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0001290: Vitreous Degeneration in the Whippet
Grant Status: Closed
Grant Amount: $28,415
Dr. James V. Schoster, DVM, University of Wisconsin, Madison
August 12, 1996 - August 11, 1999
Sponsor(s): American Whippet Club
Breed(s): Whippet
Disease(s): Vitreous Degeneration
Project Summary
The study found that the Whippet is over-represented for vitreous degeneration (VD) both in the degree of degeneration and the time of onset. The youngest dog in the study was diagnosed at four months and the oldest at 14 years. The researchers also analyzed intraocular pressure and found no difference in intraocular pressure among normal and affected dogs. Degeneration of the vitreous humor of the eye is a normal aging change in all dogs; however in Whippets it appears to be over-represented regardless of age. The researchers enrolled 352 Whippets of various ages in the study, 48 of which (13.6 percent) were diagnosed with VD. They set up a mechanism to examine these dogs annually for the rest of their lives, in order to follow the progression of the disease and the outcome.
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