Ehlers-Danlos syndrome - Catahoula Leopard Dog

General description

A genetic variant of the ADAMTS2 gene has been found to be associated with Dermatosparaxis Ehlers-Danlos-Syndrome (EDS) in the breed Catahoula Leopard Dog. Ehler-Danlos syndromes are a group of connective tissue disorders, which can also be found in humans. An affected dog exhibited multifocal wounds because of tissue fragility, skin hyperextensibility, atrophic scars and joint hypermobility. The dog developed wounds with minimal trauma such as brushing against a shrub. Severe injuries required more time to resolve than normal. The dog showed no ocular abnormalities. In contrast to EDS in other dog breeds, this type seems to cause relatively mild symptoms, so that the affected dog survived to adulthood.