CLEFT-PALATE WITH AUTOSOMAL RECESSIVE TRANSMISSION IN BRITTANY SPANIELS

In the course of maintaining a large colony of Brittany spaniels for s tudying a dominantly inherited motor neuron trait, cases of sporadic c omplete cleft palate were observed. Without intervention, the pups wit h cleft palate that attempt to nurse, aspirate and die. In this study, we report on the incidence of cleft palate in this dog kindred, descr ibe the gross morphologic characteristics of the cleft, and present a morphometric analysis of the skull of two of the cleft palate pups and one unaffected pup that died at birth. Our data thus far indicate 26. 9% incidence of cleft palate in the colony. Pedigree analysis indicate s that this cleft palate trait is inherited as an autosomal recessive. High resolution computed tomography scans of the pup heads were used in morphometric comparison of normal and cleft palate pups. We found s pecific morphologic differences between the cranial base and palate of normal and cleft palate pups. Plans for future studies of the genetic s and growth and development of this animal model are discussed. This canine cleft palate trait provides an ideal model for studying a malfo rmation common in humans.