Hereditary epilepsy in the Cane Corso
It is estimated that about 3% of dogs develop epilepsy sometime is their first years of life. Epilepsy can be treated well in some dogs, but unfortunately this is not always the case. Cane Corso’s can have a form of epilepsy that clusters, and affected dogs have a higher chance to die at an early age.
Preventing epilepsy is very important. Only through technical breeding measures will we be able to reduce the frequency of this condition. However, excluding all dogs that may be carriers of epilepsy from breeding will have major consequences for the population. It is therefore much better to use DNA testing to determine which dogs are carriers and exclude only these ones. The problem is that we don’t have a DNA test.
What we want to do
So, enough reasons to work on developing a DNA test! This is how we want to do that:
In the first step we will isolate DNA from blood samples taken from dogs that suffer from epilepsy, and from unrelated dogs that function as a control group. Using a so-called GWAS or, if possible, whole genome sequencing (WGS), we want to gain insight into which mutations or variations in the DNA cause epilepsy. The ultimate goal is to be able to develop either a DNA test or a targeted risk assessment.
What we need
A DNA isolation costs 22,50 euro, and a GWAS of a dog about 250 euros. WGS costs approximately 800 euros per dog.
We are grateful for every contribution made. This way we will get closer to a solution for hereditary epilepsy in the Cane Corso!