title: A retrospective study on the prevalence of primary cataracts in two pedigrees from the German population of English Cocker Spaniels.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Two pedigrees from the German English Cocker Spaniel population are presented to illustrate the familial occurrence of primary cataract (CAT) in single- and multicolored English Cocker Spaniels. The aim was to characterize similarities and differences in the prevalence and formation of CAT in these separately bred color variants of English Cocker Spaniels.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was based on the veterinary records for presumed inherited eye diseases of 1232 English Cocker Spaniels which were provided by the German panel of the European Eye Scheme for diagnosis of inherited eye diseases in animals (DOK, <http://www.dok-vet.de>). Data included information on 615 single-colored and 617 multicolored English Cocker Spaniels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CAT was diagnosed in 92 (14.96%) of the single-colored and 34 (5.51%) of the multicolored English Cocker Spaniels. The pedigree of the single-colored English Cocker Spaniels included 40 ophthalmologically examined dogs with 18 unaffected and 22 affected dogs. The pedigree of the multicolored English Cocker Spaniels contained 16 ophthalmologically examined dogs with 11 unaffected and five affected dogs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In both color variants of the English Cocker Spaniels different forms of primary CAT with respect to location within the lens occurred among close relatives. Appearance of CAT was very heterogeneous without obvious sex differences. The sample pedigrees do not support the assumption of familial segregation of specific forms of primary CAT in English Cocker Spaniels.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 17p, 30559 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Engelhardt
authors.forename: Kathrin F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Stock
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hamann
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brahm
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grussendorf
authors.forename: Carsten U
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Rosenhagen
authors.forename: Ottmar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Distl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002386:Cataract / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006200:Hair Color / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree; D015995:Prevalence; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D012189:Retrospective Studies