WCVM link to border collie research

University of Minnesota (U of M) scientists’ new findings about border collie collapse (BCC) have a direct link to previous studies conducted by Dr. Susan Taylor, a professor emerita of the WCVM’s Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences.

The Companion Animal Health Fund (CAHF) supported some of these initial BCC research investigations. The U of M research team’s genetic work, which was published in Genes, reported that BCC is a moderately- to highly heritable complex genetic disorder.

Many genetic variants — combined with environmental factors — contribute to the likelihood of border collies and related breeds developing this episodic nervous system condition that’s triggered by strenuous exercise.

In their paper, the U of M team acknowledged the pioneering research done by Taylor and her collaborators: “Most of our medical, epidemiological and physiological understanding of BCC comes from studies conducted by Dr. Sue Taylor and colleagues, who performed pre- and post-exercise evaluations of normal and affected border collies via standardized sheepherding and ball-chasing protocols.” 

Click here to access the Genes research paper.