First French Bulldog Sex Reversal Puppy Noticed in Spain
The dog was brought to the veterinary centre for her first vaccination where specialists noticed the size of her clitoris, which was 'larger than normal'.
Veterinary specialists in Spain have indentified a French bulldog with sex reversal. The dog was brought to the veterinary centre for her first vaccination where specialists noticed the size of her clitoris, which was 'larger than normal'. The female puppy had testes outside the scrotum (cryptorchid testes). This is the first instance of genetic alteration detected in the reproductive system of this dog breed.
Tests revealed that the dog was a chromosomally XX female but with masculine gonads (cryptorchid testicles) due to the presence of other genes that determined the formation of testicles in the absence of the genes present on the Y chromosome. Despite the larger size of clitoris, the vulva is normal in size because of which they had low level of masculinization. The urethra ended in the bladder and the clitoris which is 0.8 cm long contained a penis bone. This predisposed the dog to urinary infections. Sex reversal causes sterility and over a period of time predisposes the dog to infections or tumors of gonads.
The veterinary specialists have suggested that the owners of this hermaphrodite puppy should not be allowed to take part in breeding programs as at least half of their litters will be carriers of the mutant genes. This study has been published in Reproduction in Domestic Animals
Source: Medindia