Dr. Zhang and Dr. Aguirre believe Phosducin is a likely location of a potential gene defect, but they do not believe that it alone is responsible for pd . Affected offspring resulted from the matings, indicating that pd is not a simple autosomal recessive. The research is continuing with funding from the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Contributions have been received from more than 300 donors. In 1998, the AMSC agreed to join the Foundation and other breed clubs in funding the research.
Liver shunts are extra blood vessels that allow a portion of the animal s blood to bypass the liver.
At present, the definitive treatment for large shunts is surgical removal. Unfortunately, efforts at complete removal are often unsuccessful. Dogs with untreated liver shunts often develop progressive liver disease, resulting in liver failure. If the research identifies decreased liver antioxidant levels in dogs with shunts, the researchers would then propose further studies to determine the benefit of feeding antioxidants to dogs with shunts. The AMSC began working closely with the AKC Canine Health Foundation, upon its organization in late 1994.