What is Copper Toxicosis?
Copper is a trace element essential for life but can become toxic in excess amounts. The liver is mainly responsible for metabolizing and excreting copper, but it can become overwhelmed by large amounts of copper. This may come from a primary genetic variant, increased copper intake, or a combination.
Symptoms can range from mild and nonspecific (such as reduced appetite and vomiting) to liver dysfunction (which may include yellowing of the skin and eyes, neurologic effects, or fluid buildup in the belly). Copper toxicosis is diagnosed through a liver biopsy and testing of the copper levels in the liver.
What if my dog tested positive for Copper Toxicosis (Accumulating, ATP7B)?
This variant has been associated with copper accumulation in the Labrador Retriever and the Doberman Pinscher. Dogs with ancestry from these breeds who have at least one copy of this variant are at an increased risk of copper accumulation. Dogs with two copies of this variant are at a greater risk of developing the disease than dogs with one copy. Some dogs with one or two copies never develop copper toxicosis.
The risk of this variant in breeds other than the Labrador and Doberman is currently unclear. We recommend talking to your veterinarian to develop a monitoring, dietary, and/or treatment plan.
What if my dog tested positive for Copper Toxicosis (Attenuating, ATP7A or RETN)?
The presence of these variants may help mitigate some symptoms in dogs with copper toxicosis due to the genetic variant in the ATP7B gene, though it is not completely protective. Although these variants may have some beneficial effects for your dog, we still recommend talking to your veterinarian to monitor for copper toxicosis if they also have one or two copies of the ATP7B variant.
No specific action is required if your dog does not have the ATP7B variant. These attenuating variants alone are not associated with any disease and only become important in dogs with one or two copies of the variant in the ATP7B gene (associated with copper accumulation).
Can I breed my dog with the Copper Toxicosis variants?
Can I breed my dog with Labrador and/or Doberman ancestry that has the ATP7B variant?
The variant in the ATP7B gene (which increases the risk of copper toxicosis) is often found at high frequencies in Labrador and Doberman populations and, therefore, likely cannot be eliminated completely. Because dogs with one copy of this variant are at lower risk for disease than dogs with two, dogs with one or two copies should be bred to clear dogs (no copies) when possible. This breeding scenario may produce dogs with one copy but will not produce any dogs with two copies.
Additionally, the variants in the ATP7A and RETN genes may help mitigate the effects of the ATP7B variant in dogs with copper accumulation. Therefore, if your dog has the ATP7B variant but not the ATP7A or RETN variants, they would ideally be bred to a dog with one or both of these variants to help decrease the effect of the variant in the ATP7B gene in their offspring. If your dog has the ATP7A and/or RETN variants, they may be passed on to offspring and help mitigate the effects of the ATP7B variant.
We recommend discussing your dog’s individual case with their veterinarian before committing to a specific breeding strategy. Additionally, we recommend considering other factors such as temperament, structure, and other health testing results when deciding whether to breed.
Can I breed my dog who doesn’t have Labrador or Doberman ancestry and has the ATP7B variant?
The risk of this variant in breeds other than the Labrador and Doberman is currently unclear. Therefore, we do not recommend making breeding decisions based on this result alone at this time. We recommend considering other factors such as temperament, structure, and other health testing results when deciding whether to breed.
As an added precaution, it would be prudent to select a mate for your dog that has no copies of the variant in the ATP7B gene. This way, no puppies with two copies will be produced (as dogs with two copies are at greater risk of disease development than dogs with one).
Can I breed my dog that only has the Copper Toxicosis (Attenuating, ATP7A, and/or RETN) variant(s)?
Because both the variants in the ATP7A and RETN genes do not have any clinical effect in the absence of the variant in the ATP7B gene, breeding decisions do not need to be made based on these two results alone. We recommend considering other factors such as temperament, structure, and other health testing results when deciding whether to breed.
If your dog’s intended mate has one or two copies of the variant in the ATP7B gene (associated with copper accumulation), the variants in the ATP7A and/or RETN genes passed down by your dog may decrease the effect of copper accumulation in their offspring.
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