Update: research on liver shunts in 2018

First of all, the very best wishes for a happy, healthy New Year filled with lots of love for (and from) our animals!

What’s more, we’d like to provide you with an update on our research on liver shunts. That’s because thanks to the support and generous contributions of many dog lovers, we are well on our way to getting rid of liver shunts for good.

As you know, dogs with an inborn liver shunt are born with an extra blood vessel directing the blood around the liver. This means that toxins are not removed from the blood but end up being deposited directly in the body - resulting in seriously ill dogs!

In our research on liver shunts, Frank has been searching for the genes responsible for liver shunts. This is the first essential step, as these genes determine which dogs inherit these liver shunt genes and which do not. In order to achieve this, Frank analyzes the complete DNA of as many dogs as possible with liver shunts, aiming to determine where the DNA differs from dogs without liver shunts.

Thanks to the generous donations from dog clubs and their members around the world, Frank believes that he might have discovered which genes are the culprits in 2018. That is, of course, fantastic news and a great boost for dog lovers around the world. Something we have achieved together!

However, we are not quite there yet...

Did you know that less than 2% of an organism’s DNA consists of actual genes? That means that there is still a lot of material left. We expect part of this 'remaining' DNA to be involved in switching genes ‘on’ or ‘off’ – including the genes responsible for liver shunts. These ‘on-off buttons’ appear to be essential during the development of an individual in the womb: it seems that they determine whether or not a dog is born with a liver shunt.

In his search for any underlying causes of congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts, Frank has started to look for any mutations within these on / off buttons.

In 2019, Frank is hoping to take the next step and generate data, which includes these types of mutations. Through a series of experiments he wants to determine the exact location of these on / off buttons on a dog’s DNA.

Together, we will continue our fight against liver shunts and hope that dog lovers throughout the world will continue to support us.