Celebrating the Breakthroughs Shaping the Future of Canine Health. Meet the 2025 Canine Health Discovery Award Finalists.

Uncovering Genetic Clues Behind Anal Sac Adenocarcinoma in English Cocker Spaniels

A Rare but Aggressive Cancer with Breed-Specific Impact Anal sacs (sometimes called anal glands) are small structures located just beneath the skin that store a strong-smelling fluid. In most dogs, they empty naturally during defecation. In some, they don’t empty as they should, leading to discomfort, impaction, infection, and familiar behaviors like scooting or the […]

00990-A: Prognostic Indicators for Anal Sac Gland Carcinoma in the English Cocker Spaniel and Preparing to Map Predisposition to this Tumor

Grant Status: Closed Grant Amount: $12,678 David Sargan, MA, PhD; University of Cambridge July 1, 2007 – December 31, 2007 Sponsor(s): Samoyed Club of America Education & Research Foundation Breed(s): English Cocker Spaniel Research Program Area: Oncology Donate to Support this Research Program Area Project Summary The goal of this project was to perform a […]

02428: Identifying the Disease-Defining Autoantibodies in Canine Addison’s Disease

Addison’s disease is a common and life-threatening disorder in dogs in which the body’s immune system destroys the outer layer of the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands produce hormones that are critical for energy metabolism, immune system function, intestinal health, and kidney function. Symptoms of Addison’s disease can mimic other conditions, and as a result, […]

0001270: Hereditary Nephritis in English Cocker Spaniels

Familial nephropathy is an autosomal recessive kidney disease that affects English Cocker Spaniels. This research has discovered the fundamental cause of the disease at the protein level, and identified two specific genes in which the mutation responsible for the disease will likely be found. Over 75 percent of the genes have been sequenced. Once the […]

02052: Defining the Mechanism of Severe, Life-Threatening Bleeding Disorders in Dogs

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a common bleeding disorder in dogs. It occurs when the immune system destroys the body’s own platelets – blood cells that prevent hemorrhage. The resulting lack of platelets in some dogs causes mild bruising and in others causes severe, life-threatening hemorrhage. Veterinarians do not understand what triggers ITP and cannot predict […]

02363-A: Platelet Function in Dogs with Chronic Liver Disease

Chronic liver disease is common among adult dogs with numerous breeds being predisposed. Liver biopsy is usually required to identify the underlying cause of liver disease in these patients, and is often recommended to monitor response to treatment. Because dogs with liver disease have abnormal clotting activity, bleeding is a substantial risk of biopsy. Routine […]