Mitral Valve Dysplasia (MVD) Testing?
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Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.
Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.
Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.
Q: Are there DNA genetic marker tests for Mitral Valve Dysplasia (MVD) heart disease?
A: Unfortunately, there is no genetic test for this heart disease yet. It would be wonderful to have one as approximately 10% of all dogs suffer from some form of heart disease, including MVD, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), subaortic stenosis (SAS), and tricuspid valve disease (TVD). Of these diseases, myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common acquired type of heart disorder in older dogs of all breeds. In the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the prevalence of MMVD is about 20 times that of other breeds, with up to 90% developing the disease by 10 years of age.
Heart disease is heritable in many breeds, so both male and female dogs should undergo a cardiac exam. Scroll down to Cardiology on the Good Dog Health Hub to find out what testing your dogs need before being bred.
Funding for genetic heart research is expensive, and the AKC Canine Health Foundation has several ongoing research studies.
Additional information:
- Myxomatous Mitral Valve Degeneration in Dogs
- Parker and Kilroy-Glynn, 2012. Myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs: Does size matter?
- ACVIM consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs
