[ For further information about HOD, please click here: FAQs on HOD, including Treatment Protocol
(.pdf) ]
We are very fortunate to have as one
of our own, a veterinary geneticist,
whose passion is finding the key to
unlock the mystery of HOD and other
Weimaraner genetic disorders. For
those of you not familiar with Noa,
or the new ground-breaking genetic
research she is leading, we’d like to
take this opportunity to introduce her
and her work to the WCA membership.
Noa Safra with her Weimaraners. |
Tell us about your origins in Israel
and what inspired you to study
veterinary medicine.
I grew up in a small suburb in Israel.
As a child, I was drawn to animals in
general and to dogs in particular. I
had a number of small pets; hamsters,
rabbits, mice, fish, and birds. I was
finally allowed to own my first dog
when I was ten, as I was then mature
enough to be a responsible dog
owner. I was always aware that my
pets may get sick; my father has a
tape recording of a five year old Noa
worrying about what would be done if
the fish were to get sick. I was eager
to learn about taking care of my own
pets and this is what eventually led
me to veterinary medicine.
How did you become involved
with Weimaraners?
The first Weimaraner I met belonged
to my neighbor, Ilana Bar-Tal, (who
today serves as the president of the
Israeli Weim club, and is a long-time
WCA member). I was in awe when I
first saw her Weimaraner bitch, Dona.
Dona looked like a dog in a fairy tale; her silver coat gleamed and her
floating stride made her look as if she
was gliding on air. It was then, that I
decided that one day, I would have my
own Weimaraner.
Ilana became involved with exhibiting
and training purebred dogs while in
her teens, and it was through her that
I became similarly involved. I began
training and working with my first
dog; a Miniature Poodle and copied
everything Ilana did.
I was fascinated by the different
breeds and memorized every word on
every page of the FCI Book of Breed
Standards. My obsession with the
defining differences in conformation
and behavior traits of the many breeds
piqued my interested in genetics. I
consumed textbooks on genetics and
attend genetics classes offered by the
Open University. Looking back I was
quite the dork growing up…
I started searching for a puppy after
reading Weimaraner Ways. I read it
cover-to-cover, again and again, and
finally contacted Ginny Alexander to
assist me in importing a puppy bitch
to Israel. An additional 18 months
passed while I searched for the right
puppy. In 1996, just when I began vet
school, Eleanor, my first American bred
Weimaraner arrived.
What inspired you to change
the focus of your career from
practicing veterinary medicine to
genetics and research?
While I was in vet school, there were
several familial cases of Weimaraners
with HOD. Aware of my interest in
the breed, the faculty at the teaching
hospital kept me apprised of the
treatment and progress of these sick
pups. The vets were also working
to establish a Weimaraner-tailored
vaccine protocol. It was at this time
that I bred Eleanor and was eagerly
anticipating the arrival of my first
litter. Imagine my horror when 8 of
Eleanor’s 10 pups were diagnosed with
HOD.
Any breeder who has experienced
serious illness in his or her pups
can appreciate how devastating the
situation can be. It was then that
I decided to become a veterinary
genetic researcher in order to improve
breeders’ means of coping with
inherited diseases in dogs. After
practicing small animal medicine
for two years, I pursued a PhD in
canine genetics at the University of
California, Davis.
While at U.C. Davis, who did
you study with, and were you
involved in any Weimaraner
specific projects?
I came under the sponsorship of Niels
Pedersen DVM PhD. I contacted Dr.
Pedersen about the planned study of
HOD in Weimaraners and had hoped
to join Dr. John Angles (who trained
under Pedersen) to be a part of his
research team. Unfortunately, as I
enrolled in graduate studies at UC
Davis, Dr. Angles was leaving to pursue
studies in Ireland.
As it turned out, I was ever so
fortunate to join the laboratory team
of Danika Bannasch DVM PhD. Dr.
Bannasch is the head of the clinical
genetics service at the Veterinary
Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH).
She is also a breeder of Nova Scotia
Duck Tolling Retrievers and a superb
dog trainer. Dr. Bannasch is a mentor
and a role model to me in science as
well as in dogs. For my PhD project,
I identified the DNA mutation that
causes Dalmatian dogs to form bladder
stones. Dalmatian breeders can now
select against the defective gene and
breed dogs free from urinary stones.
We understand that after
completing your doctoral program
in genetics at U.C. Davis, you
and your family temporarily
relocated to Maine for a research
opportunity for your husband,
who is also a veterinarian. Your
family is anticipating the return
to California in early 2009, where
you will return to U.C .Davis for
work on an exciting new project.
This is REALLY EXCITING!!! While
visiting with friends and colleagues
at UC Davis, I discussed HOD in
Weimaraners (for the millionth time)
with Dr. Pedersen. Dr. Pedersen
expressed his regrets about the
premature termination of the previous
study supported by the WCA and AKC
and offered me the opportunity to
return to the VMTH and employ a new
approach to study HOD. All I need to
bring on board are the samples.
Since the completion of the dog
genome sequence in 2005, there have
been great advances in the techniques
available for disease gene mapping.
These are new techniques, and
were not available during the WCA’s
previous HOD study. A large number
of abundant genetic markers, called
SNPs are now available in a form
called “chip”. A SNP chip is a panel of
genome spanning markers designed to
give a dense coverage of the genome.
The canine SNP chip is a new tool
that contributes to fast progress and recognition in genetic studies for
dogs. Use of the SNP chip technique
has resulted in the successful mapping
of white spotting in the Boxer and
the dorsal hair ridge in the Ridgeback
breed. SNP chip technology can span
25,000 markers as compared to 300
markers using the older technology.
Many other studies are on their way.
This is a robust tool that is going to
bring about great advances in the field
of genetics.
What are the goals of this new
project?
The goal of the project is to
correlate between SNP variants and
predisposition to HOD. In general
terms, one can imagine that few SNPs
spread across the genome may show
correlation to HOD affected status.
A risk status analysis can be done
assessing the risk level of individuals
to come down with or pass HOD.
This prediction is made based on the
presence of few or all of the specific
SNP variants (read: alleles). The risk
assessment can be developed into a
DNA test. A more long term goal then
would be to study the genes located
in the regions of the SNPs and possibly
coming down with the mechanism of
HOD.
This new technology offers additional
exciting possibilities. When using
the SNP chip, it is feasible to load
different types of affected samples.
This means multiple inherited
disorders could be searched for
simultaneously.
How can Weimaraner fanciers
participate or assist in this study?
The role of the Weimaraner fancier
is central. A genetic study is only as
good as the samples used to run it.
The major, and perhaps only limitationof this project is the number and the
quality of the DNA samples we obtain.
The samples needed are whole blood
samples (in “EDTA” or purple top
test tubes). The reason whole blood
is required, is that the SNP technique
is very sensitive to contamination
and requires large amounts and top
quality DNA. Buccal (cheek) swabs
are not clean enough to successfully
perform accurate SNP analysis, and
the yield of DNA is less. This type
of analysis must be reproducible,
sensitive and accurate. We can’t allow
the lower quality of the DNA found in
buccal swabs to negatively affect the
reliability of the results. This study is
just too important for the future of
our breed.
Ideally, samples from affected dogs
should be accompanied by samples
from the two parents and from a
normal littermate. Additional relatives
are welcome. If all these samples are
not available please submit whatever
you can. These samples should be
shipped as fresh as possible and should
be kept refrigerated, but not frozen,
until shipped. Ideally, the samples
should be shipped in Styrofoam with
an ice pack to keep it cool. Use
overnight shipping.
Please contact me for forms to
accompany your blood samples,
addresses and additional information.
Dr. Noa Safra
nsafra@ucdavis.edu
drnoasafra@gmail.com
(530) 754-7289
Department of Population Health and Reproduction
School of Veterinary Medicine
1114 Tupper Hall
University of Davis CA
One Shields Avenue
Davis , CA 95616
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