The risks for many significant health issues can be greatly reduced through careful breeding practices, beginning with certain screening examinations of the parents of a litter. Failure to screen for these conditions before breeding results in taking unnecessary risks for inherited disease, and frequently leads to distress for the buyer and dog alike.
The GRCA and GRCC Codes of Ethics request that results from hip, elbow, eye, and heart examinations be placed in the public record, which is provided by the OFA at https://www.ofa.org/. When breeders describe their dogs as having “all their clearances” this can usually can be verified on the OFA website where records can be accessed by a search using the dog’s full registered name (with exact spelling) or registration number.
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Many breeders use lines with health clearances that extend back to multiple generations of ancestors and include grandparents and great-grandparents, offering additional layers of protection to the puppies; however there are differences even among littermates, and other factors like environmental influences may affect the expression or severity of disease in an individual dog.
There are conditions such as atopy (skin), epilepsy, hypothyroidism, ichthyosis (skin), juvenile renal dysplasia, masticatory muscle myositis, NCL (neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis), PRA (progressive retinal atrophy), etc. for which routine screening of Golden Retrievers may or may not be performed. This may be because examination standards or tests have not yet been developed, or because the incidence of the disease is low in the breed, or for other reasons. Potential buyers should feel free to ask the breeder about these or any subjects of concern to them, and the exchange of such information is an expected and customary practice.
There are conditions such as atopy (skin), epilepsy, hypothyroidism, ichthyosis (skin), juvenile renal dysplasia, masticatory muscle myositis, NCL (neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis), PRA (progressive retinal atrophy), etc. for which routine screening of Golden Retrievers may or may not be performed. This may be because examination standards or tests have not yet been developed, or because the incidence of the disease is low in the breed, or for other reasons. Potential buyers should feel free to ask the breeder about these or any subjects of concern to them, and the exchange of such information is an expected and customary practice.
No dog is genetically perfect, and it's important for breeders to maintain a rich and diverse gene pool to protect the long-term health of the breed. Genetic diversity and coefficient of inbreeding (COI) are important concepts, and COIs for any litter are available on k9data.com, a public, user-friendly resource that provides a wealth of information about individual Golden Retrievers around the world including clearances. Good breeding decisions must balance many factors, and reputable breeders give the highest health priority to selection against heritable disorders that significantly decrease quality of life.
ANNUAL EYE EXAMS are recommended for companion dogs after 4 years of age, and for the life of Golden Retrievers that have been used for breeding. GRPU, or GOLDEN RETRIEVER PIGMENTARY UVEITIS, is a serious and widespread problem in North American Golden Retrievers. (It is rarely diagnosed in foreign Goldens, and generally only if there is a North American dog in the pedigree.) Early stages of the disease are usually very mild with no outward signs, but as pigmentary uveitis progresses, symptoms such as redness and tearing may appear, and over time the disease may progress to glaucoma. This can be a serious quality of life issue because pain from glaucoma may necessitate surgery to remove the affected eye(s). FOR AN AUGUST 2022 GRCA UPDATE ON GRPU CLICK HERE |
Dutchess, a blind therapy dog.
The children's picture book about her is available on Amazon. CLICK HERE |
HIP DYSPLASIA refers to abnormal formation of the “ball-and-socket” hip joint and occurs in many breeds, particularly larger dogs. It is primarily inherited, and development is believed to be influenced by multiple genes. However, risk and severity of hip dysplasia may also be increased by environmental factors such as overfeeding that leads to rapid growth during early puppyhood, neutering prior to maturity, and possibly certain types of exercise.
While not as common as hip dysplasia, ELBOW DYSPLASIA is estimated to affect approximately 10% of Goldens. Like hip dysplasia, many affected dogs have no symptoms, yet can pass more serious disease to their offspring. For other affected dogs, symptoms range from mild stiffness to severe lameness. Breeding dogs with Grade 1, and less often Grade 2, elbow dysplasia is generally accepted in Europe and Australia.
A small percentage of Goldens are affected with a hereditary HEART DISEASE called subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS). While this is not common in the breed, it can be serious, so all prospective breeding dogs should be examined over the age of 12 months by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist.
CANCER
by JANE BRACKMAN, PHD, JULY 9, 2021
"In dogs, cancer mortality varies across breeds, from under 10 percent to higher than 60 percent. Some breeds are predisposed to certain types of cancer, and in those cases, a strong inherited genetic component is suspected. It is thought that a small number of genes account for cancer risk — but rarely is a single gene the sole cause.
The high incidence of cancer in Golden Retrievers appears to be a relatively recent phenomenon. Although the breed was neither over- nor under-represented in a 1988 health study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, a health report published 10 years later by the Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA) identified cancer as the cause of death in 61.4 percent of their dogs.
Interestingly, cancer risk in European-bred Goldens appears to be significantly lower. A 2010 study put the mortality figure at 38.8 percent. Although much higher than average, the incidence is substantially lower than that found in North American Goldens.
Goldens in Europe and the U.S. may look similar, but there are enough DNA differences to separate the dogs into two distinct populations corresponding to their geographic regions. Gene pools on both continents are large, so breeding between the two populations is rare. When studied in the lab, genomic differences suggest that risk for some types of cancer is related to recent genetic mutations in North American Golden Retrievers."
NOTE: Of 927 deaths in GR from primary care practices outside of North America, the median age of death was 11.0–12.5 years and only 20–39% of GR deaths were attributed to neoplasia. Based on this data, it appears that GR within the United States (US) may have both a higher incidence of cancer and a shorter lifespan. However, while numerical differences exist between European and US studies, several important and potentially confounding factors have been identified. Differences between such studies include case selection bias between case studies (primary vs. referral hospitals), necropsy confirmed versus client survey studies, and significant geographic differences between spay and neuter practices in the US and Europe. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5800597/
The high incidence of cancer in Golden Retrievers appears to be a relatively recent phenomenon. Although the breed was neither over- nor under-represented in a 1988 health study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, a health report published 10 years later by the Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA) identified cancer as the cause of death in 61.4 percent of their dogs.
Interestingly, cancer risk in European-bred Goldens appears to be significantly lower. A 2010 study put the mortality figure at 38.8 percent. Although much higher than average, the incidence is substantially lower than that found in North American Goldens.
Goldens in Europe and the U.S. may look similar, but there are enough DNA differences to separate the dogs into two distinct populations corresponding to their geographic regions. Gene pools on both continents are large, so breeding between the two populations is rare. When studied in the lab, genomic differences suggest that risk for some types of cancer is related to recent genetic mutations in North American Golden Retrievers."
NOTE: Of 927 deaths in GR from primary care practices outside of North America, the median age of death was 11.0–12.5 years and only 20–39% of GR deaths were attributed to neoplasia. Based on this data, it appears that GR within the United States (US) may have both a higher incidence of cancer and a shorter lifespan. However, while numerical differences exist between European and US studies, several important and potentially confounding factors have been identified. Differences between such studies include case selection bias between case studies (primary vs. referral hospitals), necropsy confirmed versus client survey studies, and significant geographic differences between spay and neuter practices in the US and Europe. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5800597/
LONGEVITY
There is an inverse relationship between body size and longevity in dogs, which is the opposite of many other mammalian species, and it has not yet been explained. Nevertheless, there are familial variations within the breed itself, and k9data.com provides longevity pedigrees (both lateral and among littermates). Age and cause of death of grandparents and great-grandparents is important information, and potential buyers should feel free to ask a breeder about it.
Recently, the Golden Oldies project was created as an offshoot of the Morris Animal Foundation’s Golden Retriever Lifetime Study and is enrolling older dogs that live past the age of 12 for genetic sequencing. Data will help researchers look for genetic differences between dogs that succumb to cancer before the age of 10 and dogs that live past 12 years of age.
Recently, the Golden Oldies project was created as an offshoot of the Morris Animal Foundation’s Golden Retriever Lifetime Study and is enrolling older dogs that live past the age of 12 for genetic sequencing. Data will help researchers look for genetic differences between dogs that succumb to cancer before the age of 10 and dogs that live past 12 years of age.