Researchers uncover genetic cause of CIM disorder in dogs
German shepherds are among the dog breeds predisposed to congenital idiopathic megaesophagus (CIM), an inherited and sometimes deadly disorder that leads to an enlarged esophagus that fails to move food into the stomach. Dogs that do not outgrow the disease will require lifelong symptomatic management. Leigh Anne Clark, an associate professor of genetics, and her research team performed a genome-wide scan to identify genes associated with the disorder. They used those findings to develop a new genetic test for the disease that German shepherd dog breeders can use to reduce future incidence while preserving genetic diversity.
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