The Hereditary Disease Committee was formed as a comprehensive resource on hereditary diseases and genetic predispositions. This database represents a culmination of the work of the committee, and is constantly evolving with advances in the field of veterinary genetics.
Many of the characteristic breed traits and common and rare genetic diseases and predispositions seen in veterinary practice are now recognized to have a heritable basis and have taken on an increasingly important role in veterinary medicine.
Today, approximately 900 and 200 hereditary diseases and genetic predispositions are recognized in dogs and cats, respectively. Many are well characterized from clinical signs to the gene defect. Precise diagnostic tools have been developed to detect affecteds and carriers; specific treatments can be offered for a few of them, and genetic counseling with breeder clients can improve the health of small animals in future generations.
However, it is difficult for a clinician to keep up with the rapidly accumulating information on clinical genetics and the large spectrum of disorders and genetic predispositions. Thus, a readily accessible comprehensive resource that is up-to-date and practice oriented is needed for the veterinary clinician.
Objectives
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association formed a WSAVA Committee on Hereditary Disease with the following goals:
- Facilitate clinician diagnosis, treatment and control of hereditary diseases and genetic predispositions in dogs and cats, thereby improving the health of patients now and in future generations.
- Create a web-based information system on hereditary diseases and genetic predispositions, and also other genetic traits.
- Focus on clinical information, such as clinical signs, course of disease, diagnostic tests, therapy and genetic control relevant to the clinician.
- Include specific information from national and international organizations regarding guidelines in the future.
- Provide and facilitate continuing education on practical and novel clinical genetic aspects at the WSAVA conferences and other international & national conferences as well as on the web.
All cats and dogs deserve to live healthy lives.
Health-focused Breeding – A Background and General Statement
Genetic Database: Diseases, Tests and Testing Facilities
Genetic Database: Listing of Inherited Disorders in Animals
American Kennel Club: Breed Club Directory
American Kennel Club: Canine Health Foundation
The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
Human Genome Project Talking Glossary
Urs Giger: WSAVA Work on Hereditary Diseases
Activity Reports
Chair(s)
Dr Jerold Bell
Jerold S Bell DVM is Adjunct Professor of Genetics at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Massachusetts, USA. Dr. Bell chairs the Hereditary Disease Committee of the World Small Animal Veterinary Medical Association, is a member of the Board of Directors of the OFA, and the AKC Canine Health & Welfare Advisory Panel. He is author of “Veterinary Medical Guide to Dog & Cat Breeds”. He was trained in genetics and genetic counseling at Michigan State University and University of Missouri. His DVM is from Cornell University. He practices small animal medicine and surgery at Freshwater Veterinary Hospital in Enfield, CT.
Website: View bio on website
Members
Dr Leslie Lyons
Dr Leslie Lyons is Professor of Comparative Medicine at the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at the University of Missouri, USA.
Dr Leslie Lyons trained in human genetics and her postdoctoral fellowship focused on developing genetic resources for comparative gene mapping across mammalian species. Her research is primarily focused on heritable diseases and traits and the population dynamics of the domestic cat.
Dr Ake Hedhammar
Åke Hedhammar DVM, M Sc, PhD is now senior Professor in Internal Medicine – Small Animals and Dipl. in Internal Medicine –Companion Animals and still involved in research mainly on the epidemiology and genomics of spontaneously occurring complex traits in dogs (diseases and behavior) serving as models also for their human counterparts .
He also keeps on serving as scientific advisor and veterinary consultant to the Swedish Kennel Club. Initiator of and project leader of the establishment of a Small Animal Epidemiology group at SLU 1994 Main applicant and coordinator Strategic Funding SLU 4 MSEK / year on Canine Models of complex diseases and behaviour variation (2002 – 2006) and initiator of The Dog DNA group at SLU and UU.
Initiator of the Swedish Dog Genetics group and The national Canine Biobank 2002 Node coordinator for SLU in the Large scale integrated project submitted for funding by EU 7th framework on Health “Unravelling the molecular basis of complex human disorders using the dog as model system”. Initiator of the 1st International Dog Health workshop held in Stockholm 2012
Dr Claire Wade
Claire Wade BSc (Hons) PhD UNSW GCertEd UQ.
Chair of Computational Biology and Animal Genetics Sub Dean International Veterinary Science Administration.
Website: View bio on website
Dr. Helle Friis Proschowsky
Helle completed a master of veterinary medicine at the University of Copenhagen in 1993. After some years of clinical practice and virus research, she returned to the University and completed a PhD in genetics in 2003. Her research area was population genetics and inherited diseases of dogs and she held a position as associated professor until 2010, where she joined the Danish Kennel Club as a special consultant and genetic counsellor.
Helle aims at being a link between the scientific community and the dog world when it comes to healthy breeding. In addition, she is involved in the mandatory breeder’s education of the Danish Kennel Club. Boards and committees:
- -Danish Kennel Club, Health Board
- -Nordic Kennel Union, Scientific Committee
- -Agria/Swedish Kennel Club Research Foundation, evaluator
- -Fédération Cynologique Internationale, Breeding Committee
Dr. Monique Megens
Monique graduated from Utrecht University in 1998, and started her career as a small animal veterinary surgeon in The Netherlands. In 2008 she sold her clinic and started working as an independent project manager, setting up a new Continuous Professional Development (CPD) organisation for companion animal veterinarians at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
Monique has been involved in veterinary politics in Europe for many years, first representing The Netherlands Association for Companion Animal Vets at European level and later on as a FECAVA board member. She is the past president of the Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations (FECAVA), having served as its president from October 2013 to October 2015.
Currently she is member of the joint Union of European Veterinary Practitioners (UEVP) & Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) Animal Welfare Working Group, in which she is involved in the companion animal topics. She was responsible for the joint FVE/UEVP/FECAVA position paper on stray dogs, the position paper on dog trade and recently the position paper on the responsible breeding of dogs. Monique has been a speaker on these topics at many European conferences.
Monique has a passion for companion animal welfare. She dedicates much of her time to help raise awareness, to liaise between stakeholders and to help ensure companion animal welfare is high on the international agenda.
Dr Cathryn Mellersh
Cathryn completed a BSc in genetics at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1984, followed by a PhD in developmental genetics from Leicester University in 1991. She stayed in Leicester for her first post-doctoral position where she spent four years developing some of the first genetic markers for the dog, followed by five years at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, (Seattle, USA), where she played an integral role developing the first maps of the canine genome.
Cathryn took up her position at the Animal Health Trust in 2001 and since then she has considerably developed and expanded the Canine Genetics Group by initiating and securing funding for many successful studies. Cathryn’s research team investigates the genetic basis of clinically important canine diseases, which are defined as those that are painful, blinding, require surgical or medical intervention or otherwise reduce the quality of life of affected dogs. The team identifies the mutations that underpin the diseases they investigate and develop DNA tests that dog breeders can use to reduce the prevalence of disease in at-risk breeds and clinicians can use to confirm diagnosis.
Cathryn and her team also collaborate with fellow UK-based and international canine geneticists as well as working very hard to build and maintain good relationships with the Kennel Club, dog Breed Clubs and the dog-owning and breeding community in general.
In 2015 Cathryn was recognised for her significant contributions to veterinary science and canine health as the co-winner of the International Canine Health Awards (International Prize), run by the Kennel Club Charitable Trust and in 2016 was awarded the PetPlan Charitable Trust Scientific Award.
As well as being a member of the WSAVA Hereditary Disease Committee Cathryn is also a member of the scientific committee of the International Conference on Advances in Canine and Feline Genomics and Inherited Diseases (http://www.caninefelinegenomicsconference.org/index.html), the UK Kennel Club Dog Health Group, the UK Kennel Club Health Screening & Genetics Sub-Group and is a member of Eye Panel Working Party of BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme (https://www.bva.co.uk/Canine-Health-Schemes/Eye-scheme/)
Dr Becky Murphy
Becky is a 2010 Bachelor of Veterinary Science graduate from Massey University, New Zealand. Prior to vet school she achieved a Bachelor of Science from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and worked in a human microbiology laboratory for several years .
Becky now owns TCI GlenBred which is a veterinary practice limited to canine inherited disease screening and theriogenology. She has also been the Dogs NZ (NZ Kennel Club) Veterinarian since 2016. Becky has been a member of the New Zealand Veterinary Association Companion Animal Veterinarians Committee since 2018. She enjoys working with dog breeders and veterinarian colleagues to promote and improve genetic health, particularly in pedigree dogs.
Outside of work, Becky's husband and herself have two children, one dog, two cats, two bunnies and a very naughty pony, which keeps them very busy! She also sits on her daughters school Board of Trustees and is actively involved in various school sports events. .
Dr Felisbina Queiroga
Executive Board Liaison