Familial Nephropathy (FN)

last updated DRAFT STAGE

Autosomal recessive hereditary nephropathy (ARHN)

Familial Nephropathy (FN) also known as Hereditary nephropathy or Autosomal Hereditary Recessive Nephropathy, (AHRN) is a rapidly progressive kidney disease resulting in severe renal failure and subsequent death.

The disease develops between the ages of 6 months and two years, (but usually within the first year). The first clinical signs are: excessive water intake, stunted growth, decreased appetite, vomiting. The rate at which the disease can develop depends very much on a dog’s genetic make up.


Hereditary nephropathy is a broad term for certain fatal inherited diseases that in the cocker spaniel are due to a type IV collagen defect that result in renal (kidney) failure.

FN has a very high degree of severity, as kidney function degenerates, the quality of life decreases, as does the lifespan of the affected dog.

Dogs that have kidney disease tend to drink more and therefore urinate more. In pups, the disease can easily go undiagnosed because dog owners mistakenly attribute frequent and uncontrolled urination to the possibility that a dog is a slow learner when it comes to it being housetrained. As the condition progresses, affected dogs will display some or all of the following symptoms, which suggest the dog may have a renal problem; loss of weight, slow growth rate, dull or thin coat, poor appetite, increased lethargy, frequent vomiting, signs of anaemia.

Familial nephropathy (autosomal recessive hereditary nephropathy) FN Familial nephropathy leads to degeneration of the renal cortex. A disorder of the glomerular basement membrane of the kidney, which is caused by a change in type IV collagen.

Reading

FN
Fatal Renal (kidney) failure.
Mode of Inheritance
 Autosomal Recessive
This is a heredity condition passed on from the parents.
Onset
 Juvenile
Clinical Symptoms usually develop 6mths - 2yrs.
Testing Available
 DNA
Reliable DNA testing is available for this disorder through multiple international Labs (It can not be done at your local vets).
Clinical Symptoms
The first clinical signs are: excessive water intake, stunted growth, decreased appetite & vomiting.
Breeding Strategy
 1 Clear Parent
To ensure progeny are not affected by this condition at least 1 parent must be clear.

FN Around The World

Genetic testing has proven to be a invaluable tool and an intrinsic part of breeding healthy cockers and reducing the likelihood of disease.

informal data collected from CSDB
Data lasted updated January 2025

% are more important when considering these statistics rather than the numbers recorded above, as some dogs results may have been duplicated in different databases

Research Notes FN

As FN can be scientifically determined using DNA, this should form part of any required testing programme, AND on developing minimum breed health testing.


Cocker FN.
Gene involved COL4A4
Mutation c.115A>T this is different from the one for other breeds