Panda German Shepherd Breeder
A mutation in the KIT gene has been found to be the source of the dominant white spotting pattern known as Panda that occurs in a line of German Shepherd dogs. This mutation is very recent as it appeared spontaneously in a female born in 2000. The Panda pattern is characterized by symmetrical markings of white forelock, muzzle, chest, ventral abdomen, collar and tip of the tail. The amount of white can vary from dog to dog. In the homozygous state, the Panda mutation is considered an early embryonic lethal as no live dogs with the pattern and with 2 copies of the mutation have been observed. Heterozygous (1 copy of the mutation) dogs do not have any health defects associated with this pattern.
The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory offers a test for the Panda pattern to allow breeders to determine if white patterning is caused by this KIT gene mutation.
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Allow 2-6 business days for results.
Results reported as:
| Genotype | Interpretation |
| N/N | No copies of the Panda mutation are present. |
| N/P | 1 copy of the Panda mutation is present. |
Reference:
Wong AK, AL Ruhe, KR Robertson, ER Loew, DC Williams and MW Neff. A de novo mutation in KIT causes white spotting in a subpopulation of German Shepherd dogs. Animal Genetics 2013 Jun;44(3):305-310. doi: 10.1111/age.12006. Epub 2012 Nov 8.
