Today, vets know with a great deal of certainty if a purebred dog is at risk of developing a genetic disorder. However, determining the risk to a mixed breed is much more difficult. Most of the time, owners of mixed breed dogs don’t know with any certainty if their dog has purebred parents or grandparents.
Mixed breed Dog DNA tests have changed all that. These tests can tell owners and their vets if a mixed breed dog has a parent or grandparent that was a purebred. By knowing a dog’s purebred ancestry, a vet can then help determine if the dog is at risk of developing genetic disorders.
Endocrine disorders
The endocrine system produces hormones that have a wide-ranging effect on the dog’s body and brain.
Inherited endocrine disorders include:
- Diabetes mellitus
- Growth-hormone responsive and adrenal sex-hormone dermatoses
- Hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s syndrome)
- Hypoadrenocorticism (Addison’s disease)
- Hypothyroidism
- Juvenile hyperparathyroidism
- Pituitary dwarfism
Immune disorders
Inherited immune system disorders include:
- Atopy
- Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- Bullous pemphigoid
- Complement deficiency
- Cyclic hematopoiesis
- German shepherd pyoderma
- Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia
- Lupus erythematosus
- Pemphigus
- Selective Immunoglobin A deficiency
- Severe combined immunodeficiency
- Weimaraner immunodeficiency
Respiratory disorders
Disorders of the respiratory system with an inherited component include:
- Brachycephalic syndrome
- Hypoplastic trachea
- Laryngeal paralysis
- Tracheal collapse
A quick way to find out more information and to be better equipped for the possibility of one of these conditions is to have your dog’s DNA tested. You can speak to your veterinarian about it. You can also check out our Dog DNA Review for more ideas.