When you are going into the fridge to find something to eat or drink, do you think about where the food or drink comes from? I highly doubt it; if you were to think about it, I would bet most of the products in your fridge have some type of dairy cow product in it. That is why it is so important to have research on dairy cows due to how important they are for human health. Without dairy cows I believe that humans would not have thrived as long as we have due to how many products dairy cows are associated with today. German researchers recently discovered a relatively new genetic disease called HCD in 2015, and they believe that the first ever bull being a carrier of this genetic defect dates back to 1991 to a bull called Maughlin Storm (Mock,
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A mutation of the APOB gene will result in its inability to gain weight as well as its inability to have subcutaneous fat, and in most cases it will lead to death. A few symptoms of this genetic disease are diarrhea, hypercholesterolemia, and any sort of treatment failing to help (Mock, T). The reason I came across this genetic deficiency was due to Dr. Jeremy Carpenter of Plainfield Vet clinic actually has the oldest living cholesterol Holstein heifer calf in the world. The heifer calf is a little over two years old as of now and I was fortunate enough to see the heifer calf in person. The heifer calf displays all of the symptoms that the German researchers believed to be a part of this genetic disease. The heifer calf is extremely skinny and looks sickly due to the calf not being able to absorb all the nutrients it should out of its feed. Dr. Carpenter also told me that when he comes out to feed the cattle on a chilly winter morning, the heifer calf will be completely frosted over due to its inability to keep in body heat because its nonexistent subcutaneous fat supply. Subcutaneous fat is a layer of fat directly underneath the skin. When the calf was first born, Dr. Carpenter thought the calf wasn’t …show more content…
Unit of Animal Genomics (UAG) at the University in Liège, Belgium created the genetic test for HCD. After testing large amounts of DNA and determining areas of the DNA that were similar and different, it wasn’t hard for them to find the location of the mutation. Their research showed that all the cows that were carriers had similar type of mutation on their APOB to a cow that was recessive homozygous. They are extremely confident in their results that they claim that they are 100% accurate in their results if a cow in a carrier, recessive homozygous, or non-carrier. This genetic test allows farmers to try and eliminate the bloodlines that trace back to Maughlin Storm or other bloodlines that are believed to have traces of HCD in them. If they eliminate the contaminated bloodlines, they will hopefully eliminate this genetic defect, which would be one less thing for farmers to worry about. There is a downside to this genetic test, you have to send it to Belgium and it isn’t as well known, as it should be. Dr. Carpenter knows a lot more about HCD due to his involvement with a HCD calf of his own. He never said anything to me about a genetic test, so I doubt he knows there is genetic test. To fix this problem, I believe that it is necessary for all veterinarians to be aware of this genetic defect as well as AI companies. There
A mutation of the APOB gene will result in its inability to gain weight as well as its inability to have subcutaneous fat, and in most cases it will lead to death. A few symptoms of this genetic disease are diarrhea, hypercholesterolemia, and any sort of treatment failing to help (Mock, T). The reason I came across this genetic deficiency was due to Dr. Jeremy Carpenter of Plainfield Vet clinic actually has the oldest living cholesterol Holstein heifer calf in the world. The heifer calf is a little over two years old as of now and I was fortunate enough to see the heifer calf in person. The heifer calf displays all of the symptoms that the German researchers believed to be a part of this genetic disease. The heifer calf is extremely skinny and looks sickly due to the calf not being able to absorb all the nutrients it should out of its feed. Dr. Carpenter also told me that when he comes out to feed the cattle on a chilly winter morning, the heifer calf will be completely frosted over due to its inability to keep in body heat because its nonexistent subcutaneous fat supply. Subcutaneous fat is a layer of fat directly underneath the skin. When the calf was first born, Dr. Carpenter thought the calf wasn’t …show more content…
Unit of Animal Genomics (UAG) at the University in Liège, Belgium created the genetic test for HCD. After testing large amounts of DNA and determining areas of the DNA that were similar and different, it wasn’t hard for them to find the location of the mutation. Their research showed that all the cows that were carriers had similar type of mutation on their APOB to a cow that was recessive homozygous. They are extremely confident in their results that they claim that they are 100% accurate in their results if a cow in a carrier, recessive homozygous, or non-carrier. This genetic test allows farmers to try and eliminate the bloodlines that trace back to Maughlin Storm or other bloodlines that are believed to have traces of HCD in them. If they eliminate the contaminated bloodlines, they will hopefully eliminate this genetic defect, which would be one less thing for farmers to worry about. There is a downside to this genetic test, you have to send it to Belgium and it isn’t as well known, as it should be. Dr. Carpenter knows a lot more about HCD due to his involvement with a HCD calf of his own. He never said anything to me about a genetic test, so I doubt he knows there is genetic test. To fix this problem, I believe that it is necessary for all veterinarians to be aware of this genetic defect as well as AI companies. There