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WHAT IS DAMS ?
In August 2022, a scientific paper was published which identified a genetic mutation that causes Dyserythropoietic Anaemia and Myopathy Syndrome (DAMS) in English Springer Spaniels. The study looked at a family of 26 show-type ESS from Sweden which included five affected with DAMS, two that died shortly before or after birth, and 19 unaffected. It also included two affected Australian dogs previously studied in 1991, which were distantly related to the Swedish dogs.
Like other genetic diseases such as Fucosidosis, DAMS is inherited through an autosomal recessive trait. Autosomal means that it can it can affect both males and females. Recessive means that for a dog to be affected, it must inherit two copies of the mutant gene (one from each parent).
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND IMPACT OF DAMS ?
DAMS is an early onset high impact disease that significantly and increasingly affects the dog's quality of life. The affected Swedish dogs in the study had to be euthanised between the ages of 1-7 years.
Typical symptoms fall into two main categories:
Dyserythropoiesis: Defect in the development of red blood cells resulting in anaemia, with too few and small red blood cells, containing less haemoglobin than normal, affecting the ability to bind and transport oxygen. The bone marrow then increases production and sends out immature red blood cells that have a poorer ability to transport oxygen.
Polymyopathy: Impaired muscle function in several muscles. This may show as weakness, pain from the muscles, muscle wastage, limping gait, difficulty opening the mouth wide and chewing, and enlarged oesophagus (megaesophagus), causing difficulty swallowing, regurgitation and even life-threatening pneumonia.
Affected dogs begin to show symptoms shortly after birth and muscle wasting progresses over time until the dog can no longer walk, jump, eat, drink and move freely. It varies individually in how long it takes before the symptoms increase to such an extent that the dog can no longer live with the disease. Two of the Australian dogs studied in 1991 also had an enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy), but that was not observed in any of the Swedish dogs autopsied.
IS THERE A DNA TEST ?
Following the discovery of the DAMS mutation, a DNA test has been developed that will confirm the genetic status of each dog as either:
CLEAR: The dog has two normal copies of the DAMS gene. It will not have DAMS, nor can it pass on the mutant gene to any offspring;
CARRIER: The dog has one normal copy and one mutant copy of the DAMS gene. It will not suffer clinically with DAMS themselves, but it can pass on the mutant gene to its offspring;
AFFECTED: The dog has two mutant copies of the DAMS gene. It will be clinically affected with DAMS and will always pass on the mutant gene to any offspring.
The DAMS mutation is recessive, so a puppy MUST inherit TWO copies of the mutation (one from each parent) to be clinically affected. This means it is safe to breed from carriers without risk of producing affected offspring, provided they are mated to dogs that are known to be clear of the mutation. This enables a wider selection of dogs with desirable characteristics (that otherwise appear healthy) to remain in the breeding pool to help maintain genetic diversity in the breed.
The DAMS test uses a buccal (cheek) swab for DNA analysis, a completely non-invasive method of sample collection. The sample can be collected by owners or by a qualified Vet if owners prefer the sample ID to be independently verified.
Although some of the symptoms overlap (muscle wastage, difficulty opening the mouth wide and chewing), it’s important not to confuse DAMS with MMM (Masticatory Muscle Myositis). Unlike DAMS, MMM is an autoimmune condition in which a specific type of muscle fibre found only in the chewing muscles of the jaw and skull is attacked and destroyed by the body’s own immune system. Sadly, there is no DNA test for MMM.
Note: DAMS has also been identified in Labrador Retrievers - although their mutation is in the same gene (EHBP1L1) as the ESS mutation, it is a different variant so the DNA tests are different for each breed.
THE STORY SO FAR AND WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
A number of ESS breeders in Scandinavia were the first to use the DAMS DNA test and there appears to be a carrier rate of around 20% of those tested. Although there are substantial differences between the UK and Scandinavian ESS gene pools, there is also a significant crossover, with some UK show lines in the Scandinavian gene pool and vice versa. As a result, DAMS carriers have been found in UK show lines. At this stage, we simply have no idea of the overall mutation frequency in the wider UK ESS population, as it would need a large number of dogs from across the breed to be tested for us to have any meaningful indication.
An official KC/ESS Breed Scheme was introduced in September 2023, since when the results of DAMS DNA tests carried out at KC approved laboratories are automatically forwarded to the KC for recording on registrations and publication in the next available Breed Records Supplement.
DAMS DNA testing is a 'Best Practice' health test under the Kennel Club Health Standard for ESS (or dogs must be "hereditarily clear").
To find DAMS test results for any individual dog click on Health Test Results Finder.
To find a list of DAMS tested dogs and their genetic status, click HERE. Note: This list doesn't include ‘hereditarily clear’ dogs (i.e. dogs that have themselves not been tested as they are the product of two CLEAR parents).
Results for dogs that were tested before the introduction of the official Breed Scheme can also be recorded, but owners need to send the certified results to the Kennel Club themselves. Scanned copies of DAMS test certificates should be emailed to the KC at health.results@thekennelclub.org.uk. We strongly encourage owners to forward these results, whatever they were, so that they can be accessible to everyone and provide much needed data.
It's important to bear in mind that show-type ESS are only a tiny proportion of the overall ESS population in the UK. ‘Recommended’ health tests apply across the breed (we don’t have different lists for different sub-groups) and, with the information currently available, it’s too soon to know how common the DAMS mutation is across the ESS population as a whole. However, even if the mutation isn't common, DAMS is a devastating early onset and ultimately fatal disease, so we would encourage and support any breeders who want to avoid any possibility of producing affected dogs, to use the DNA test for their own peace of mind as well as contributing towards much needed data.
For further information or advice, please contact the
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