Grant Amount: $152,270
Dr. Michael Alan Harkey, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
June 1, 2017 - May 31, 2019
Sponsor(s): American German Shepherd Dog Charitable Foundation, Inc. Breed(s): German Shepherd Dog
Research Program Area: Bloat, Gastrointestinal Disease
Abstract
While Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (GDV or bloat) is a serious problem for many large canine breeds, little is known about the causes of this deadly disease. The most significant factors may be genetic, since certain breeds are more susceptible than others, and strong familial predispositions are seen within breeds. The investigators have recently shown a significant association of three immune genes with bloat in Great Danes. For each of the three genes, one allele (variant) is found at unusually high frequency in dogs that have been treated for bloat, and the presence of any one of these "risk" alleles triples the chance that the dog will experience bloat at some time in its life. The research team also showed that the bacterial population living in the gut (the gut microbiome) is altered in dogs with bloat, and in dogs that carry these "risk" alleles, which may predispose these dogs to bloat. It is not known if other breeds show this same association of genetics and microbiome with bloat. The team will investigate whether bloat in German Shepherd Dogs is associated with the same risk alleles and the same microbiome profiles as were seen in Great Danes. The results of this work could lead to genetic tests for at-risk dogs, as well as dietary and probiotic therapies to prevent bloat.
Future research on bloat might be of interest to GSD owners.













