07 Breed Notes – PHPT 2025

Anji Marfleet
The Kennel Club Keeshond Breed Health Coordinator
Hot off the press from Cathryn Mellersh.
New DNA test for Primary Hyperparathyroidismin Keeshonds
The Canine Genetics Centre at the University of Cambridge is pleased to announce the launch of a new DNA test, for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) in Keeshonds.
The research underpinning the DNA test has been done in collaboration with Professor Claire Wade (University of Sydney) and Professor Kerstin Lindblad-Toh (Uppsala University and the Broad Institute).
The DNA test is based on a novel variant that we have identified, that is strongly associated with PHPT in Keeshonds. The variant, which is rare in the general Keeshond population, is carried by all the confirmed PHPT cases that we have genotyped. We have identified a small number of dogs that carry the variant but that have not reported to be affected with PHPT, which might be because they are too young to show signs of the disease, or because the signs can be subtle and are often mistaken for normal aging changes.
Our findings are being prepared for publication.
The DNA test will be available from 10th February 2025 from Canine Genetic Testing (CAGT; https://www.cagt.co.uk/). £48 (inc VAT) per dog. CAGT operates alongside the Canine Genetics Centre (CGC) at the University of Cambridge and all its profits are re-invested in the CGC’s research.

Anji Marfleet