Juvenile Laryngeal Paralysis and Polyneuropathy Juvenile Laryngeal Paralysis and Polyneuropathy (JLPP) is a neurological disorder which has recently been discovered in Rottweilers.

JLPP is a disorder affecting the nerves, it is named polyneuropathy: poly- (many), neuro- (nerves), -pathy (a disease).

Symptoms
The first symptoms of the disease appear in the larynx and throat. In a healthy dog, one of the longest nerves in the body supplies the muscles of the voice box, called larynx. While the dog is barking, air moves over the vocal folds, which start to vibrate. On the other hand, when the dog breathes in, larynx’s muscles pull the vocal folds on the side, so the air can easily enter the lungs. When the nerves are unable to transmit this message correctly, and the muscles become weak or even paralysed. The dog is unable to breath in properly, due to vocal fold which cannot be pulled out of the way. This is called the laryngeal paralysis, and it is often the first symptom in the affected dogs.

Affected dogs breath noisily, and the air flow into the lungs is particularly difficult during the dog’s exercise or in the hot weather. Choking the food or water is common, which often results in pneumonia. Abnormalities in the eye development of the affected dogs have been also reported. JLPP affected dogs appear to have smaller eyes than normal, a condition called Microphthalmia, and they develop cataracts as well as other changes.

Genetics Juvenile Laryngeal Paralysis and Polyneuropathy (JLPP) is caused by a mutation in the RAB3GAP1 gene. The disorder is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. In case of showing the JLPP symptoms, the healthy parents of the affected puppy are obligate heterozygotes, and therefore carry one mutant allele. Heterozygotes have no symptoms. At conception, each puppy has a 25% chance of being affected, a 50% chance of being an asymptomatic carrier, and a 25% chance of being unaffected and not a carrier.

There is no cure for this disorder, and only way to alleviate it, is to breed dogs which are not carriers of the mutation. Defected genes for autosomal recessive disease can be passed for many generations without affected individuals occurring until two carriers are bred to one another. The only way to find out if there is a chance of getting an affected puppy is to do genetic testing.

Watch the video below - to give you an insight to how devastating this disease is. Please ensure if you are looking to purchase a Rottweiler Puppy - only look at litters bred by breeders who conform to the National Rottweiler Council guidelines of health testing and can supply proof by way of certification (samples of these can be viewed on individual dog pages on this website).

Link to JLPP page on ADRK Website.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT JLPP CARRIER MEANS TO YOU AS A PUPPY BUYER

All Breeders, be it Registered or Non Registered puppies CAN AND SHOULD TEST THEIR MALE AND FEMALE BEFORE BREEDING – NO EXCUSES !!!

I would like to shed some light on this subject as it seems there is incorrect perceptions in regards to JLPP Carriers to you as a perspective puppy buyer. The carriers are ONLY A CARRIER of the mutant gene JLPP, THEY DO NOT SHOW ANY SIGNS OF THIS DISEASE nor will they at any stage of their lives, they live out a normal life in every sense of the word.

NOTES on Sire & Dam who have been tested via swab/blood for the JLPP Gene -: Certified as a CLEAR - No JLPP recessive Gene present
Certified as a CARRIER - JLPP recessive Gene present

Having a Rottweiler as a pet that is a JLPP carrier only means that it carries the mutant gene and ‘may’ only be passed on if the dog or bitch is bred from. Pets that come from breeders usually are to be desexed and not to have a litter unless organised otherwise with the pups breeder so for 99% of you this is not an issue.

Mating a CARRIER to a CLEAR is OK there will only be Clears and Carriers in that mating NO AFFECTEDS can result in the litter.

You can only get affected’s in a litter if you breed a CARRIER to a CARRIER SHOULD NEVER BE DONE!!!!

Breeders are testing for the recessive gene in the view to rid our beloved breed from this disease which is why we are testing our breeding stock to make sure we are doing the right thing.

The breeders who are testing, I commend them on their dedication to help the breed, these breeders are doing the correct thing in finding out their breeding pairs JLPP status BEFORE BREEDING.

To use a Carrier and a Clear in a mating, breeders have the option to have puppies tested and results back before they go to their new homes , this helps the breeder choose which puppy they wish to keep for helping the breed with all over the best qualities.

The idea of breeding IF one has too use a CARRIER to a Clear in their breeding program is to keep lovely breed type, the temperaments they are wishing for and to improve health statue overall. Breeders work on keeping a CLEAR to move forward in their breeding program to end up only breeding CLEAR TO CLEAR.

It is very early days with the Rottweiler and JLPP and we are still learning about the genetics on JLPP but NOW we have a DNA test available worldwide so there is no reason this disease cannot be eradicated.

FURTHER ARTICLES OF INTEREST:
http://www.nationalrottweilercouncil.com/jlpp-articles.html
http://www.caninegeneticdiseases.net/JLPP/  https://www.facebook.com/groups/ROTTWEILERPuppyBuyerBewareFACTS/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/JLPPinRottweilers/
National Rottweiler Council Australia : Guardian of the Rottweiler in Australia http://www.nationalrottweilercouncil.com/