Hereditary Retinal Dysplasia in the Labrador Retriever in England and Sweden

Abstract

The first recorded case of retinal dysplasia in the Labrador in England was examined in 1959. During the next three years five more cases were examined. All these csases occurred near London, they were all in yellow Labrador puppies, varying in age from 3 to 12 months, and both sexes were affected. The dogs were presented because of severe or total loss of vision. A further case from the same area (Knight, 1963), in a black Labrador puppy, was seen later and more recently 2 affected litter-mates were examined in Liverpool (Lewis and McC. Howell, 1968). In Sweden 26 cases have been observed since 1965. These have all been Labrador Retriever puppies presented because of complete or reduced loss of vision. They also occurred in both sexes and in black (23 cases), yellow (1) and liver (2) coat colours. In addition to the clinical cases three test litters have been born from affected parents, producing a total of 17 puppies. This preliminary report describes the results of the clinical, pathological and genetic investigations of these cases of retinal dysplasia, an inherited eye abnormality not previously recorded in the Labrador Retriever breed.