Why Huskies Have Blue Eyes

It is certain that a trademark of the Siberian husky are their piercing blue eyes. Recently a study has been conducted and have shown that a duplication of a specific canine chromosome is responsible for the blue eyes. Researchers of the Embark Veterinary Inc. tested more than 6,000 dogs and discovered that the duplication of the canine chromosome 18 is correlated with the breed's distinctive eye color. The chromosome duplication occurs near the ALX4 gene, which serves as important in the development in eye color in mammals. 

This study is thought of as the largest study to compare genetic profiles, and find the "tweak" that causes the blue eyes. According to Irizarry, of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Science, the mutation of the ALX4 gene in the husky breed results in decreased pigment production in their eyes. This lack of pigmentation causes the eyes to look blue. The mutation or duplication of the chromosome can also explain how tri- colored Australian shepherds can have blue eyes, which was unknown until that discovery. This study was done with so much information and has become the largest genomic studies ever conducted in dogs. I find it extremely interesting because with humans and even some dog breeds blue eyes are simply just a recessive trait, but now with the Siberian Husky it has been found its due to a genetic mutation.  It has answered questions that people have wondered about for a long time, and can continue to lead researchers to more studies having to do with dog genomics.

Pet DNA testing looks a little hairy

Pet DNA testing has recently experienced a boom. The general public have jumped at the opportunity to have their dogs and cats DNA tested, and nearly 20 companies are glad to do it. While this new technology has been used to give "individualized healthcare" to pets there is one big problem, no regulation.

While many pet owners are simply interested in the entertainment value of knowing what breed their pet is, many people are making medical decisions based on test results. In humans, the mutations associated with disease are ceaselessly analyzed from multiple individuals, to determine the actual likelihood of disease. This has yet to happen with dogs. Most companies only compare the DNA to one individual's genome. Many pet owners are insisting on executing treatments, surgeries, and even euthanasia based on tests with very low accuracy.

This may sound troubling, but Veterinarians understand there is much work to be done. The International Veterinarian community must demand regulation on pet DNA testing businesses so that its potential may be unleashed. By researching more about canines' genome and its relationship to pathology we may better understand cancer and diabetes in humans.

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We are more genetically similar to our dogs than we thought

A study done by Dr Luis Pedro Coelho suggests that the genes of the gut micro biomes in dogs is genetically similar to the gut micro biome in humans. In fact more genetically similar than the micro biomes found in mice and pigs. The results of this study has revealed that dogs are a better model for nutrition studies than mice and pigs. The experiment showed that changes in carbohydrates and proteins has nearly the same effect on humans and dogs. The micro biomes in obese dogs were more receptive to high protein diets than in lean dogs. This same pattern can be seen in humans too. Dogs are becoming more and more obese and this is most likely because humans feed their pets food from the dinner table all the time. They are not getting fat because they can not eat human food, they are getting fat because they are eating more than they should for their size. If dogs were fed human food in a balanced diet they would not become obese because they have very similar gut micro biomes. I find this study very interesting because as a pet owner, I look at my dogs are being apart of my family. I have never been one to feed my dog food from the table because I do not want him begging every time I eat, but I may start feeding him more carbohydrates and proteins that humans would eat. There are also many different diets out there made for dogs using only "human food", the link is attached below to one of these diets.

Article: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180419131136.htm
Additional Information: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_7/features/Home-Prepared-Dog-Food-Nutritional-Information_20568-1.html

How farming changed the dog

It is known that dogs were domesticated approximately 15,000 years ago, and they have been a companion to us, humans, throughout this time. 

A recent study suggested that farming has changed the genome of dogs over time. This change happened during the same time it took place in humans, since dogs were eating so much wheat and millet while with their owners on the farm. The change happens in the Amy2B gene, which is a gene that helps digest starch. Ancient wolves were studied and they found that originally there were only 2 copies of the Amy2B gene in their genome. Dogs now have from four to 30 copies of this gene in their genome. Scientists believe dogs have been able to stay by our sides all of these years because of this transformation in their genome. One of the researchers in this study stated, "Farming led to a five-fold increase in the number of starch-digesting genes in these dogs." 

http://www.sci-news.com/genetics/science-genomes-dog-domestication-01697.html