Opportunities for Owner and Breeder Participation in Addison's Research

 

There is one research project for Bearded Collies on the inheritance of Addison's disease and identification of DNA markers. This study is under the auspices of the AKC Canine Health Foundation and it is supported by a number of organizations, including BeaCon and the Bearded Collie Club of America.  Please consider participating if your dog is eligible.  It is free!

This study has #225. The link to a brief description is at www.akcchf.org/research/grants/search, then search on autoimmune disease. A new grant application to continue the work is pending (Sept 07).

Be aware that it is impossible to predict when the project will be completed. Also you will not receive a "lab result" report as you normally do with a routine laboratory test.

The project goals are to identify and and determine inheritance mode of DNA markers for Addison's disease in Bearded Collies.

• Eligible dogs.   

  • Those affected with Addison's disease, their healthy littermates, parents, and grandparents; offspring by other matings of the parents.

  • Normal dogs with no known history of Addison's disease in the family.

  • Known pedigree (at least sire and dam; preferable a three generation pedigree should be available)

  • Location - anywhere in the world.
     

• Dr. Anita Oberbauer at the Univ. of California, Davis is the principle investigator.
   
• What does it involve?  Owners submit a pedigree, a brief health history and cheek swabs for DNA. 
   
• Bearded Collie owners should contact Dr. Oberbauer's lab for the DNA kit at http://cgap.ucdavis.edu/addison's.htm.
   
• Previous Investigator.  Dr. Ry Wagner, University of Oregon from the fall of 1998 through 1999.  In that phase, blood specimens for DNA and pedigrees were collected.  All material from Dr. Wagner's laboratory was transferred to Dr. Oberbauer's laboratory.
  
  
• Dog families of Standard Poodles, Leonbergers, West Highland White Terriers were eligible for the project as of fall 2001.  Since then, Portuguese Water Dogs, Great Danes, and West Highland Terriers and Nova Scotia Duck Tolling retrievers have been added to the program.  Those breeds should use the same URL as for Bearded Collies, then select your breed to fill in a short request form.