The arrangement we are able to make with breeders/owners/clubs at the moment is we (the Animal Health Trust) will store blood samples free of charge, but the cost of the blood being drawn and mailed to us must be met by the breeder/owner. The amount of blood needed is:  Puppies 2ml - Adults 5ml

A form must accompany each sample that details the dogs Kennel Club name and number (if applicable) and the owners name and address. The form requests that the owner consents to the sample being used, anonymously and confidentially in future research projects. We also ask that each sample be accompanied by a 5-generation pedigree and copies of any relevant health certificates (eye, hearing, hip scoring certificates etc).

This system really does work; in fact we use the same type of genetic markers that are used specifically to sort out parentage disputes. For other breeds we are working with we have already discovered several examples of false parentages - occasionally genuine deceptions but more often samples being mis-labelled or pedigrees being mis-drawn.

The advantages of setting up a blood bank are enormous when it comes to finding mutations that cause inherited diseases and developing diagnostic tests. When we start to work on a disease we collect samples from affected dogs and their close relatives, ideally siblings (affected and unaffected), parents and grand parents. We are presented with problems however when a relatively late onset disease surfaces, because grand parents, and maybe even parents, may no longer be alive, and this seriously impacts the work we can do. So if samples are routinely banked we would be able to access those samples in the future, even if the dogs are no longer alive.

If litters could be banked, the advantages are especially significant, because chasing samples from unaffected littermates of affected dogs is notoriously difficult, for a variety of reasons. For example, we get many samples from individual dogs whose owners want to contribute to our research, but who have no way of knowing where their dogs siblings are, and who may not want to, or be able to contact the breeder for that information. Or even if the breeder is contacted, and they in turn are prepared to contact the owners of the siblings, the owners of the siblings may not want to send a blood sample from their dog, or if their dog is healthy, might be unconvinced as to the need, especially if they have to pay for the blood to be drawn.

I cannot stress enough the importance of being able to sample as many close relatives of affected dogs as possible. As the DNA technology improves, which it does all the time, the limiting factor in all our studies is fast becoming sample collection. For simple diseases that are caused by one gene, we need samples from about 20 affected dogs, and about 100 of their relatives in total. But as we start to be able to study more complex diseases we will need to sample more dogs, and we know from experience that it can be very difficult. Having a blood bank that is used by a good proportion of the breeders would address many of the challenges we face when it comes to collecting samples. As an example, we have been working with a particular breed that suffers from a simple recessive disease, and the club has been collecting samples for about 2 years now, very actively, and are only now approaching sufficient samples to think about beginning the research to find the gene and develop a diagnostic test. And this breed has a very active health committee and the owners/breeders have embraced the idea of the research very well.

As far as managing records, we would keep our own records regarding the identities of dogs we received samples for, and owners details, as some breeds we have set up banks for, however, have been sensitive to sending owners details to 'unofficial individuals', for confidentiality reasons, and have preferred to send details to us (the AHT) only. Some owners don't want other people to know they've submitted a sample, although that usually applies more if samples are being collected for a specific test.

My contact details can be distributed as an information source.

Cathryn Mellersh, PhD
Centre for Preventive Medicine
Animal Health Trust
Lanwades Park
Kentford
Newmarket
Suffolk - UK
 
Tel : 01638 750659
Fax : 01638 750794
Email : cathryn[dot]mellersh[@]aht[dot]org[dot]uk (apologies - anti-spambot measure please re-key)