Congenital Tooth Defect
Australian Shepherds Born With Missing Teeth
History
- This disorder is Polygenic, meaning there are multiple genes contributing towards its expression
- It can result in a small or large number of teeth missing
- This disorder is so well known that Australian Shepherds in show may not get marked down for missing teeth, so long as the appearance is not severe (however, full dentition is obviously preferred)
- Has been a known genetic disorder for over 25 years
Diagnosis
Canine Dentition
Canines generally have 14 sets of Deciduous (baby) teeth, and 21 sets of Permanent (adult) teeth. This totals 42 permanent teeth.
Dogs are equipped with 12 incisors, 4 canines, 16 premolars, and 12 molars.
Australian shepherds may never develop a full set of teeth thanks to genetics that have not been fully explored yet. Generally, the teeth that are missing will be premolars.
What Do We Know About This Disorder?
Why Is This Disorder Harmful?
The prevalent disadvantage to Shepherds with missing teeth revolves around the show ring. Although judges are not supposed to mark down for a tooth missing here or there, there is a definite bias towards full dentition.
What is Being Done to Control this Genetic Disorder?
Opinion
Breeders with puppies exhibiting this disorder should educate clients on the status of their puppy's teeth, and what ramifications this may have on them in the future. They should be responsible for explaining to buyers the fact that this disorder will most likely not impede on their home life, but may harm their scores in shows.
Prompt for Discussion
After considering it from an ethical perspective, consider it from the viewpoint of a Australian Shepherd show breeder. Could the creation of a genetic test for this disorder significantly increase their success producing champions? Who should be responsible for paying for research in this area?
References
M. Rouge, (2003) Dental Anatomy of Dogs. Colorado State University. Accessed April 30, 2013. http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/pregastric/dogpage.html
Australian Shepherd Health and Genetics Institute (2013) Australian Shepherd health & Genetics Institute Inc. Accessed April 30, 2013. http://www.ashgi.org/index.htm