2232: Cricopharyngeal Dysphagia in the Golden Retriever

Grant Amount: $19,272

Margret L Casal, DVM, PhD; University of Pennsylvania

November 7, 2001 - December 31, 2003

Sponsor(s): Golden Retriever Foundation

Breed(s): Golden Retriever

Research Program Area: Gastrointestinal Disease

Abstract

Cricopharyngeal Dysphagia is a swallowing disorder in dogs that is apparent at the time of weaning. It may result in failure to thrive, regurgitation, nasal discharge, pneumonia or even death resulting from recurrent pneumonia. Cricopharyngeal dysphagia has been described in several dog breeds and is suspected to be an autosomal recessive disease in these breeds. It has come to our attention that the disease has been recently described in Golden Retrievers, where the disease is suspected to be a dominant trait with variable expression. The objective of this study is to determine the mode of inheritance and to collect DNA samples to develop a genetic test in the future. To determine the mode of inheritance, careful diagnosis of the presence of absence of cricopharyngeal dysphagia using fluoroscopy is required, as there may be some dogs with a very mild, almost undetectable swallowing disorder. The ultimate goal is to eradicate this devastating disease from the Golden Retriever population.

Publication(s)

None at this time.