Genetic Diseases Known To Occur In The Newfoundland And Their Modes Of Inheritance and Times of Primary Symptom Developement
Information for Newfoundland Breeders and Prospective Newfoundland Owners
ALIMENTARY DISEASES:
Esophageal Hypomobility: The esophagus fails to push food into the stomach, causing regurgitation, weight loss, recurrent respiratory infections and retarded growth. Symptoms show before 10 weeks of age. Mode of inheritance Undetermined.
Hypersialism: Overproduction and oversecretion of saliva by one or more of the saliva glands.
Mode of Inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms occur before 6 months of age
Megaesophagus: Failure of the esophogeal muscles to force swallowed food through to the stomach. Mode of Inheritance: Undetermined-Recessive genes play a role in some breeds, but in the Newfoundland the cause remains undetermined.
Symptoms occur before 6 months of age.
Behavioral Diseases
Aggressiveness: Extremely assertive or forceful with other dogs & people. May attack or bite without reasonable cause. (This disorder is EXTREMELY rare in the newfoundland)
Mode of Inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms show at or before 3 years of age
Springer Rage (Episodic Dyscontrol Syndrome)
Disorder characterized by unprovoked attacks , most commonly by males.
(Extremely rare in Newfoundlands, most common breed this is seen in is the Springer Spaniel)
Mode of Inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms appear at or before 3 years of age.
Cancers
No known genetically linked cancers.
Endocrine Diseases
Hypothyroidism (Autoimmune Thyroiditis, Hashimoto's Disease, Lymphotcytic Thyroiditis): Destruction of the thyroid gland due to an attack by the animals own immune system. Causes rough scaly skin, hair loss and weight gain. Usually easily treated with thyroid replacement meds.
Mode of Inheritance: Undetermined. In the Borzoi,
hypothyroidism has been found to be caused by a recessive gene, in all other breeds its cause cannot be determined.
Hearing, Balance
No known genetically linked hearing or balance problems
Hemptopoietic and Lymphatic Disease
No known genetically linked Hemptopoitic or Lymphatic Diseases
Heart and Vascular
Dilated Cardiomyopathy:
Symptoms are dyspnea, excersize intolerance, syncope, cough, anorexia, weight loss, lethargy.
Heart sounds are muffled.
Mode of inheritance: Undetermined.
Symptoms appear at or before 6 years of age.
Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)
Failure of the fetal blood vessel between the aorta and pulmonary artery to close at or shortly after birth. Causes heart mumurs, excersize weakness and death.
Mode of Inheritance Polygenic (many genes interacting in complicated ways that are not fully understood)..not fully understood to be hereditary at all.
Symptoms are present at birth. Condition can be detected upon examination at 1 week or less.
Pulmonic Stenosis (PS) Narrowing of the pulmonary artery where it attaches to the heart, causing murmurs and enlargement of the right side of the heart.
Polygenic (many genes interacting in complicated ways that are not fully understood)
Symptoms are present before 1 year of age.
Subaortic Stenosis: A narrowing of the base of the aorta as a result of a fibrous band, causing murmurs, weakness and in severe cases, sudden death.
Mode of inheritance: Polygenic (many genes interacting in complicated ways that are not fully understood)
Symptoms appear by 1 year of age
Tricuspid valve Dysplasia: Symptoms include anorexia, weight loss, lethargy, ascites and a heart murmur.
Mode of inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms appear before 1 year of age.
Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD): A hole in the heart wall that divides the right and left sides, causing poor circulation and possible death.
Mode of Inheritance: Polygenic (many genes interacting in complicated ways that are not fully understood)
Symptoms are present at birth.
Immune System Diseases
Atopic Dermatitis: Caused by immune reactions to various allergens, such as fleas or pollen. Causes roughened, itchy, oozing skin.
Mode of inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms appear by 1 year of age.
Integumentary Diseases
Alopecic Syndromes:
Clinically, hair tends to thin and be lost with little or no scaling or any inflammatory changes. Distribution of loss varies. In the Newfoundland one tends to see Color Dilution Alopecia which causes loss of hair and excessive thickening of the skin, seen in dilute colors of black (grey).
Mode of Inheritance: recessive gene
Symptoms appear before 6 months of age.
Pemphigus Foliaceus: Clinical signs usually start on the ears or face and involve the footpads. There may be erythematous macules that progress to crusty, brown areas. The skin is scaly and hair loss is present.
Mode of Inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms appear before 4 years of age.
Pemphigus Vulgaris: Clinically, vesiculobullous lesions. The groin, axillae and mucocutaneous junctions demonstrate erosive to alcerative areas.
Mode of Inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms appear before age 2.
Umbilical Hernia: An outpouching of the skin over the "belly button". It may contain abdominal viscera and sometimes regresses spontaneously. Mild-moderate cases need no treatment.
Mode of Inheritance: Recessive or polygenic (many genes interacting in complicated ways that are not fully understood)
Symptoms appear by 6 months of age.
Vitiligo: Depigmentation of the nose, lips,buccal mucosa and facila skin.Footpads and hair coat may be affected.
Mode of Inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms appear before 3 years of age.
Liver-Pancreas
No known genetically linked liver or pancreatic diseases or disprders
Muscle Diseases
No known genetically linked muscular diseases or disprders
Neurologic Diseases
Distal Neuropathy: Pelvic limb ataxia and paresis, which later invloves the forelimbs. Atrophy of distal limbs and masticatory muscles is present.
Mode of Inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms appear before 1 year of age
Ocular Disease
Cataracts: Congenital Cataracts (present at birth) are not known to be a genetic problem in the Newfoundland.
Cataract problems vary by breed and age of onset.
As a generality, any opacity of the lense that obscures vision and may cause blindness is considered to be a cataract. Many cases of juvenile cataracts cause no problems until the dog is quite aged.
Mode of inheritance in the Newfoundland: Undetermined
Symptoms appear at various ages.
Dermoid: A small patch of skin generally on the cornea, often causing irritation.
Mode of inheritance: Possible Recessive, currently undetermined.
Symptoms appear before 1 year of age.
Ectropion: Turning out of the eyelids, causing excessive exposure of the eyeball. one of the most common genetic problems in Newfoundlands.
Requires simple, inexpensive surgery to correct.
Mode of inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms appear by 6 months of age.
Entropion: Turning in of the eyelids (opposite of ectropion) causing the eyelashes to rub the eyeball)
One of the most common genetic defects in the Newfoundland. Requires simple, inexpensive surgery to correct.
Mode of Inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms appear by 6 months of age.
Eversion of the Nicitating Membrance (Eversion of the third eyelid) The cartilage of the third eyelid is abnormal, causing the third eyelid to roll away from or toward the globe. Requires a simple, inexpensive surgery to correct.
Mode of inheritance: Recessive gene is suspected in the Boston Terrier,Bull Terrier,German Shorthaired Pointer, and St Bernard.
Undetermined in the Newfoundland.
Symptoms appear by 3 months of age.
Macropalpebral Fissure (Diamond Eye): Excessively large palpebral fissures resulting in exposire of the sclera and cornea.
Mode of inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms are present at birth.
Medial Canthal Pocket Syndrome: Clinically, chronic conjunctivitus caused by deep orbits, slight entropion and poor drainage of the tears.
Mode of Inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms appear by 6 months of age.
Persistent Pupillary Membranes (PPM) A failure of blood vessels in the anterior chamber to regress normallycausing possible impaired vision or blindness.
Mode of Inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms appear by 6 months of age.
Reproductive Diseases
Dystocia: The bitch has great difficulty whelping puppies due to a variety of reasons
Mode of Inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms appear while giving birth.
Respiratory Diseases
No known genetically linked respiratory diseases or disprders
Skeletal Diseases
Crooked Tails: Abnormal bend or crook in the tail
Method of inheritance: Undetermined
Appears before 3 months of age
Hemivertebra: Abnormal formation of the body of the vertabrae, which can cause posterior ataxia and paralysis. Causes the twised tail in the corkscrew tail breeds.
Mode of inheritance: Recessive in the German Shorthaired Pointer, Undetermined in the Newfoundland
Symptoms appear by 1 year of age.
Hip Dysplasia: Abnormal formation of the hip socket, causes rear limb lameness.
hip dysplasia is a multi faceted problem, involving nutrition, environmental factors and possibly heredity.
Mode of inheritance : Polygenic (many genes interacting in complicated ways that are not fully understood)
Symptoms appear before age 2.
Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy: Variable presentations, from mild to severe lameness. There may be depression, fever, dehydration and anorexia.
Mode of Inheritance; Undetermined
Symptoms appear before 8 months of age.
Luxation of the Elbow: Clinically, the ulna rotates laterally and the antebrachium rotates internally. The radiohumeral joint is relatively unaffected and the ulna remains in a nearly normal position, or the radial head is displaced caudolaterally and the ulna remains in a nearly normal position.
Mode of inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms appear by 6 months of age
Luxation of the Patella: Poor development of the structures holding the kneecap in place. The patella usually rotates inward in the small breeds.
Mode of inheritance: Polygenic (many genes interacting in complicated ways that are not fully understood)
Symptoms appear at or before 1 year.
Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) Aseptic necrosis of bone under the joint cartilage causes lameness.
OCD is a multi faceted problem, involving nutrition, environmental factors and possibly heredity.
Mode of inheritance: Polygenic (many genes interacting in complicated ways that are not fully understood)
Premature Closure of the Ulna: Ulna stops growing sooner than the radius, causing wrists to turn in, and front feet to turn out.
Mode of Inheritance: Recessive Gene
Symptoms appear before 1 year of age.
Undershot Lower Jaw: Lower jaw extends beyond the upper jaw
Mode of Inheritance: Polygenic (many genes interacting in complicated ways that are not fully understood)
Symptoms appear at or before 1 year of age.
Wobbler Syndrome: Abnormality of the neck vertebrae, causing rear leg ataxia that may progress to paraplysis.
Mode of inheritance: Undetermined in the newfoundland.
In the Borzoi, Doberman and Great Dane the defect has been found to be the result of a recessive gene.
Urinary System Diseases
Cystinuria: Excessive amounts of the amino acid cystine are excreted causing urinary stones.
Mode of Inheritance: Recessive in the newfoundland. For the newfoundland a DNA test is now available that identifies affected dogs, carriers and genetically clear dogs. Due to this DNA test, Cystinuria in the Newfoundland can be eliminated IF breeders use the DNA test to screen breeding stock and avoid breeding affected animals.
Symptoms appear by 1 year of age.
Ectopic Urethers The ureters do not properly attach to the bladder, causing urine dribbling, usually from birth.
Mode of Inheritance: Undetermined
Symptoms are usually present from birth.
Primary Glomerulopathies: Signs are those of chronic renal failure and uremia. Symptoms vary by breed. Onset may be insideous. Lethargy, halitosis (bad breath) oral ulcers, weight loss, polygenicgenicdipsa, polygenicgenicuria and reduced appetite may be noted. Vomitting and hyperproteinuria may be present.
Mode of inheritance: undetermined
Symptoms appear before age 2.
