Terra Incognita Lagotto Romagnolo Health

Benign Familial Juvenile Epilepsy (cerebellar anomaly)

Clinical studies indicated that the Lagotto Romagnolo can suffer from
inherited benign juvenile epilepsy, which resembles idiopathic
childhood epilepsy with benign outcomes in human.

Typical symptoms: tremor, loss of balance,
uncoordinated movements and occasional falling.

Clinical and diagnostic evaluations of affected dogs including
electromyography, electroencephalography, and other testing indicated
that seizures in puppies begin at 5 to 9 weeks of age and usually resolve
by 8 to 13 weeks. There are some adult-onset cases in the breed too.
Dogs with the most severe seizures also have other neurologic signs
such as generalized ataxia and hypermetria. Routine laboratory
screenings of blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid did not reveal
abnormalities. Electromyography, brainstem auditory-evoked potentials,
and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remain normal in analyzed dogs.
However, most affected puppies and adult cases revealed epileptiform
activity in the electroencephalogram (EEG). Histopathologic examination
shows cerebellar lesions in two studied lagottos. Pedigree analysis
suggests an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance.

A laboratory in Finland has studied the genetics of the juvenile epilepsy
in Lagottos and has identified one of the causative genes and now can
perform a DNA test to verify if a dog is affected, even without showing
any clinical signs.
If a dog carries one copy of the mutation, it can transfer the gene defect
to approximately 50% of its offsprings. If the dog has two copies of the
mutation it transfers the defect to all of its offsprings. It is recommended
that dogs that are homozygous for the lagotto epilepsy mutation are
withdrawn from breeding programs. Normal and carrier dogs can be
used but it is advised to choose mutation-free partners for carriers.

There still is a second (or maybe even third) mutation causing Epilepsy
in the breed with very similar symptoms that cannot be tested yet, but
the laboratory is researching and hoping to find these mutations soon.

All our breeding stock is tested for JE and is free of the
mutation. We currently do own also 2 carriers but will
make sure that these will be breed only to mutation free
partners to make sure that no sick puppies will get born.

Hip Dysplasia

Hip Dysplasia is a genetic disease of various degrees of arthritis (also
called degenerative joint disease, arthrosis, osteoarthrosis), it can lead
to pain and debilitation.

The very first step in the development of arthritis is articular cartilage
(the type of cartilage lining the joint) damage due to the inherited bad
biomechanics of an abnormally developed hip joint. Traumatic articular
fracture through the joint surface is another way cartilage is damaged.
With cartilage damage, lots of degradative enzymes are released into the
joint. These enzymes degrade and decrease the synthesis of important
constituent molecules that form hyaline cartilage called proteoglycans.
This causes the cartilage to lose its thickness and elasticity, which are
important in absorbing mechanical loads placed across the joint during
movement. Eventually, more debris and enzymes spill into the joint fluid
and destroy molecules called glycosaminoglycan and hyaluronate
which are important precursors that form the cartilage proteoglycans.
The joint's lubrication and ability to block inflammatory cells are lost and
the debris-tainted joint fluid loses its ability to properly nourish the
cartilage through impairment of nutrient-waste exchange across the
joint cartilage cells. The damage then spreads to the synovial membrane
lining the joint capsule and more degradative enzymes and inflammatory
cells stream into the joint. Full thickness loss of cartilage allows the
synovial fluid to contact nerve endings in the subchondral bone,
resulting in pain. In an attempt to stabilize the joint to decrease the pain,
the animal's body produces new bone at the edges of the joint surface,
joint capsule, ligament and muscle attachments (bone spurs). The joint
capsule also eventually thickens and the joint's range of motion
decreases.

However it is very important to distinguish between radiographic hip
dysplasia (where the x-ray plates shown noticeable joint changes but
the dog shows no sign of the condition) and clinical hip dysplasia
(where the dog becomes stiff, lame and in obvious discomfort with
arthritis setting in at an early age.) Many dogs with radiographic hip
dysplasia will never show any signs of the disease even in old age.
Others with genetically better hips will develop the condition. The main
factor in the development of clinical hip dysplasia is environment not
genetic inheritance (which is generally thought to be about 30-35%).
Overweight and over exercise plus poor diet will vastly increase the
chances of a dog developing hip dysplasia particularly in big heavy
breeds with slow bone growth. Lagotti as a breed are not predisposed to
hip dysplasia. They are fast growing, sturdy but agile puppies with
lightish bone for their size. If reared correctly there is little chance of
them developing clinical hip dysplasia but dogs always should be
checked for HD before used in breeding.

All our breedings stock is tested for HD and has a passing
hip score.

Eye Cataract

Like a camera, eyes have a clear lens inside them that is used for
focusing. A cataract is any opacity within a lens. The opacity can be very
small (incipient cataract) and not interfere with vision. It can involve
more of the lens (immature cataract) and cause blurred vision.
Eventually, the entire lens can become cloudy, and all functional vision
lost. This is called a mature cataract.
Cataracts may be primary (where the condition is probably inherited) or
secondary e.g. the cataract occurs as a result of inflammation;
metabolic disease; congenital anomalies; trauma. Some cataracts may
be detected at an early age; others develop later, may occur in different
part of the lens and may progress at different rates.

Till today there had been only a few cases of inherited Cataract in the
breed and we personaly never met, owned or bred a dog having eye
problems, that's why we don't test our dogs yet but will in the future if we
think it will become necessary.