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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.
The genome sequence of Canis familiaris, the domestic dog
The Health of Your Heart: Does your dog help?
Stick it (in the bin)
Eating and sleeping: it’s a dog’s life!
The genome sequence of Canis familiaris, the domestic dog
Our genome is all the genetic material we carry in almost all of our cells. The genome consists of DNA, a linear polymer built up of small components called nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of a phosphate molecule, a sugar molecule and a base. It is the bases that carry the genetic information. In DNA the bases are adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G) and cytosine (C). “Sequencing” of the genome involves working out the order of the four bases for the total genetic material. In humans there are over 3,000,000,000 of these bases and the print out of the human genome sequence takes many books printed in very small font (equivalent to roughly half a million copies of this newsletter!).
The full sequence of bases in the human genome was completed more than 10 years ago and since then many other animals including dogs have had their genomes sequenced. The first dog genome sequenced was from a Boxer and subsequently a Poodle genome was sequenced. The poodle was owned by the first human to have his genome sequenced!
The dog has about 2,500,000,000 bases in its genome. Dog DNA is arranged into 39 separate molecules making the chromosomes. It contains about 20,000 genes, DNA sequences that carry the instructions for making proteins required by the cell as well as other sequences important for regulating when these proteins are made.
Most of the genes in the dog genome match genes in the human genome in their order on the chromosome and their function. We can find the gene that is responsible for chocolate vs. black coat colour (called TYRP1) in dogs and the same gene in humans where it may be involved in determining hair colour. Close neighbours on the chromosome in both species are LURAPIL and MPDZ. Dogs probably have more olfactory receptors (involved in detecting smells) than humans, while humans have genes involved in speech and language that are not present in dogs.
It has been estimated that the human genome cost at least 3 billion US dollars to sequence and it took 15 years to be completed (there are still some gaps where it is not possible to obtain the sequence). We are hoping to be able to sequence one Labrador Retriever for about £10,000 and then subsequent dogs for less than that. The sequence will be available a week after we supply the DNA. The technology developed to speed up the human genome sequencing has helped all projects that involve large scale sequencing and we are close to being able to sequence a human or dog genome for $US1,000.
In a Dogslife project funded by the Roslin Foundation we are aiming to sequence the genome of the Labrador Retriever, to add to the growing knowledge about the canine genome and about genetic variability between dog breeds. We will look at different Dogslife dogs to see how much variation there is between them and whether that might account for differences in illnesses and other characteristics. Knowledge of the variability between dogs of one breed or between breeds will help us to diagnose, treat and prevent disease as well as giving us a greater understanding of animal biology.
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The Health of Your Heart: Does your dog help?
You love your Labrador, but did you know that he or she could be good for your heart in other ways? A recent review of the published literature by the American Heart Association (http://newsroom.heart.org/news/pets-may-help-reduce-your-risk-of-heart-disease) revealed that owning a pet is probably associated with a decreased risk of heart disease in the owner! The authors of the report pointed out that the studies in this area are not definitive, and do not prove that owning a pet directly causes a reduction in heart disease risk (it may simply be that people who own pets are less likely to develop heart disease for other reasons. For example, people who are healthier may be more likely to own dogs, rather than becoming healthier because they own a dog).
The amount of exercise dog owners undertake compared to people who don’t own dogs may be one factor which influences the risk of heart disease. Even this simplistic explanation is not as clear cut as it seems, as studies have not always found dog owners to be more “active” than people who don’t own dogs. It is recognised that owning pets may be associated with a reduction in blood pressure and blood cholesterol, and that they may help to reduce stress in their owner. The authors of the report were absolutely clear that people should not enter pet ownership solely with the hope of reducing their risk of heart disease, and that further studies will be needed to definitively answer the question as to whether owning a pet could reduce the risk of heart disease in people with pre-existing cardiovascular problems. Until these questions are answered, we should enjoy our pet’s company safe in the knowledge that there are many likely health benefits to pet ownership.
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Stick it (in the bin)
Most dogs love nothing more than chasing a stick, and historically throwing, fetching and carrying sticks has been part of the normal daily activity of dogs all over the world. However, as one or two Dogslife participants have already discovered, retrieving sticks is not without its perils.
“Stick injuries” is a term used to describe injuries which dogs sustain when retrieving sticks. They usually occur when the stick lands on the ground, pointing upwards, and the dog runs with an open mouth to retrieve the stick but is unable to stop themselves quickly enough (or possibly misjudge the position) which results in the stick entering their mouth forcibly. The stick can end up pretty much anywhere, but more often than not penetrates the lining of the back of the pharynx (throat) or underneath the tongue. How far the stick subsequently travels really depends on how fast the dog is travelling when it hits the stick and how long the stick is, but they can reach as far as the shoulder or chest cavity.
Although the stick can often be removed immediately, the major problem with stick injuries is that when the stick penetrates the lining of the oral cavity, it is not sterile or clean so it can result in a deep lying infection. This is then compounded by bits of bark or splinters falling off the stick, which make it very difficult to get rid of any infection. As such, stick injuries need to be investigated and treated promptly to achieve the best chance of a full recovery, and sometimes they can require surgery to remove all the pieces.
It is much safer to throw your dog an item which is clean, can’t be swallowed and which does not have sharp edges, like a ball or frizbee.
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Eating and sleeping: it’s a dog’s life!
Thanks to all the information provided by our members, Dogslife can now reveal some information about dogs’ eating and sleeping habits within the project.
Most members are typing in the brand of food they feed their dog and we now have over 250 different types of foods recorded as being fed to Dogslife Labrador Retrievers. We won't be changing the list we offer though because we thought scrolling through over 250 different types of foods might be a bit onerous! Frequency of feeding depends on the age of dogs as you would anticipate, with puppies and younger dogs tending to be fed more frequently, and adult dogs fed once or twice a day. All dogs taking part in the project were given water to drink but 0.5% have also had tea to drink!
Some dogs have also been eating items they shouldn’t! Members have told us that their dogs have ingested food-related items such as a plastic bag with cheese in, cooked rib bones, a whole corn on the cob, a cocktail stick, and a packet of throat lozenges! Other items that dogs taking part in the study have ingested include, garden stones, sticks, socks, wood, bed stuffing, satellite cabling, a computer plug and cable, a battery, wire, a needle, a fishing hook, cat and dog toys, a ball, and a bag of dog poo! If there is anything we might have missed, please don’t hesitate to let us know!
Details we have received so far on where dogs sleep show that most dogs in the study (66%) sleep alone. 15% of dogs sleep in a room shared with another pet, 14% sleep in a room shared with a person, and 1% sleep in a room shared with another pet and a person. 4% of dogs taking part in Dogslife sleep outside.
Thank you to all our members for telling us about their dog’s eating and sleeping habits. With all the warm weather we have been getting, be sure that your dog always has access to fresh water to drink and a cool, shaded area to rest.
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Don't forget to come back to Dogslife to update your dog's record www.dogslife.ac.uk
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