Alopecia in American Water Spaniels Research

Your (and your AWS's) help is needed in support of this American Water Spaniel genetic research! 
Please read on, and participate if you qualify.

What is Alopecia?

Alopecia or hair loss is a relatively common finding in American Water Spaniels. Affected dogs tend to show hair loss at a young age (6 months – 1 year), and the hair loss is not associated with infection, itch or other condition. The affected skin may appear dark but, other than that it looks completely normal. The hair loss is typically located on the back legs, the tail, or the neck, but can be located anywhere on the body.

Who is Working on it?

Drs. Brian Husbands, Sheila Torres, and Steven Friedenberg are working to investigate the genetic basis of hair loss in American Water Spaniels. Our goal is to find the genetic mutation associated with the disease so that a test can be developed to decrease the frequency of this disease within the breed.  We are looking to enroll dogs affected with alopecia/hair loss as well as unaffected/normal dogs.  

Volunteer your AWS!

You can help by volunteering your AWS for this study.  Complete details and instructions are found at the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine's Research page.

Information needed to participate:

AKC Registration Number, copy of pedigree, your dog’s medical record, specific photos, and signed consent to join the study.

AWS Pictures   Consent to Participate

To learn more about our project, feel free to contact Dr. Brian Husbands at bdhusbands@gmail.com.