Glanzmann thrombasthenia in the Pyrenean mountain dog and other breeds

Glanzmann thrombasthenia is a type of hereditary canine health condition that can affect dogs of the Pyrenean mountain dog breed, and a different variant of the same condition has also been identified as present within the gene pools of a couple of other dog breeds too.

Glanzmann thrombasthenia is a bleeding disorder that can have a wide-reaching range of implications for affected dogs, because their bodies don’t function properly when it comes to clotting their blood to heal wounds and promote healing.

As a hereditary disorder, Glanzmann thrombasthenia cannot be caught or transmitted from dog to dog other than by means of heredity, and the chances of any dog themselves developing the condition depends on the status of both of their parents. Within the Pyrenean mountain dog breed, a DNA testing scheme is in place to identify the risk factors for the condition within breeding stock prior to mating, which enables breeders to make an informed decision on mate pairings to produce heathy litters.

In this article we will look at Glanzmann thrombasthenia in the Pyrenean mountain dog in more detail, examining how the condition affects dogs, and how the testing scheme for the condition works. We’ll also share information on other dog breeds that can be affected by related forms of the same condition. Read on to learn more.

What is Glanzmann thrombasthenia?

Glanzmann thrombasthenia is known as a coagulopathy, which is a type of bleeding disorder. The platelets within the blood of affected dogs (which are vital for blood clotting and wound healing) are defective or otherwise don’t function properly, which can cause dogs to bleed prolifically from even minor wounds, which often take a long time to heal or form haematomas where injuries occur.

Some dogs who inherit the disorder are also slightly smaller than the breed norm, and other symptoms may be present too.

Glanzmann thrombasthenia has a lot of implications for the care and management of affected dogs, because even a minor injury can prove very dangerous due to blood loss, and internal injuries too will not clot and heal properly either, further exacerbating the risks to the dog’s health.

What dog breeds can be affected by Glanzmann thrombasthenia?

Glanzmann thrombasthenia is most commonly associated with the Pyrenean mountain dog breed, and this breed is the one that is considered to be at greatest risk of the condition, as a large enough number of dogs of the breed are either carriers of or affected by it as to pose a risk to the health of a significant number of the breed’s population.

Glanzmann thrombasthenia has also been identified within the Otterhound dog breed, and a related condition but one that is not exactly the same is also recognised within the Basset hound and Finnish spitz dog breeds too.

How is Glanzmann thrombasthenia inherited?

Glanzmann thrombasthenia in the Pyrenean mountain dog breed is transmitted from parent dogs to their young by means of autosomal recessive heredity. This means that just because a puppy has one parent with the condition, this does not necessarily mean that the pup will be affected too; rather, this is determined by finding out the status of both parent dogs together, which is what dictates the status of their litter.

Here’s how the mode of inheritance for Glanzmann thrombasthenia works:

• Two affected parent dogs will have a litter of affected puppies.
• Two clear parent dogs will have a clear litter.
• Two carrier parent dogs will have a litter within which each pup has a 50% chance of inheriting carrier status, a 25% chance of inheriting affected status, and a 25% chance of inheriting clear status.
• A clear dog and an affected dog will have a litter of carriers.
• A clear dog and a carrier will have a litter of 50% clear pups and 50% carriers.
• A carrier and an affected dog will have a litter of 50% affected dogs and 50% carriers.

DNA health testing for Glanzmann thrombasthenia in the Pyrenean mountain dog

Within the Pyrenean mountain dog breed, there is a DNA health testing scheme in place that allows owners of dogs of the breed to find out the status of their own dogs by getting them tested. This enables breeders to find out what the status of the litter produced from any given mating match will be if both parents are first tested to find out their status.

If you own a Pyrenean mountain dog and want to get them tested, you just need to ask your vet to take a DNA sample from your dog, in the form of a blood sample of buccal swab. This is then sent away for testing at an approved laboratory, who then return a result of clear, carrier, or affected respectively.

If you are considering buying a Pyrenean mountain dog puppy, talk to the breeder about their health testing scheme participation, and ask to see copies of the parent dogs’ results before committing to purchasing a pup from the litter.