INFLUENCE OF THORACIC CONFORMATION AND GENETICS ON THE RISK OF GASTRIC DILATATION-VOLVULUS IN IRISH-SETTERS

Body measurements, history of gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), and o ther data were obtained for 155 Irish setters at the 1994 National Spe cialty Show. The dogs ranged in age from 6.5 months to 12.4 years (mea n+/-standard deviation [SD] 3.6+/-2.6 years); 11 (7%) of the dogs had histories of GDV. Gastric dilatation-volvulus risk increased 33% for e ach year of age (p of 0.01). Dogs with the deepest thorax relative to width (ratio range, 1.61 to 1.85) had a significantly greater GDV risk than those with the shallowest thorax (ratio range, 1.20 to 1.50); th e odds ratio was 8.45; the 95% confidence limits were 1.44 to 49.57; a nd the p value equaled 0.02. Having a relative (particularly a parent) with GDV also increased GDV risk, Five-generation pedigrees yielded a significantly higher mean coefficient of relationship for the 11 dogs with GDV than for the 11 dogs without GDV.