1844: Determination of Genetic Relationships Among Yorkshire Terriers With Single Congenital Portosystemic Shunts
Grant Status: Closed
Grant Amount: $17,957
Karen Tobias, DVM; University of Tennessee
December 17, 1999 - December 16, 2000
Sponsor(s):
Breed(s): Yorkshire Terrier
Research Program Area: Hepatic Disease
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Project Summary
This study made recommendations to breeders of Yorkshire Terriers that they minimize inbreeding and not breed dogs affected with a portosystemic shunt (PSS) or any dog that has produced offspring with PSS, also known as a liver shunt. PSS is a life-threatening congenital abnormality that researchers are confident is hereditary in Yorkshire Terriers. This study found that the risk of having a liver shunt was over 35 times greater in Yorkies than in the general population. After seeing a disproportionately large number of Yorkshire Terriers with these shunts, researchers studied the pedigrees of 31 affected and 51 unaffected Yorkshire Terriers. They concluded that while the coefficient of inbreeding was twice as high in affected dogs, dogs with PSS are not significantly more inbred than normal dogs.Publication(s)
Tobias, K. M. (2003). Determination of Inheritance of Single Congenital Portosystemic Shunts in Yorkshire Terriers. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 39(4), 385–389. https://doi.org/10.5326/0390385
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