February 2011 Newsletter

Similar studies: Children of the 90s

Dogslife is collecting information about Labrador Retrievers from the time they are puppies. We hope that knowing about the early life of these dogs will help us to understand the diseases and conditions that develop later in their lives. Because this study will use data from more than a year of the dog’s life, we aren’t able to present any results at this stage. However results are already coming through from similar studies in humans.

In a previous newsletter we mentioned one example of a project following children from before birth, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), also known as Children of the 90s. Colleagues have recently used the information from this study of children born in the Bristol area in 1991 and 1992 to examine the effect of smoking on the children’s reading ability. They found that prenatal nicotine exposure was associated with increased risk of poor performance in reading skills tests. Their findings suggest that risk factors for reading disability begin in early development. The results of analysing the ALSPAC data have led them to design laboratory experiments to explain the effects of nicotine, by studying four genes thought to be involved in development of reading skills. In turn, the results of their laboratory studies will suggest ways in which reading disabilities may be prevented or minimised in future generations, as well as potentially identifying possible drug and other treatments for children with reading problems today.

In the same way, we hope that knowing about the environment of Labrador Retrievers as they grow up will show us correlations between their early life style and any problems they may develop later in life. So even if you have to skip a month of entering your dog’s information, please come back as often as you can. All the information you provide will be useful.

Researching a New Heart Problem in Labrador Retrievers

By Geoff Culshaw BVMS DVC MRCVS, Lecturer in Cardiopulmonary Medicine, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh

As a veterinary cardiologist working at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (RDSVS), my patients have a wide range of common and rare heart diseases. Part of my work involves working on new forms of diagnosis and treatment for existing and emerging heart diseases. In the last few years, we have developed the ability to treat a relatively uncommon cardiac condition seen mainly in dogs. It has many names including Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW Syndrome) or Orthodromic Atrioventricular Reciprocating Tachycardia (OAVRT).

What happens in OAVRT? Affected dogs are usually very young (often less than one year of age) and have an electrical short-circuit in the heart which results in heart rates in excess of an incredible 300 beats per minute (a normal adult dog heart rate is between 70 and 160 beats per minute). Left untreated, the heart can fail within a few weeks resulting in life-threatening congestive heart failure (fluid in the lungs).

Fortunately, if spotted early enough, this condition can be treated very effectively in most cases, sometimes by drugs but now also by a novel process called radiofrequency ablation (RFA). RFA involves advancing special electrodes catheters along veins in the neck and groin to the heart where they map the heart electrically allowing the location of the short-circuit to be identified. The short-circuit is then destroyed from inside the heart using another special catheter. RFA results in a complete cure and the patient can go on to live a completely normal life without any further medication.

Right: An affected dog living a normal, healthy, happy life after treatment

Are Labrador Retrievers affected by OVART? We have gone through the records of all the cases we have seen at the RDSVS and almost all of them have been Labrador Retrievers, most of which were either chocolate or black. Because we are currently the only centre in the UK to perform RFA, cases come to us from all over the country and so we believe this represents a national and not a regional problem. We don’t really know how common OAVRT is but there may be many affected dogs who are undiagnosed. It is not common, so you should not worry about your dog having the disease if they are fit and healthy.

What is being done to research this problem? We would like to confirm whether or not this is a genetic disorder, how it is inherited and then eventually which gene or genes are involved. We don’t yet know if the condition is inherited with coat colour or whether the number of coloured Labradors is just chance. We need to screen Labradors for disease and to collect DNA from them. At the moment we plan to only screen dogs who are related to dogs who definitely have the disease.

Can we screen for OVART? We currently think the best way to screen apparently healthy dogs is to perform a 24 hour electrocardiogram (ECG, which is a continuous measure of the electrical activity of the heart). It is relatively straightforward to fit the ECG unit, as long as the dog will stand still which is never a guarantee with Labradors! The ECG unit is in a jacket. Dogs can run around with the unit on and eat and drink normally although swimming is not allowed as it plays havoc with the electrics! Vets in practice will be approached to help with the study by fitting the ECG units to the dogs chosen for screening. The system being used is simple and should only take 10-15 minutes to fit. Ideally the system works best if a little bit of hair can be clipped on the chest wall behind the elbow on both sides. We collect DNA from screened dogs using a simple cheek swab, although we do find Labradors love to chew them!

Above: A dog fitted with the ECG jacket to test for the disease

We are currently contacting breeders by post and e-mail to see if they can help us. We are particularly interested in screening siblings of known affected dogs. If you are contacted, it does not mean your dog has or is carrying this rare disease and you are under no obligation to take part. All information will be completely confidential.

This study will hopefully prove beneficial to pets, owners, breeders and vets. Furthermore, it could provide very useful information to cardiologists researching the equivalent disease in humans.

Labradors at work: Pets As Therapy

Pets As Therapy (P.A.T.) is a national charity founded in 1983 to provide frequent therapeutic visits to establishments such as hospitals, hospices, residential homes, nursing homes, day care centres, special needs schools and mainstream schools using dogs and cats owned by registered volunteers. Examples of Pets As Therapy patients/clients include phobic children, stroke patients and people suffering from clinical depression. Since the charity began, more than 24,000 P.A.T. dogs have been registered. Currently, over 4,700 P.A.T. dogs and 108 P.A.T. cats are working all over the UK. Each year 7 million people are visited by a P.A.T. dog or cat (that’s more than 140,000 people in one week!) making Pets As Therapy the largest charity of its kind in Europe.

Patients/clients can feel isolated and withdrawn from daily life. A visiting P.A.T. dog or cat can bring comfort and companionship making their situation more bearable, providing a boost which can potentially speed up recovery. Research has consistently supported the health benefits to the ill or disabled and Pets As Therapy is setting up more research to further validate this.

Any dog or cat can be considered for Pets As Therapy as long as they have been with their owner for at least 6 months and they are over 9 months of age. The temperament of the dog or cat is important as they must behave well in different environments and with different people. Many Labradors have the right qualities to become a P.A.T. dog as they are often gentle, biddable and enjoy interacting with people. This is demonstrated by the prevalence of the breed as Assistance Dogs. A temperament assessment is carried out by a Pets As Therapy accredited assessor or qualified vet to see if the dog or cat will make a suitable visiting pet. The dog or cat must be fully vaccinated, wormed and protected against fleas.

To pass the temperament assessment test, dogs must be able to walk on a loose lead under control of the owner, remain content while being handled, touched and stroked, accept a titbit gently and stay calm with different people in varying environments and with unexpected noises. Owners must be able to keep control of their dog in case the dog needs to be withdrawn from a situation quickly as well as being able to groom their dog all over and keep them clean, fit and healthy. The assessment tests the owner’s responsibility, competence and training, and the dog’s suitability, temperament, obedience and health.

If the owner and dog or cat pass the temperament assessment and health check, 2 character references are required before the visiting process can begin. An area coordinator will help by finding suitable establishments to match the volunteer and their P.A.T. dog or cat and introduce them to making visits.

The P.A.T. dog or cat must be fit and well to undertake a visit. If they are behaving differently, in season or have any wounds, cuts or grazes, it is best not to take them in case their health is affected or they do not interact with the patients/clients as well as usual. Before paying a visit, it is important to check if any patients/clients present a risk to the dog or cat. For example, they may react negatively to the P.A.T dog or cat if they have a fear, phobia or if they are allergic. It is also important for dogs to respond to the ‘leave’ command in case any medication is accidentally dropped and the dog tries to pick it up during a visit.

P.A.T. dogs and cats wear identity tags on their collar and sometimes a yellow coat. The owner carries a photo ID badge for security (which has now also been introduced for the dog or cat to wear too!). Security is paramount for authorities and staff so that they can be reassured of a valid therapeutic service.

For more information, please visit http://www.petsastherapy.org/

Popular names in the Dogslife study

The image below shows the most popular names of dogs taking part in the Dogslife project. The larger the name, the more prevalent it is so Ruby is the most popular, followed by Bailey and then Poppy. Can you find your dog’s name?

Thanks to all of you who are giving us regular updates on your dog’s health and lifestyle. With your help we can find out what keeps dogs healthy!

Don't forget to come back to Dogslife to update your dog's record www.dogslife.ac.uk