PSXI-6 Genetic analysis of hip and elbow dysplasia in guide dogs.

Abstract Diseases such as canine hip (HD) and elbow (ED) dysplasia are common orthopedic conditions that have significant effects on the health and welfare of many dog breeds and are an ongoing issue in veterinary medicine. These conditions are more prevalent in large breeds, such as ones used as service dogs. Currently, trained vetrinarians score HD and ED using X-ray imaging as a phenotype for selecting service dogs. However, integrating both traits into a genetic evaluation and selecting against dysplatic joints opens up the possibility to reduce their prevalence in the population and accelerate the improvement of canine hip and elbow health. The objective of this study is to investigate the genetic parameters of HD and ED scores, as a first step to understand their underlying genetic mechanisms. The data for this study consisted of both HD and ED scores of over 3,500 guide dogs in training, collected between 2010 and 2024, including Poodles, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and Labrador-Golden Retriever crosses. After data processing, univariate and multivariate within-breed animal models were developed and implemented in ASREML 4.2. This study highlights the first step into understanding the underlying genetic mechanisms of two important health traits, ED and HD, for Canadian service dogs to begin the process of routine genetic improvement to increase the livability and overall quality of life of service dogs.