Judy Morgan never considered herself a scientist until she began studying golden retriever genetics. And she still doesn’t, after being a part of a research for over ten years.
Morgan, of the Village of Gilchrist, became concerned when she found that her golden retriever, Lila, had cancer in her family ancestry years ago.
“I found out her mother died of a blood cancer,” Morgan said. “As I started to look into it, I learned golden retrievers are highly susceptible to several cancers.”
As a result, Morgan and Lila took part in the Morris Animal Foundation Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, a study initiative that gathers data points on variables that contribute to the breed’s falling longevity.
Morgan recently delivered a presentation about what they accomplished to the Golden Retriever Club of The Villages.
The same day as the presentation was also the one-year anniversary of Lila’s passing, and Morgan believed it was a fitting way to commemorate Lila’s contributions.
“Lila was in the study for almost her whole life,’ Morgan said. “She was two years old when I registered her to be considered.”
Morgan attributes all of the credit to Lila, despite the fact that she worked on the project for years.
“I did not have to do anything. Lila was the real superhero of it all,” Morgan said. “Every year they would collect a bunch of biological samples like blood, hair and stool and collect various data points.”
Morgan would conduct detailed questionnaires about Lila’s life and activities during the day.
“For some of the lifestyle and environmental factors they would ask things like whether she swam, and for how long, and what type of water like a pond or a pool,” Morgan said. “They want to know as much as they can.”
Not every golden retriever was eligible since the study required as much detail as possible. Owners were required to show proof of purebred bloodline and five generations of pedigree.
The study’s purpose is to uncover any environmental, genetic, dietary and lifestyle risk factors, as well as how they may affect a dog’s health and lifespan. The research began with 3,044 canines and has now reduced to 2,126 active golden retrievers due to withdrawal, inactivity or death.
“They have published four papers so far with their findings,” she said. Morgan stated that one revelation for golden retrievers, a breed prone to joint and ligament damage such as torn ACLs and hip dysplasia, is that the earlier you get your dog spayed or neutered, the less likely they are to be injured.
Deb Gedaro, President of the Golden Retriever Club of The Villages, expressed gratitude that Morgan wished to communicate to the club about the study.
“All of us are so passionate about this breed,” Gedaro said. “Over the last several generations of goldens, it has been documented they are dying younger.”
As more data is shared, the knowledge becomes more open and accessible to doctors and scientists, who may be able to avoid these diseases, injuries and shortened lives.