CRANIOMANDIBULAR OSTEOPATHY IN WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER

The presented investigation was based on 11 West Highland White Terriers (WHT), which suffered from Craniomandibular Osteopathy (CMO) proven by physical and X-ray diagnosis. One of the investigated WHT showed an unusual ulnalocalisation of CMO-typical alterations. The operative therapy of this alteration is described. The evaluation of a pedigree analysis showed, that all investigated dogs are related by one ore more common ancestors. Six cases of CMO resulted from breeding with healthy fullsiblings of affected animals. No statement was possible about the exact genetic basis of CMO in the presented material; considering the qualitative variance of the observed alterations a polygenic basis of CMO has to be supposed. Concerning the possibility of total clinical recreation as a consequence of an appropriate therapy a specific genetic problem arises, as the dog owners often forget, that clinical recreation do not include genetic restitution and therefore the genetic defect will be passed on to the offspring, when animals, which had suffered from CMO, are used as breeding dogs. As a result of the presented investigations the following breeding recommendations are given: 1. Siblings of affected dogs have to be disqualified from breeding. 2. Dogs, which have overcome a CMO have to be disqualified from breeding. 3. All dogs of an exposed population should be X-rayed during a defined period of age. 4. All animals, which have overcome a CMO should be X-rayed after a defined period to find out whether CMO-specific alterations can be proven after clinical recreation.