is progressive. Knowing a dog's status supports breeding decisions and early awareness.
An autosomal recessive condition with variable expression between breeds caused by a mutation in the SOD1 gene.
Please note that although this variant is specific to BMD only, the all breeds variant of DM may also affect BMD.
How it's inherited
Recessive
What your result means
Clear (N/N): no copies of the variant; not expected to develop this inherited form.
Carrier (N/DM): one copy. Very unlikely to develop DM, but can pass the variant on.
At risk (DM/DM): two copies. At risk of developing DM, though not all at-risk dogs do.
Von Willebrand Disease Type 1VWD1
Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) is a bleeding disorder which affects blood clotting. Affected dogs may have nosebleeds and bruise easily, as well as bleed heavily after injury or surgery. Most dogs will have a normal life expectancy but this condition should be noted to veterinarians in the case of surgery.
An autosomal recessive condition caused by a mutation in the VWF gene.
Please note: This test is for Von Willebrand Disease Type 1 only. Please check which type of VWD affects your breed before ordering this as a single test. If this test is included in a breed health package, it is relevant to that breed.
How it's inherited
Recessive
What your result means
Clear (N/N): no copies; not expected to develop vWD, nor pass it on.
Carrier (N/vWD): one copy. May develop the disease.
Affected (vWD/vWD): two copies; expected to develop vWD. Discuss with your vet.
Degenerative MyelopathyDM
- Gene
- SOD1
- Variant
- c.118G>A (p.Glu40Lys)
- Inheritance
- autosomal recessive
- OMIA
- OMIA 000263 9615
- Reported frequency
- One of the most widespread canine disease variants, reported across very many breeds with varying penetrance.
Molecular mechanism
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the spinal cord that typically affects dogs older than 8 years of age. The condition is characterised by progressive muscle atrophy and weakness of the limbs, advancing to tetraparesis (Awano et al., 2009) and eventually respiratory muscle failure (Nardone et al., 2016). DM is inherited as an autosomal recessive condition with variable expression between breeds. Missense mutation (c.118G\u0026gt;A; p.E40K) in exon 2 of the SOD1 gene on canine chromosome 31 (CFA31) was identified as the primary genetic risk factor by Awano et al., (2009). However, some dogs homozygous for the variant remain clinically unaffected, demonstrating incomplete penetrance. The SOD1.118G\u0026gt;A risk allele has been identified in 222 dog breeds. Burnese Mountain Dogs are also susceptible to this version of DM in addition to their breed-specific variant of DM, see DM- BMD variant for further information.
References
Awano, T., Johnson, GS., Wade, CM., Katz, ML., Johnson, GC., Taylor, JF., Perloski, M., Biagi, T., Baranowska, I., Long, S., March, PA., Olby, NJ., Shelton, GD., Khan, S., O\u0026#39;Brien, DP., Lindblad-Toh, K., Coates, JR. : Genome-wide association analysis reveals a SOD1 mutation in canine degenerative myelopathy that resembles amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106:2794-9, 2009. Pubmed reference: 19188595. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0812297106.
Nardone, R., Höller, Y., Taylor, A.C., Lochner, P., Tezzon, F., Golaszewski, S., Brigo, F., Trinka, E. : Canine degenerative myelopathy: a model of human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Zoology (Jena) 119:64-73, 2016. Pubmed reference: 26432396. DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2015.09.003.
Zeng, R., Coates, J.R., Johnson, G.C., Hansen, L., Awano, T., Kolicheski, A., Ivansson, E., Perloski, M., Lindblad-Toh, K., O\u0026#39;Brien, D.P., Guo, J., Katz, M.L., Johnson, G.S. : Breed distribution of SOD1 alleles previously associated with canine degenerative myelopathy. J Vet Intern Med 28:515-21, 2014. Pubmed reference: 24524809. DOI: 10.1111/jvim.12317.
Degenerative Myelopathy (Bernese Mountain Dog variant)DM-BMD
- Gene
- SOD1
- Variant
- c.52A>T; p.Thr18Ser
- Inheritance
- autosomal recessive
- OMIA
- 000263 9615
Molecular mechanism
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the spinal cord that typically affects dogs older than 8 years of age. The condition is characterised by progressive muscle atrophy and weakness of the limbs, advancing to tetraparesis (Awano et al., 2009) and eventually respiratory muscle failure (Nardone et al., 2016). DM is inherited as an autosomal recessive condition with variable expression between breeds. In Bernese Mountain Dogs a second disease-associated allele, c.52A\u0026gt;T; p.Thr18Ser, was identified by Wininger et al., (2011) and was concluded to be limited to this breed by Zeng et al., (2014).
Please note that although this variant is specific to BMD only, the all breeds variant of DM may also affect BMD.
References
Awano, T., Johnson, GS., Wade, CM., Katz, ML., Johnson, GC., Taylor, JF., Perloski, M., Biagi, T., Baranowska, I., Long, S., March, PA., Olby, NJ., Shelton, GD., Khan, S., O\u0026#39;Brien, DP., Lindblad-Toh, K., Coates, JR. : Genome-wide association analysis reveals a SOD1 mutation in canine degenerative myelopathy that resembles amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106:2794-9, 2009. Pubmed reference: 19188595. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0812297106.
Nardone, R., Höller, Y., Taylor, A.C., Lochner, P., Tezzon, F., Golaszewski, S., Brigo, F., Trinka, E. : Canine degenerative myelopathy: a model of human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Zoology (Jena) 119:64-73, 2016. Pubmed reference: 26432396. DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2015.09.003.
Wininger, F.A., Zeng, R., Johnson, G.S., Katz, M.L., Johnson, G.C., Bush, W.W., Jarboe, J.M., Coates, J.R. :Degenerative myelopathy in a Bernese Mountain Dog with a novel SOD1 missense mutation.J Vet Intern Med25:1166-70, 2011. Pubmed reference:21848967. DOI:10.1111/j.1939-1676.2011.0760.x.
Zeng, R., Coates, J.R., Johnson, G.C., Hansen, L., Awano, T., Kolicheski, A., Ivansson, E., Perloski, M., Lindblad-Toh, K., O\u0026#39;Brien, D.P., Guo, J., Katz, M.L., Johnson, G.S. : Breed distribution of SOD1 alleles previously associated with canine degenerative myelopathy. J Vet Intern Med 28:515-21, 2014. Pubmed reference: 24524809. DOI: 10.1111/jvim.12317.
Von Willebrand Disease Type 1VWD1
- Gene
- VWF
- Variant
- VWF c.7437G>A
- Inheritance
- autosomal recessive
- OMIA
- OMIA001339 9615
Molecular mechanism
Von Willebrand Disease (vWD) is an inherited bleeding disorder caused by deficiency or dysfunction of von Willebrand factor (vWF), a plasma glycoprotein essential for normal platelet adhesion and blood clotting (Boudreaux, 2012). Affected dogs may experience prolonged bleeding following injury or surgery, spontaneous bleeding from the nose or gums, bruising, or blood in the urine (Thomas, 1996). Three recognised forms of the disease exist, which differ in severity: Type I is characterised by reduced concentrations of normal vWF and typically causes mild to moderate bleeding, Type II results from qualitative defects in the vWF protein and is associated with moderate to severe bleeding, while Type III is characterised by an almost complete absence of vWF and is the most severe form of the disease.
The genetics and inheritance of von Willebrand Disease vary according to the disease type and breed. Type I is associated with the VWF c.7437G\u0026gt;A splice-site variant and shows autosomal dominant inheritance with incomplete penetrance in some breeds, including Doberman Pinschers and Kromfohrländers, while autosomal recessive inheritance has been proposed in others (Gentilini and Turba, 2013; Segert et al., 2019). As a result, the Type I genetic test identifies dogs carrying the risk variant but should be interpreted alongside clinical findings and additional haemostatic testing where appropriate (Segert et al., 2019).
Please note: This test is for Von Willebrand Disease Type 1 only. Please check which type of VWD affects your breed before ordering this as a single test. If this test is included in a breed health package, it is relevant to that breed.
References
Armas-Jimenez, A.C., Randolph, A., Clark, L.A., Evans, J.M., Brooks, M.B., Goggs, R. : A VWF missense variant in Havanese dogs with type 3 von Willebrand disease. Anim Genet 56:e70021, 2025. Pubmed reference: 40504041. DOI: 10.1111/age.70021.
Boudreaux, M.K. : Inherited platelet disorders. J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio) 22:30-41, 2012. Pubmed reference: 22316339. DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-4431.2011.00702.x.
Gentilini, F., Turba, M.E. : Two novel real-time PCR methods for genotyping the von Willebrand disease type I mutation in Doberman Pinscher dogs. Vet J 197:457-60, 2013. Pubmed reference: 23911791. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.02.023.
Kramer, JW., Venta, PJ., Klein, SR., Cao, Y., Schall, WD., Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan, V. : A von Willebrand\u0026#39;s factor genomic nucleotide variant and polymerase chain reaction diagnostic test associated with inheritable type-2 von Willebrand\u0026#39;s disease in a line of german shorthaired pointer dogs. Vet Pathol 41:221-8, 2004. Pubmed reference: 15133170. DOI: 10.1354/vp.41-3-221.
Rieger, M., Schwarz, H.P., Turecek, P.L., Dorner, F., Vanmourik, J.A., Mannhalter, C. : Identification of mutations in the canine von Willebrand factor gene associated with type III von-Willebrand-disease Thrombosis and Haemostasis 80:332-337, 1998. Pubmed reference: 9716162.
Segert, J.H., Seidel, J.M., Wurzer, W.J., Geretschlaeger, A.M. : vWDI is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner with incomplete penetrance, in the Kromfohrländer breed. Canine Genet Epidemiol 6:3, 2019. Pubmed reference: 31131110. DOI: 10.1186/s40575-019-0073-4.
Thomas, J.S. :von Willebrand\u0026#39;s disease in the dog and cat. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 26:1089-110, 1996. Pubmed reference: 8863392. DOI: 10.1016/s0195-5616(96)50057-4.
Venta, P.J., Li, J.P., Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan, V., Brewer, G.J., Schall, W.D. : Mutation causing von Willebrand\u0026#39;s disease in Scottish terriers Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 14:10-19, 2000. Pubmed reference: 10668811.
Vos-Loohuis, M., van Oost, B.A., Dangel, C., Langbein-Detsch, I., Leegwater, P.A. : A novel VWF variant associated with type 2 von Willebrand disease in German Wirehaired Pointers and German Shorthaired Pointers. Anim Genet 48:493-496, 2017. Pubmed reference: 28696025. DOI: 10.1111/age.12544.
