Tag Archives: genetics

While pets are nearly perfect, one thing they could improve is their lifespan. Wouldn’t it be great to bring home a dog or cat as a child and have that pet with you for the rest of your life? That question led me to investigate what factors influence how long our pets live—and what we might be able to do to keep them with us just a bit longer. What I found is the subject of this blogpost.

Every month, I answer pet owner questions on the Ask the Vet podcast, or when I’m invited on Dr. Frank Adams’ Pets and Your Health program on SiriusXM’s Doctor Radio. It’s not often that a caller stumps me, but a few weeks ago someone asked about the poodle fading gene—a term I had not heard of before. Apparently, poodle owners have noticed a progressively lightening or "fading” in poodles’ coats over time, and suspect a genetic connection. After a lot of reading, this blogpost will “shed” some light on the poodle fading gene.

The nature versus nurture debate has captivated scientists since the 1800s, when Gregor Mendel cultivated peas in his garden while Charles Darwin explored the world aboard the HMS Beagle. This enduring discussion centers on the relative importance of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) in shaping an individual's traits and behaviors. In my last blogpost, I wrote about genetic mutations in pets. These mutations—like those causing stumpy tails in Manx cats, extra toes in polydactyl cats, or drug sensitivities in pets with the AMC transporter mutation—demonstrate how genetics shape our animals’ appearance and health needs. But what about nurture? How does the environment our pets share with us impact their well-being?

A mutation is a change in your genetic material, also known as DNA. Mutations can be inherited, like the truncated tail of a Manx cat, or they can be acquired during a pet’s lifetime. Exposure to radioactivity, drugs, heavy metals and chemicals such as nicotine can damage DNA and induce mutations. Some mutations are simply the product of random errors during DNA replication. Mutations have varying effects on health. Some mutations can be helpful—for example, the mutation underlying sickle cell anemia that helped people survive malaria. Many mutations are “silent,” causing no health concerns. A common mutation in cats causes polydactyly, or extra toes, which results in extra toe beans but poses no health concerns. However, some mutations can result in an illness, cancer or affect how a body metabolizes a drug. This blogpost will highlight how veterinarians use knowledge of mutations to better care for your pet.

Watch the news or read the paper and you are sure to come across a story where genetic testing plays a role, such as these stories: Genetic testing lies at