Research Outcome: 02148-A: The Prevalence of the Dal-Negative Blood Type and Its Mode of Inheritance in Doberman Pinschers and in Dalmatians
Blood transfusions have become an integral part of advanced veterinary medicine. As in humans, several blood groups have been identified in dogs. A dog negative for a given blood group can produce antibodies following exposure to that specific blood group, which may lead to life-threatening hemolytic transfusion reactions with subsequent transfusions.
The high frequency of the canine Dal blood type creates particular challenges: 1) Dal- anemic dogs will most likely be sensitized via their first blood transfusion and produce anti-Dal antibodies, and 2) if further blood transfusions are required in those patients, compatible Dal- blood may be very difficult to find.
Through this study, researchers identified the prevalence of the Dal antigen expression in dogs, and the mode of inheritance of the Dal+ phenotype was determined to be autosomal dominant.
Because of the high percentage of Dal− Doberman Pinchers, Dalmatians and Shih Tzus, their risk of transfusion incompatibilities increases from the common Dal+ donor. Based on findings from this study, researchers recommend extended Dal typing in those breeds, and in dogs when blood incompatibility problems arise after initial transfusions.
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