Heritability of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in German Shepherd dogs.
BACKGROUND
Several studies have revealed that exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is an inherited disease in German Shepherd Dogs (GSDs). Pedigree analyses have suggested an autosomal recessive inheritance model.


OBJECTIVE
Test mating of 2 dogs with EPI.


METHODS
A sire and dam purebred GSD both with EPI and a litter of 6 puppies.


METHODS
Test mating and long-term follow-up of offspring. The pancreas was biopsied via laparotomy on 26 occasions. Serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity was measured. Study was approved by Animal Ethics Committee.


RESULTS
During the 12-year study period only 2 of the 6 offsprings developed pancreatic acinar atrophy (PAA). In 1 puppy, end-stage PAA and in the other puppy partial PAA was diagnosed.


CONCLUSIONS
PAA is not a congenital disease in GSDs. This study provided evidence that PAA is not inherited in a simple autosomal recessive fashion.
Westermarck
E
E
Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 57, 00014 Helsinki, Finland. elias.westermarck@helsinki.fi
Saari
S A M
SA
Wiberg
M E
ME
D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D004285:Dogs; D010188:Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D008297:Male