Canine Cyclic Haematopoiesis

Appearance of a puppy with Grey Collie syndrome - Copyright Michelle Tennis & Peggy Melton

• Also called Grey Collie Syndrome
• Autosomal recessive
• Insertion mutation in AP3B1 gene
• Diluted grey coat colour, stunted growth, poor wound healing
• Neutropenia every 2 weeks which lasts 3-4 days due to cyclic production of cells from bone marrow
• Animals are prone to recurrent infections, mainly from the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract
  • E.g. pyrexia, diarrhoea, gingivitis and arthritis
• Puppies can be distinguished from other litter mates by the diluted grey colouring
• Affected puppies show symptoms such as fever, joint pain and eye, skin and respiratory infections from 8 weeks of age
• Affected animals rarely live beyond 2-3 years with most puppies dying within a few weeks of birth