practice might reach more potential clients before they get their pet. This could include client evenings, booths (stands) at fun pet shows, social media drives or articles in the local paper. Reducing demand for extremes by education is one of the best ways to influence change. Encourage clients to use contracts that empower them. Talk to clients about how to avoid production farms and third‐party sales. Make sure they know what health tests they should be expecting for the breed they have chosen (see 11.4 Heritable Health Conditions – By Breed).
3.5.5.4 First Visits
First visits can be difficult. The client has possibly spent hours with the breeder and may have been given spurious advice on many aspects of health and preventive medicine. It can be hard to address this in 10–15 minutes. Try and use the team effectively. Consider offering 30–60 minutes with a competent nurse as well as the veterinary visit. This way you can discuss the breed, possible health problems for the client to be aware of and look out for, as well as effective preventive healthcare and pet health insurance (see 10.16 Pet Health Insurance). It's important not to blame the client for poor choices.
Try not to think of “normal for breed.” We should be open and honest about things that may be considered ‘typical” for a breed but are not normal for the species. Examples would be exophthalmos, entropion, excessive skinfolds, narrow nostrils, snoring, or respiratory noise and malformed or crowded teeth. Document all abnormalities and discuss them with the owner.
3.5.5.5 Ongoing Care and End of Life
The level of intervention needed will vary greatly depending on the animal and the severity of the problems. Specialist referral may be required but there will also undoubtedly be times that the client cannot afford the treatment necessary. It can be good to discuss within the practice and with the client possible outcomes and where you might decide it is time to offer euthanasia or signing the animal over if treatment may be possible and appropriate with a new owner or adoption center.
Extreme conformation is unnatural and can lead to a variety of health issues and suffering, some of which can be life‐threatening.
The veterinary team should not normalize health problems just because they are common in a certain breed.
Having a united approach and understanding across the whole practice team is important for client education and consistency of messaging, especially on social media.
Try to formulate strategies for reaching prospective clients before they acquire a pet. Prepurchase education is key to reducing demand for extreme body shapes.
Be open and honest with clients about their pets but remember they are not always to blame for poor choices and may have been misinformed by breeders, peers, and the internet!
Recommended Reading
1 Gough, A., Thomas, A., and O'Neill, D. (2018). Breed Predispositions to Disease in Dogs and Cats, 3e. Ames, IA: Wiley Blackwell.
3.6 Genetic Testing
Jerold S. Bell, DVM
Department of Clinical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA
3.6.1 Summary
Genetic testing encompasses all evaluations that reveal hereditary predisposition to traits and disorders. These include physical genetic screening for disease as well as DNA tests of the genotype. These evaluations can assist with diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and, in breeding animals, breeding recommendations. The veterinary team is increasingly presented with direct‐to‐consumer DNA test results for interpretation. It is up to the profession to educate itself on the types of genetic tests available, the validity of the individual tests, the applicability of each test for each breed, and what they tell you about the individual dog or cat. Genetic testing must be considered within a strategy of genetic counseling (see 3.8 Genetic Counseling).
3.6.2 Terms Defined
Allele: One copy of a gene in a gene pair.
Chromosome: The physical structure of DNA in pairs, one from the sire and one from the dam. The number of chromosomes varies between species.
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA): The chemical structure of the genetic instruction set containing coding and regulatory genes.
Gene: A length of DNA that codes for a specific protein, enzyme, or cellular event.
Genotype: The DNA of the animal. Usually pertaining to the two copies of a single gene, (i.e., AA, aa, or Aa).
Heterozygous: A gene pair where the two copies have different alleles (i.e., Aa).
Homozygous: A gene pair where both copies have the same allele (i.e., AA or aa).
Phenotype: What you see in the animal based on the expression of the genotype (i.e., normal, affected, coat type, etc.).
Genetic testing does not just involve breeding animals. We see genetic disease in practice every day. Every nucleated cell in the body has the same DNA instruction manual. Cells in different tissues have different genes turned on and off to control their maturation and function. Genes get turned on and off, and their effects are mitigated based on the effect of other genes, diet, drugs, inflammation, infection, and surgery.
All genes come in pairs – one from the sire and one from the dam (see 3.1 Genetic Basics). Simple Mendelian genetic diseases are caused by the effects of only one gene pair. Dominant disease can be caused by one mutated gene in the pair, and recessive disease requires two mutated genes. Sex‐linked/X‐linked disease involves genes on the X chromosome. As males have only one X chromosome, any mutation on the X chromosome can cause disease. Females, with two X chromosomes, can be carriers of recessive disease with one copy of a mutation, or can be affected if they have two copies (see 3.2 Modes of Inheritance).
Complexly inherited disease, also referred to as polygenically inherited traits, involves the combined effect of multiple
