page_title: Bedlington Terrier
section_title: Copper toxicosis
hierarchical_section_title: Bedlington Terrier / Health / Copper toxicosis
caption_attribution_description: English: Bedlington Terriers A blue Bedlington, Burmington Maid from Magic ("Diamond"), Canine Good Citizen, Novice Agility, Novice Jumpers (dog agility titles). A sandy-colored Bedlington, Burmington Kind of Magic ("Hammer"), Canine Good Citizen, Novice Jumpers (dog agility title), International Jr. Champion Both dogs are from working lines of Bedlingtons from England. Owned by Jeri Bernard. Pleasanton, CA; Breeder: Lesley Caines, Banbury, England
context_page_description: The Bedlington Terrier is a breed of small dog named after the mining town of Bedlington, Northumberland in North East England. Originally bred to hunt vermin the Bedlington Terrier has since been used in dog racing, numerous dog sports, as well as in conformation shows and as a companion dog. It is closely related to the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Whippet and Otterhound.
  It is described as a very versatile yet contradictory dog, being both good with children and "fit to kill any other dog of his weight". They have powerful swimming skills, comparable to those of water dogs such as the Newfoundland, and are noted for being very quick and having high endurance. Bedlingtons are noted for their similarity in appearance to lambs. The dogs have blue, liver or sandy colouration, all three of which may have tan points. Their fur forms a distinctive top knot on the dog's head. It is nonshedding and with minimal odor but needs weekly grooming to remove dead hair.
  Originally known as the Rothbury or Rodbury Terrier, the name Bedlington Terrier was not applied to the breed until 1825, but some dogs have pedigrees that can be traced back as far as 1782.
context_section_description: Copper toxicosis, also known as copper storage disease and copper overload syndrome, is an autosomal recessive disease that is characterized by an accumulation of copper in the liver. It is closely related to Wilson's disease in humans. Bedlington Terriers are more prone to copper toxicosis than most other dog breeds. West Highland White Terriers, Skye Terriers, and Doberman Pinschers are also prone to copper storage disease. Bedlington Terriers are the only breed of dog in which haemolysis has been reported, but there have been no reports of neurological involvement in any dog breed. Studies have shown that in Bedlingtons, the disease is caused by a defective metallothionein that causes cell lysosomes to become saturated with copper. This causes the cell to store copper in the nucleus. There are three varieties of the disease: the asymptomatic form occurs when copper accumulates but there are no clinical symptoms of the disorder; the fulminating form which is seen mostly in young dogs, causes death in two to three days, and is thought to be caused by stress; and the chronic form, which is characterized by an extended period of time in which liver disease slowly causes the death of the dog. Bedlingtons also have a tendency to accumulate iron in the liver, but not nearly to the extent that they accumulate copper.
caption: Two Bedlington Terriers, gray and liver-colored, fading to white at its points.
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