A survey of direct-to-consumer genetic testing of small animals in European laboratories.

Objectives: While direct-to-consumer genetic tests are widely used in veterinary medicine, claims regarding communication and counselling issues have not been investigated so far. Our aim was to evaluate the communication channels encountered by clients when direct-to-consumer genetic tests are ordered, as well as access to genetic counselling to investigate whether these concerns are justified.

Materials And Methods: Checklists, email inquiries and direct-to-consumer genetic test kits were used to survey access to pre- and post-test counselling, as well as adherence to quality standards and guidelines of the website and test reports from 11 laboratories, spread across mainland Europe and the United Kingdom.

When assessing representative images of fine-needle aspirate cytological smears of canine mast cell tumours, interobserver agreement is influenced by educational attainment.

Objectives: Cytology is a common diagnostic tool in veterinary practice, and canine mast cell tumours are presumed to be easy to diagnose. However, the potential influence of the observer's educational attainment on the interobserver agreement when interpreting representative images of cytological smears has not yet been investigated.

Materials And Methods: In total, 25 observers were equally divided into five groups based on educational attainment (board-certified diplomates of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons specialised in companion animals, board-certified of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine-Companion animals, general practitioners, interns and final-year veterinary medicine students) and asked to evaluate 36 distinct sets of images from cytological smears, of which 18 originated from canine mast cell tumours and 18 from non-mast cell tumours.

Whole exome sequencing as a screening tool in dogs: A pilot study.

Background: Whole-exome sequencing (WES) is used to selectively sequence all exons of protein-coding genes. WES is considered as a cost-effective and direct approach for identifying phenotype-associated variants in protein-coding regions and is as such situated between the traditional Sanger sequencing and whole genome sequencing (WGS). While WES is already widely used as a clinical tool in human and medical genetics, its use in veterinary medicine is currently restricted to research purposes.

Tracing the dynamic changes in the lncRNA-mediated competing endogenous RNA network during bovine preimplantation embryo development.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) can regulate gene expression by "sponging" microRNAs (miRNAs), reducing their inhibitory effects on mRNAs. However, this mechanism has been minimally investigated in preimplantation embryo development. In this study, we revisited existing RNA sequencing and small RNA sequencing data to investigate the role of lncRNAs in in vitro-produced bovine preimplantation embryos.

A frameshift variant in the SLC6A5 gene is associated with startle disease in a family of Old English Sheepdogs.

A 2-week-old litter of three Old English Sheepdog puppies presented with episodic generalised muscle hypertonia and cyanosis triggered by touch and noise. Owing to poor response to therapy and progression of symptoms, the puppies were euthanised. Post-mortem histology revealed perineuronal incrustations in the spinal cord, suggestive of ischemia or neuronal necrosis.