{"id":27394,"date":"2025-10-05T15:07:57","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T13:07:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/malattia-wilson-cane-origine-genetica\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T15:56:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T13:56:22","slug":"wilsons-disease-dogs-origins-symptoms-genetic-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/en\/labrador-standard-genetics\/wilsons-disease-dogs-origins-symptoms-genetic-test\/","title":{"rendered":"Wilson&#8217;s disease in dogs: origins, symptoms and genetic test"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Wilson&#8217;s disease in dogs<\/strong> is a rare but serious metabolic condition of <strong>hereditary genetic origin<\/strong>, which leads to abnormal copper accumulation in the liver and other organs.<\/p>\n<p>This condition is caused by a mutation that disrupts copper transport within liver cells, resulting in progressive damage.<\/p>\n<p>Understanding the hereditary nature of this disease and preventing its spread through <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/salute-labrador\/malattie-genetiche-dna\/\">genetic testing of breeding dogs<\/a><\/strong> is one of the most important responsibilities for anyone who breeds with seriousness and respect for animal life.<\/p>\n<h2>What Wilson&#8217;s Disease in Dogs Is and Where It Comes From<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Wilson&#8217;s disease<\/strong> (or <em>copper storage hepatopathy<\/em>) is a <strong>genetic disease<\/strong> caused by a mutation in the <strong>ATP7B gene<\/strong> \u2014 or, in some breeds, the <strong>ATP7A gene<\/strong> \u2014 which is responsible for copper transport within cells.<\/p>\n<p>When this mechanism breaks down, copper is no longer correctly eliminated through bile and accumulates in the liver, leading to <strong>chronic inflammation<\/strong>, cell necrosis, and <strong>hepatic failure<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>It is not a congenital disease in the clinical sense of the term: &#8220;congenital&#8221; refers to a condition present at birth, even if not hereditary.<\/p>\n<p>Wilson&#8217;s disease is instead <strong>hereditary and genetic<\/strong>: the puppy is born with the mutation but develops symptoms only later in life, once copper accumulation reaches toxic levels.<\/p>\n<h2>Breeds Predisposed to Wilson&#8217;s Disease<\/h2>\n<p>Some breeds show a greater predisposition to the ATP7B mutation:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bedlington Terrier<\/strong>, the breed in which the disease was first identified;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dobermann<\/strong> and <strong>West Highland White Terrier<\/strong>;<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/standard-del-labrador-retriever\/\">Labrador Retriever<\/a><\/strong>, in which the mutation has been documented in several bloodlines;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dalmatian<\/strong>, <strong>Skye Terrier<\/strong>, and <strong>Springer Spaniel<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Transmission follows an <strong>autosomal recessive<\/strong> pattern: an affected dog inherits the mutation from both parents, while healthy carriers can pass it on without showing any symptoms.<\/p>\n<h2>Symptoms and Disease Progression<\/h2>\n<p>Symptoms typically appear between 2 and 6 years of age. The most common include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>fatigue and lethargy;<\/li>\n<li>loss of appetite and weight loss;<\/li>\n<li>vomiting, pale stools, and digestive issues;<\/li>\n<li>jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and gums);<\/li>\n<li>in advanced cases, neurological disorders caused by copper toxicity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p>Many individuals remain asymptomatic until an advanced stage, by which point the liver damage has become irreversible.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This is precisely why <strong>genetic prevention<\/strong> is so important.<\/p>\n<h2>Diagnosis: Genetic Testing and Veterinary Investigation<\/h2>\n<p>Diagnosis requires a combination of assessments:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>blood tests to evaluate liver function;<\/li>\n<li>liver ultrasound;<\/li>\n<li>liver biopsy to quantify copper accumulation;<\/li>\n<li><strong>DNA genetic tests<\/strong> to identify the ATP7B or ATP7A mutation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Genetic tests are today the most reliable and least invasive tool for identifying carriers and affected individuals, making it possible to act on a bloodline before the disease manifests clinically.<\/p>\n<h2>Genetic Disease or Congenital Disease? Setting the Record Straight<\/h2>\n<p>In veterinary terminology, a <strong>genetic disease<\/strong> is one caused by an inherited mutation, while a <strong>congenital disease<\/strong> is any condition present at birth, even if not hereditary.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Wilson&#8217;s disease in dogs<\/strong> is therefore a <strong>hereditary genetic condition<\/strong>: the defective gene is present in the DNA from conception, but symptoms only appear in adulthood.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This distinction is crucial to understanding that treating the symptoms alone is not enough: it is essential to <strong>prevent genetic transmission<\/strong> through targeted testing.<\/p>\n<h2>Genetic Testing of Breeding Dogs: True Prevention<\/h2>\n<p>Today it is possible to identify the mutation through a <strong>simple buccal swab<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Genetic laboratories analyse the dog&#8217;s DNA to determine whether it is:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Clear<\/strong> (healthy, non-carrier);<\/li>\n<li><strong>Carrier<\/strong> (healthy carrier \u2014 does not develop the disease but can pass it on);<\/li>\n<li><strong>Affected<\/strong> (clinically affected, with symptoms).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p>An ethical breeder always carries out these checks before mating, avoiding the pairing of two carriers.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In this way, it is possible to gradually eliminate the mutation from the population and ensure <strong>puppies free from this hereditary disease<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>The Role of Nutrition: Can Kibble Make the Problem Worse?<\/h2>\n<p>Diet plays a fundamental role in copper metabolism.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>All <strong>extruded industrial kibble<\/strong> contains mineral additives such as <em>copper sulphate<\/em> or <em>chelated copper<\/em> in amounts exceeding a dog&#8217;s natural requirements.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>These inorganic compounds, added to compensate for nutrient loss during the extrusion process, have <strong>low bioavailability<\/strong> and can accumulate in liver tissue, particularly in genetically predisposed dogs.<\/p>\n<p>A kibble-based industrial diet, fed over many years, can therefore <strong>worsen the disease<\/strong> or bring forward its onset.<\/p>\n<p>By contrast, a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/en\/natural-dog-food\/\">fresh, balanced natural diet<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 made with selected ingredients and controlled mineral intake \u2014 reduces the toxic burden on the liver and helps maintain healthy copper metabolism.<\/p>\n<p>A practical example? Avoiding foods high in copper (such as liver, shellfish, and whole grains) and favouring lean meats, low-mineral vegetables, and targeted natural supplementation.<\/p>\n<h2>Genetics and Nutrition: Two Complementary Tools<\/h2>\n<p>Health does not arise by chance \u2014 it is the result of a series of conscious choices.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Genetic selection<\/strong> prevents the birth of affected individuals, while <strong>natural, balanced nutrition<\/strong> supports the wellbeing of healthy dogs and carriers alike.<\/p>\n<p>It is the synergy between science and daily care that lays the foundations for stronger, longer-lived, and happier generations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Wilson&#8217;s disease in dogs<\/strong> is a <strong>hereditary genetic condition<\/strong> that can be prevented through targeted testing of breeding dogs and a correct nutritional approach.<\/p>\n<p>A <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/en\/\">Labrador breeder<\/a><\/strong> who carries out genetic health checks and provides a natural diet contributes not only to the health of their own dogs, but to the improvement of the breed as a whole.<\/p>\n<p>In our kennel, we believe that health begins with <strong>genetics<\/strong> and is maintained through <strong>natural nutrition<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wilson&#8217;s disease in dogs is a rare but serious metabolic condition of hereditary genetic origin, which leads to abnormal copper accumulation in the liver and other organs. This condition is caused by a mutation that disrupts copper transport within liver cells, resulting in progressive damage. Understanding the hereditary nature of this disease and preventing its [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25738,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[449],"tags":[436,457,456],"class_list":["post-27394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-labrador-standard-genetics","tag-alimentazione-labrador","tag-dna","tag-test-genetici","post_format-post-format-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27394"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27394\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27396,"href":"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27394\/revisions\/27396"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}