Embark for Breeders offers three breed-specific genetic health tests for the Bulldog among the 270+ genetic health conditions for which Embark tests. Breeders can easily share breed-specific DNA test results on parents or puppies with the one-page DNA Health Summary report with Embark test results.
Genetic health testing is an integral part of a responsible dog breeding program. When using genetic health testing, it is important for breeders to educate themselves about concepts such as modes of inheritance, penetrance, prevalence, and phenotype for a specific variant (mutation) in your breed to apply test results. Breeders also need to know which variants are causing health concerns in their breed and which health conditions currently have no genetic test available. This handy search function by breed or by health condition can show breeders which DNA tests Embark provides.
Embark DNA tests for the Bulldog include the following conditions. The health condition percentages based on clear, carrier, and at-risk status presented on common, rare, and very rare genetic risk factors are based on a subset of dogs within the Embark database and do not necessarily represent all dogs of this breed. While we are not able to provide specific population numbers at this time, we believe the data provided here to be sufficient to inform on current trends within the North American population of Bulldogs.
Common genetic health risk factors <95% clear rate
These are the most common genetic conditions based on Embark data, ranked from most to least prevalent in the Bulldog, with less than 95% of dogs testing clear.
Hyperuricosuria and Hyperuricemia or Urolithiasis, HUU (SLC2A9)
This condition causes kidney and bladder stones composed of urate. In most dogs, uric acid is converted to allantoin, an inert substance that is then excreted in the urine. Dogs with HUU have defects in the pathway that converts uric acid to allantoin. As such, uric acid builds up, crystallizes and forms urate stones in the kidney and bladder. Once bladder stones develop, surgical removal is typically required. While hyperuricemia in other species (including humans) can lead to painful conditions such as gout, dogs do not develop systemic signs of hyperuricemia. The gene is SLC2A9, and the mode of inheritance is recessive.
- Based on Embark-tested Bulldogs that have opted into research, here’s a snapshot of the breed today: 65.4% of dogs tested clear, 31.3% tested carrier, and 3.2% at risk, for Hyperuricosuria and Hyperuricemia or Urolithiasis, HUU (SLC2A9)
Citations: Bannasch et al 2008 Karmi et al 2010 Donner et al 2016
Degenerative Myelopathy, DM (SOD1A)
The dog equivalent of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, DM is a progressive degenerative disorder of the spinal cord. Because the nerves that control the hind limbs are the first to degenerate, the most common clinical signs are back muscle wasting and gait abnormalities. The mode of inheritance is recessive.
* SOD1A vs SOD1B
Please note: While we test for the SOD1A variant, we do not test for the SOD1B (Bernese Mountain Dog type) variant at this time. Degenerative Myelopathy genotype results apply only to SOD1A.
- Based on Embark-tested Bulldogs that have opted into research, here’s a snapshot of the breed today: 76.3% of dogs tested clear, 21.7% tested carrier, and 1.8% at risk, for Degenerative Myelopathy, DM (SOD1A)
Citations: Awano et al 2009, Shelton et al 2012, Capuccio et al 2014
Canine Multifocal Retinopathy, cmr1 (BEST1 Exon 2)
This is a non-progressive retinal disease that, in rare cases, can lead to vision loss. Dogs with larger retinal lesions can suffer from vision loss. CMR is fairly non-progressive; new lesions will typically stop forming by the time a dog is an adult, and some lesions will even regress with time. The gene is BEST1/VMD2 (Exon 2) and the mode of inheritance is recessive.
- Based on Embark-tested Bulldogs that have opted into research, here’s a snapshot of the breed today: 77.8% of dogs tested clear, 20.3% tested carriers, and 1.8% tested at-risk for Canine Multifocal Retinopathy, cmr1 (BEST1 Exon 2).
Citations: Guziewicz et al 2007 Hoffman et al 2012
With three known conditions in the Bulldog, this is evidence that genetic disorders are of concern within the breed and other conditions are likely to be identified in the future. By DNA testing your Bulldogs with Embark, you can help accelerate more novel discoveries to help your breed and all dogs.
Canine Health and Breed Resources
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA)
OFA Canine Health Information Center (CHIC)
OFA-CHIC Health Testing Requirements for the Bulldog
Mandatory
Patellar Luxation
Cardiac Evaluation
Tracheal Hypoplasia
Optional but recommended
Eye Examination
Hip Dysplasia
Autoimmune Thyroiditis
Congenital Deafness
Hyperuricosuria
Remember, genetic health testing is not a diagnosis of a disease. Please consult your veterinarian for any health issues with your dog. To start your DNA testing journey, explore Embark for Breeders Dog DNA Kits.
