A Step Ahead: How Genetics May Help Prevent Cruciate Ligament Rupture in Dogs
From AKC Canine Health Foundation
If you are a sports fan, or one of the thousands of people who will tear an ACL in your lifetime, you understand how devastating a knee injury can be. A single wrong step can lead to painful surgery, costly treatment, and a long road to recovery.
Dogs face the same risk.
Just like humans, dogs rely on a complex system of ligaments to stabilize the knee. One of the most important is the cranial cruciate ligament, or CCL, which serves a similar function as the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in people. When this ligament ruptures, the result is pain, instability, and limited mobility.
Certain breeds, such as Labrador Retrievers, Rottweilers, and Newfoundlands, are especially prone to this condition. Others, like Greyhounds, rarely experience it. This difference raises an important question. Is the cause purely physical, or does a dog’s genetic makeup play a role?
From Inheritance to Injury
Dr. Peter Muir, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has spent years investigating this issue with funding from the AKC Canine Health Foundation. His research confirms what many suspected. Cruciate ligament rupture is not simply an injury. In many dogs, it is a heritable disease.
“The first question we needed to answer was whether this is an injury or a disease,” Dr. Muir explained. “Historically, it was considered an injury. But the evidence increasingly shows it is a disease with genetic roots.”
That finding changed the landscape of treatment. If the condition is heritable, then it may be predictable. And if it is predictable, it may also be preventable.
A Tool for Targeted Prevention
Dr. Muir and his team set out to take the next step. Could they create a genetic risk test that would predict a dog’s likelihood of developing cruciate ligament rupture?
In Labrador Retrievers, the answer is yes.
By studying data from more than one thousand Labradors, the team developed a polygenic risk test for the breed. This test analyzes thousands of genetic markers to estimate a dog’s risk of developing cruciate ligament rupture. The success of this test represents a major advance in veterinary care and could pave the way for personalized prevention.
Dr. Muir is now working to develop similar tools for other high-risk breeds, including Rottweilers and Newfoundlands. One of the challenges is recruiting a large enough sample size to map the breed-specific genome effectively.
Why It Matters
Cruciate ligament rupture is not typically fatal, but it can be life-altering. It often leads to expensive surgery, months of rehabilitation, and reduced quality of life. In severe cases, dogs may never fully recover.
Dr. Muir believes that widespread use of genetic screening could transform how veterinarians manage orthopedic risks. If high-risk dogs are identified early, they can be monitored more closely and treated with greater care.
The Labrador Retriever polygenic risk test is currently available through the University of Wisconsin–Madison. While early adoption has been slow, Dr. Muir is optimistic about the future.
“Cruciate rupture can disable a dog for a long time,” he said. “Even for the average owner, most would agree they would rather have a dog that never experienced it.”
Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=336728
Posted by Liz
on Aug 27 2025. Filed under Current Articles, Featured.
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