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2020: Inheritance of Urinary Stone Formation in the Dalmatian
Grant Status: Closed
Grant Amount: $30,000
Dr. Danika L Bannasch, DVM PhD, University of California, Davis
December 1, 2000 - December 31, 2002
Breed(s): Dalmatian
Disease(s): Urolithiasis
Abstract
Dalmatians are unique among dogs since they excrete uric acid in their urine rather than allantoin like other dogs. Some male Dalmatians form bladder stones composed of urate. The stones can cause a blockage of the urethra preventing the dog from urinating, which is a life-threatening problem. After surgical removal of the urinary stones, medical treatment is available to prevent their reoccurrence. The treatment for Dalmatians that form stones requires lifelong medication and frequent visits to the veterinarian for urine testing. All Dalmatians regardless of line or the sex of the dogs produce uric acid in their urine, however only a subset of male Dalmatians have the stone formation problem. The goal of this project is to determine if there is an inherited component to the formation of urate stones in Dalmatians and determine the gene involved.
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