At the Institute of Immunology, on the initiative of students under the direction of PD Dr. Uwe Müller, a project was initiated in which, after literature research for the characterization of breed-specific diseases, a profile of the respective breed is created with the help of digital questionnaires. Firstly, to determine the frequency of known diseases in this population or populations and secondly, through free text input by the owner, to determine new diseases that occur frequently in this breed, but have not been observed so far.
Currently, surveys of five dog breeds are underway as part of the project. Two surveys on dog breeds have already been completed, the Greyhounds (international) represented by Ms. Imle and the Dalmatians (national). These extensive data packages with thousands of individual values are now being statistically analyzed and will be published in cooperation with Animal Hygiene. Three further surveys on diseases concerning the dog breeds Dutch Shepherd, Border Collie and Labrador Retriever are currently in the planning phase.
In the course of her surveys, Ms. Imle was able to determine, among other things, that there are significant differences in the frequency of osteosarcomas in the European and North American lines of the Greyhound. These occur much more frequently in North America than in Europe. Such studies can help identify corresponding diseases, determine the genetic basis if necessary, and formulate recommendations to make dog breeds healthier.
If you are also interested in working on this project, please contact PD Dr. Uwe Müller at u.mueller(at)vetmed.uni-leipzig.de.