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September 2017 Newsletter |
If your dog has had any illnesses or ailments, you can tell us about them at any time without having to complete the rest of the questionnaire. Simply login to your dog's profile by visiting www.dogslife.ac.uk and click on the link underneath your dog's graph.
More information on the UKs Labrador Retriever Population
Is your dog suffering from CCD?
Get your Labrador featured on our website!
It’s not just teenagers who get acne – young dogs can also be affected by this skin disorder, and indeed we have had a number of Dogslife participants reporting it in their pets. The condition is similar in both species; it is caused by bacteria infecting hair follicles in the skin. In dogs it is often seen in the shorter haired breeds, such as Boxers and Bulldogs, but any dog can be affected. As with humans too, the condition is most commonly seen during development, for dogs typically between six months to a year of age.
The signs of canine acne are the development of small pustules or red bumps where the hair follicles have become infected. These can cause swelling of skin in the affected area, which is most commonly around the face or on the skin underneath the body. Affected dogs may try to rub or scratch at the area. As there are a number of conditions which can mimic acne, such as parasites and ringworm, it is important to have dogs with signs of acne assessed by their vet for diagnosis.
Treatment of canine acne is usually symptomatic to address the clinical signs and the underlying causes. Cases are often treated with a combination of topical washes and/or creams to clean the skin and reduce the inflammation associated with the infection and antibiotics to treat the bacteria, and systemic antibiotics and/or anti-inflammatories if the condition is more severe. Just like human acne, most dogs will grow out of the condition when they grow older and it spontaneously resolves, although occasionally it can recur in early adulthood.
More information on the UKs Labrador Retriever Population
Exciting new research about Labrador Retrievers in the UK has just been published by a team of researchers at The Roslin Institute, led by Dr Pam Wiener. Using genetic markers from over 1000 Labrador Retrievers, previously collected as part of the successful Labrador Hip and Elbow project, the genetic structure of the population of dogs was investigated by comparing the markers with the dogs pedigree, their intended use, geographical location and coat colour.
There was a large amount of genetic variation within the population, which was associated with the role of the dog (such as whether they were a working dog, a pet or a show dog) and their coat colour (whether they were black, yellow or chocolate). The top panels on the right show the genetic differentiation of the dogs based on coat colour (top left) and purpose (top right). Each dot represents one dog and the colour reflects the coat colour (left panel) or the purpose (right panel). Black dogs and working dogs are in the group at the right of each panel, indicating a preference for black gun dogs. Perhaps surprisingly, the genetic markers dogs had didn’t differentiate them on the basis of their geographical location. This can be seen in the lower panel where the colours represent the geographic location and are randomly mixed across the graph. The level of inbreeding of dogs was strongly correlated with a lack of variation of the genetic markers over len gths of their chromosomes. Perhaps most interestingly, the genetic areas that differentiated sub-populations of dogs contained genes and genetic markers, were associated with skull shape.
The study reveals that Labrador Retrievers have probably been selected, at least in part, on their head morphology rather than say their coat colour. The estimates of inbreeding made using the genetic markers were highly correlated to those made from pedigree data from Labrador Retrievers, and this demonstrates that genomic approaches (those assessing the genetic variation at the DNA level) can be used to calculate inbreeding levels in dogs where pedigree information is missing. The study also demonstrates how useful DNA samples can be to study many different aspects of dog health and welfare; this is the fifth important scientific paper to be published by Dr Wiener's team on Labrador Retriever health (others looked at the personality traits, the genes which are associated with hip dysplasia, and how hip dysplasia can be prevented by testing genetic markers). You can read more about the study here - https://bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12864-017-3933-x
Is your dog suffering from CCD?
Canine Compulsive Disorder (CCD) is when a dog displays obsessive behaviours, with usually typical dog activities such as tail chasing, licking limbs, snapping at flies, swimming in circles and in particular to Labradors, carrying objects around in their mouths. What makes them compulsive however, is that they are done in a repetitive and frenzied way. The danger of this is when they impede and take over every day essential activities like eating, sleeping and general wellbeing, for example excessive licking of a paw resulting in the fur being licked away and the flesh exposed (also known as acral lick).
Research is being conducted on CCD with the hope to treat affected dogs and perhaps link these findings to help with the human equivalent, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In fact, the canine research started after the publication of a book called “the boy who couldn’t stop washing” by Judith Rapoport resulted in several dog owners writing to her to ask about their dogs’ behaviour. This prompted her to look into the canine problem a little further.
Research has linked the naturally-occurring molecules serotonin and glutamate to behaviour in canines. Serotonin and glutamate are involved in the transmission of nerve impulses, and are thought to be responsible for transporting messages that regulate anxiety, memory and sleep to and from the brain. It is believed if these can be controlled, CCD signs can lessen. Recent research has shown that drugs that alter the levels of these compounds produce a reduction in CCD symptoms. Work has also been done to look at faulty behavioural genes associated with the disease too. If you have any concerns about your pet’s behaviour, please discuss it with your vet. To read more about the problem see
(https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jun/25/is-your-dog-obsessive-compulsive-ocd-chasing-tail-behaviour)
Get your Labrador featured on our website!
Is your dog just the ‘cutest’? Or maybe they aced their obedience class last week or made an impressive retrieval last season? Then let us and your fellow Dogslife members know by nominating them to be the featured dog on our website. Why not nominate your dog next time you log on to their profile by clicking the link (see picture to right – click on highlighted link) and then tell us a little more about what makes your dog so great. Please fill out all fields and ensure your dog’s picture is the right way up (unfortunately we cannot feature a dog without all fields filled and a correct picture).
After your dog has been featured, you will still be able to see your entry in the archive section on our website (http://www.dogslife.ac.uk/featured/archive).
We hope to hear from you soon, if you need any more support to nominate please email info@dogslife.ac.uk
We are interested in finding out how owners use the internet when their dogs are ill. In particular, we want to know what terms, words or phrases you use to search for information when your dog has had vomiting and diarrhoea. Email your terms to info@dogslife.ac.uk. Please be honest and do not worry about causing offense!
There will be another prize draw at the end of September so don't forget to come back to Dogslife (www.dogslife.ac.uk) and update your dog's record to be in with the best chance of winning!
