Juvenile Renal Dysplasia (JRD) is a kidney disease. The JRD carriers
can be potentially affected with reduced kidney development, which
in turn reduces kidney function. This is because this disease
affects the normal development of the kidneys’, much like Hip
Dysplasia (HD) which affects the normal development of the Hips.
Like HD which varies in the amount it affects the hips, with
measured scores in the British BVA/KC system from ZERO to 106 at the
worst level, JRD has similar varying levels of effect on the
development of the kidneys.
A JRD carrier needs to have its kidney function assessed by a Vet,
this would include Urine & Blood tests, and it may also include a
wedge biopsy of the kidneys, if considered appropriate by the Vet.
In carriers of a very young age it may be advisable to have the
kidney function regularly monitored up to the age of two years at
least, again because, in a similar way to Hips, the kidneys take
some time to reach full development, and as most will know we do
not have our dogs hips scored before 1 year of age because of the
hips development period.
The owners of the JRD carriers have been advised to consult a Vet as
soon as possible regarding the JRD DNA Test result, and request
tests on kidney function and other Veterinary advice.
The mode of inheritance of JRD is considered to be
Dominant with incomplete penetration.
Dominant
means only one JRD carrier parent can pass it on to some of its
offspring, in the case of a JRD Homozygote carrier, they will pass
it on to ALL of their offspring.
The
incomplete penetration is because when a GSD is a carrier it
is potentially affected to various levels or degrees, much like Hip
Dysplasia in a litter varies in its Hip scores or Hip grading for
each dog in the same litter.
When the level of Kidney development is below that which is required
to survive, the JRD carrier will show some clinical signs, some of
which are loss of appetite, loss of weight, lethargy, and clear
urine. JRD carriers so affected at this level will die. Many
carriers can live for many years with only slightly impaired kidney
function, and can go easily undetected as carriers. These carriers
if undetected can pass the disease onto their offspring.
With our large and diverse gene pool in the German Shepherd Dog
breed, it is my opinion that JRD carriers, especially Homozygote
carriers should NOT be bred from, or if identified after they have
been bred from, they should be retired from breeding. It is
therefore
vital for our breed that when a carrier
is identified, any siblings or offspring that is or may be used for
breeding are JRD DNA Tested, The carriers parents should be
tested, and where additional carriers are identified, a similar
pattern of testing should be considered. Only by adopting
this method of testing and retiring carriers from breeding can we
eliminate JRD from our breed.
If we do nothing, in a few years our breed could be
swamped with JRD, a horrifying prospect indeed.
David Payne
VIDEX GSD
Note: There are other kidney diseases and reasons for kidney (renal)
failure in dogs. Hopefully a DNA test will be found for some of the
other kidney hereditary diseases.
Canine Renal Disease
Canine Genetic Disorders - Canine
Genetic Diseases Affecting The German Shepherd Dog
Kidney Failure in the Dog
Canine Kidney Disease
Canine Kidney Health
:
+44 (0)1905 830900
