It’s a dog’s life

The debilitating genetic conditions that have come to afflict popular breeds

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Curly Coat/dry Eye: Prevents dog producing tears, which can make its eyes painful. Skin becomes dry and flaky, particularly around the feet. Episodic falling: Induced by exercise, excitement or frustration. Tone of muscles increases, causing them to become rigid and the dog falls over.

Jack Russell Terrier

Late onset ataxia: worsening coordination and loss of balance, make everyday tasks and moving around difficult. SCA (Spinocerebellar ataxia): Progressive irreversible condition in which areas of spinal cord that carry messages to brain degenerate. Many dogs that suffer from it are euthanised when they are young. PLL (Primary lens luxation): Fibres in the eye break down, causing the lens to fall into the wrong position.

Labrador Retriever

CNM (Centronuclear myopathy): Reduced muscle tone; muscle weakness; abnormal postures; stiff, hopping gait; exercise intolerance and increased collapse when cold. PRCD-PRA (Progressive retinal atrophy): Cells in the back of the eye degenerate and die, eventually leading to total blindness. Skeletal dysplasia 2, or dwarfism: Long bones stop growing before they are fully developed. STGD (Stargardt disease): Condition that leads to poor sight as dogs age. Macular corneal dystrophy (MCD):

Carbohydrate build-up causes the cornea to become cloudy, leading to blindness. HUU (Hyperuricosuria): Uric acid stops dissolving easily in urine, causing stones that may need surgery.

Miniature poodles

Osteochon-drodysplasia: Severe form of dwarfism that results from abnormal development of cartilage and bone. PRCD-PRA (Progressive retinal atrophy).