Juvenile Laryngeal Paralysis & Polyneuropathy

                                         JLPP

anks to the work of researchers at the University of Missouri, College of Veterinary Medicine, and their collaborators around the world, they identified the mutation associated with JLPP in Black Russian Terriers. A DNA test is now available to determine if a dog is a carrier of the mutation or at risk for JLPP. In researching this disease, they discovered that there was more to this disease than JLPP. In addition to those signs, affected dogs also have ocular abnormalities such as cataracts and they have a degenerative change in their brains with neuronal vacuolation. Thus you may also see this syndrome referred to as Polyneuropathy with Ocular Abnormalities and Neuronal Vacuolation (POANV).

 

As of November 1, 2016, the ADRK will require that all breeding pairs to be tested for JLPP.

The attached article on JLPP describes the disease, how it is inherited, and why testing is so important.

 

https://adrk.de/attachments/article/1369/JLPP_englisch.pdf

 

JLPP is inherited as a recessive trait. That means that in order for the disease to manifest, a puppy must inherit one recessive trait from each carrier parent. When this occurs, the pup who received both of the bad recessive traits will die. There is no cure. It is, therefore, very important to the future of the breed to identify carriers through the DNA testing AND by making such results public through the OFA database!

 

The researchers believe this mutation has been in the breed for a very long time. The recessive mutations just were not recognized until they become widespread enough in the breed that the odds of two carriers breeding become higher. With the age of this breed, it is expected that there will be many carriers identified – some from well-known and long established lines whose progeny are found around the world. What should you do?

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1. Test your dog.

2. Make your dog’s test results public on the OFA database.

 

What do I do if my dog is a carrier?
 

All dogs are potential carriers of potential disease-causing mutations. As stated by Dr. O’Brien, “With a DNA test, carriers of a trait can still be used in a wise breeding program. As long as both parents are tested and one is clear of the mutation, no affected pups will be born. The offspring of a carrier breeding to a clear dog will produce about 50% carriers, but DNA testing can identify those carriers. If a clear dog from the litter has all the good traits a breeder desires, then that is the dog to keep for the next generation. If a carrier is the pick of the litter in every other respect, then that dog can still be used, it must just be mated to a clear dog. Thus the DNA status of the dog just becomes one factor in an overall breeding program that looks at the entire dog. Over time the disease causing mutation can be reduced without losing desirable genetic diversity in the breed that provides the raw materials from which to select the best traits as we move forward.”

We are very fortunate that the mutation was identified so quickly! Now all Rottweiler breeders must become educated on this terrible disease!

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Sire                Dam           Offspring

 

Clear       X    Clear          100% Clear

 

Clear       X    Carrier        50% Clear + 50% Carriers

 

Clear       X    Affected     100% Carriers

 

Carrier    X    Clear           50% Clear + 50% Carriers

 

Carrier    X    Carrier        25% Clear + 25% Affected + 50% Carriers

 

Carrier    X    Affected      50% Carriers + 50% Affected

 

Affected X    Clear           100% Carriers

 

Affected X    Carrier         50% Carriers + 50% Affected

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Affected X    Affected      100% Affected