The reliability of DNA tests for inherited diseases Which of the internationally offered DNA tests for inherited diseases are useful for creating healthy dog breeds in the Netherlands.

Abstract

The change of the ‘’Wet Dieren’’, by the Dutch government, requires the breeders to screen their parental dogs for inherited diseases. Since the breeders and the veterinarians have to apply the DNA tests and they do not have all the knowledge about these tests, this study aims to make a list including all the available DNA tests on the Dutch market. To know if the offered tests are substantiated, they will be evaluated using a set of criteria developed during this project. First, all the DNA tests were gathered from the four biggest laboratories for the Dutch market, Laboklin, VetGen, Van Haeringen and Optigen. This resulted in a list containing 120 different diseases. In this article the focus was on cardiovascular and blood diseases, metabolic and immune problems and eye disorders. If the DNA tests fulfil the criteria they will be published on the website of ‘Expertisecentrum Genetica Gezelschapsdieren’. The most important criterion was that there was a peer reviewed article available about the mutation they tested on. So for all the DNA tests, articles were searched and reviewed. The research resulted in a list of in total 11 cardiovascular and blood diseases, 23 metabolic and immune problems and 27 eye disorders.