Screening for Congenital and Hereditary Diseases

Congenital diseases are present at birth and may be of genetic, environmental, or mixed origin.

Hereditary diseases, on the other hand, are characterized by being passed from generation to generation — from parents to offspring — and may manifest at some point in life.

Screening for congenital and hereditary diseases is essential when acquiring a specimen of a specific breed, when researching breed-specific diseases, or when starting a breeding program, so that offspring are not carriers of the disease in question.

Screening for congenital and hereditary diseases:

• Diagnosis of hip and elbow dysplasia.
• Screening for genetic diseases:
  • French Bulldog: cone and rod dystrophy, hereditary cataracts, hyperuricosuria, multifocal retinopathy 1.
  • Golden Retriever: progressive retinal atrophy, hereditary nasal paraqueratosis.
  • German Shepherd: pituitary dwarfism, multi-drug resistance.
  • Cats: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, polycystic kidney disease, progressive retinal atrophy.
• Biological parentage test