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Calcification of Intervertebral Discs in the Dachshund: An Estimation of Heritability

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 34, pages 357–361 (1993)Cite this article

Abstract

The heritability of calcified intervertebral discs in the dachshund was estimated using data gathered from a radiographic study. Radiographs of the vertebral columns of 274 clinically normal, 12 to 18 months old dachshunds, were examined. The dogs were offspring from 75 different sires, representing the same number of half sib groups. There were 2 to 14 offspring in each half-sib group. The number of full sib groups was 81.

Calcified intervertebral discs were identified in 20.4 % of the dogs. An analysis of variance that used the data as a continuous and as an either/or-variable estimated the heritability of calcified discs to be 0.22 and 0.15 respectively.

A genetic factor was found to be essential for the occurrence of calcified discs in a dog while a common environmental factor presumably resulting from non-genetic causes was significant in determining the number of discs to undergo calcification in affected dogs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine, P. O. Box 8146, Dep., N-0033 Oslo 1, Oslo, Norway

    Ø. Stigen & K. Christensen

  2. Section of Animal Genetics, Department of Animal Science and Animal Health, Royal Veterinary & Agricultural University, Frederiksberg, Denmark

    Ø. Stigen & K. Christensen

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  1. Ø. Stigen
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  2. K. Christensen
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Stigen, Ø., Christensen, K. Calcification of Intervertebral Discs in the Dachshund: An Estimation of Heritability. Acta Vet Scand 34, 357–361 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03548178

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Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147