Danika L. Bannasch

Abstract Addison’s disease (AD) results in glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid deficiencies and is often immune-mediated. While AD is uncommon in dogs, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers (NSDTRs) exhibit increased incidence, suggesting genetic predisposition. Detailed clinical evaluation of 24 juvenile-onset cases revealed that while all dogs presented with adrenal insufficiency, at least 10 dogs (41.7%) had concurrent autoimmune conditions.

Abstract The dog, Canis lupus familiaris, is an important model for studying human diseases. Unlike many model organisms, the dog genome has a comparatively poor functional annotation, which hampers gene discovery for development, morphology, disease, and behavior. To fill this gap, we established a comprehensive tissue biobank for both the dog and wolf samples. The biobank consists of 5485 samples representing 132 tissues from 13 dogs, 12 dog embryos, and 24 wolves.

Abstract Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by decreased systolic function and dilation of one or both ventricles, often leading to heart failure or sudden death. Two 10-month-old sibling Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers (NSDTR) died acutely with evidence of dilated cardiomyopathy with myocardial fibrosis. Association analysis using two cases and 35 controls identified three candidate regions homozygous in the two cases.