The Relation between Canine Hip Dysplasia, Genetic Diversity and Inbreeding by Breed

Objectives: To assess the relation between the prevalence of canine hip dysplasia, inbreeding and genetic diversity by breed. Methods: Retrospective pedigree analysis of 9 breeds based on a reference population of 41,728 individuals, and hip dysplasia assessment in 1745 dogs. Results: Hip dysplasia was less common among breeds with higher coefficient of inbreeding, lower genetic diversity, and highest contribution of one single ancestor to the population. Inbreeding not exceeding 3.25% should be considered safe since it will maintain a sufficiently high genetic diversity within the breed. Clinical Significance: Together with published data on single breeds, the present findings question the general assumption that line-breeding or in-breeding has an adverse effect on the prevalence of hip dysplasia. Hip assessment is indicated in all breeds, but better methods are needed for selecting dogs suitable for reproduction.