Therapeutic Interventions and Control of Hereditary Diseases: Role of Clinicians for Breeders

Therapeutic Interventions and Control of Hereditary Diseases: Role of clinicians for breeders

At present, the therapeutic options in the treatment of hereditary diseases are limited and ethical principles need to be carefully considered. Many hereditary diseases are progressive with currently only palliative therapeutics available, and thus lead to the early demise of a diseased animal or euthanasia. Surgical interventions may correct some malformations including some orthopedic and eye problems as well as hepatic shunts, but such animals should be altered to prevent them from being used for breeding. In a few cases a deficient protein, cofactor, substrate, or metabolite can be supplemented to correct the defect. For instance, vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency in cachectic and lethargic Giant schnauzers, Australian shepherds, beagles, and Border collies with an ileal receptor defect can be helped by bi-monthly cobalamin injections. Pancreatic enzyme supplementation and daily insulin injections are used to manage animals with exocrine or endocrine pancreatic insufficiencies, respectively. Another example of dietary management is copper hepatopathy in several breeds of dogs. Fresh frozen plasma is administered in the treatment of hereditary coagulopathies and von Willebrand disease, whenever animals excessively bleed. Other enzyme and protein replacements are also experimentally attempted. Many of these novel therapeutic options have been developed when the disease in animals was studied for humans. […]