Canine Multiple System Degeneration (Chinese Crested Type)
Affected Genes: SERAC1
Inheritance: Autosomal Recessive
Variant(canFam6):
chr1:48491207-48491210: 4 bp deletion TTAC
Breed: Chinese Crested
General Information: Canine Multiple System Degeneration (CMSD) in Chinese Crested dogs is a debilitating neurological disorder that manifests between 3 to 6 months of age. Initial symptoms include tremors, an abnormal gait, and poor balance. As the disease progresses, affected dogs experience worsening gait abnormalities, significant balance issues, frequent falling, and abnormal body posture and eye movements. Despite these physical challenges, affected dogs retain normal mental awareness and social behavior. The condition severely impacts quality of life, leading to humane euthanasia by approximately 2 years of age due to the inability to move and other complications.
How to Read Your Dog's Test Results for this Genetic Variant:
Two Variants Detected: Dog Likely Affected
One Variant Detected: Dog Unlikely Affected
No Variants Detected: No Effect
Gene / Testing Information: Genetic testing of the SERAC1 gene identifies the presence of the Canine Multiple System Degeneration (CMSD) variant. This autosomal recessive disorder requires two copies of the mutated gene for a dog to be affected. Carrier dogs typically do not show symptoms, but breeding two carriers can produce affected pups, with each pup having a 25% chance of developing the disease. Genetic testing is essential for informed breeding practices to prevent the mutation. Breeding of two carrier dogs is not recommended.Non-carrier dogs have no increased risk of producing affected pups from this known variant.
References:
Johnson GS, Mhlanga-Mutangadura T, Morava E, Kozicz T, Taylor JF, O’Brien DP, Schnabel RD. Canine Multiple System Degeneration is Associated with Distinct SERAC1 Mutations in Two Different Dog Breeds [abstract]. Presented at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics in Boston, Massachusetts; 2013 Oct 22-26.
Stee K, Van Poucke M, Lowrie M, Van Ham L, Peelman L, Olby N, and Bhatti SFM. Phenotypic and genetic aspects of hereditary ataxia in dogs. J Vet Intern Med. 2023 37(4):1306–1322.