What are the disadvantages of inbreeding: horses, cats, or dogs?

Question

I need to know the side effects. Are they basically the same for each or do they vary?

Answer 1

Weaker offspring. Look at the English and what happened after years and years of inbreeding. Hemophilia cropped up and did many of them in.

Answer 2

The general hazards of inbreeding are the same for any species; namely, concentration of defective genes. All individuals are thought to carry some defective genes, but these are usually not duplicated in their mate. (Note: Most - *not all* - defective genes are recessive, meaning you need two copies to have a visible problem.) As inbreeding occurs, successive generations become more and more genetically identical to one another, increasing the chance that two parents will both have the same defective gene.

A limited degree of inbreeding or 'line breeding' (e.g. father to daughters) is common practice and not necessarily harmful; there are formulas to calculate the degree of inbreeding and consequent risk of genetic mishap. However this is only reliable as an estimate for single-gene traits. The situation is more complex with polygenic traits such as hip dysplasia, eye development, etc. because it becomes much more difficult to identify carriers and cull them from future breeding. By the time a defect becomes clear, the faulty gene(s) responsible may be widespread in an inbred population.

The *specific* nature of an inbred flaw is going to vary with the species and the sub-population which has been inbred. Many breeds of dogs, for example, have known genetic defects which are more common in that specific breed; similarly, individual breeders may have one or more defects particular to the family or line which they breed.

Answer 3

I know after being around animals all my life including horses, that inbreeding can lead to some serious side affects, including death. With horses you can see inbreeding among the well known pedigrees. With equines this is called line breeding if it comes out successful. I think the same applies for cats and dogs. However, if things go wrong it can lead to blindness, deafness, and mental retardation. Depending on genetics, the animal can inheret several of the recessive genes causing these same problems along with joint and bone disease, cardiovascular disease, and or anything as simple as allergies. In the worst case scenario, the animal inherets far to many unfit genes and dies either before or shortly after birth.

Answer 4

Inbreeding can cause Major health problems and mental and physically disability.

Answer 5

The result is poor health and physical deformities.....pretty much can happen in cats, dogs and horses.

Answer 6

Obvious physical deformities, health issues such as genetic diseases, bone structure deformites, malformed organs... and lots lots more. Look at what happens to people when they inbreed.

Answer 7

Birth defects. Some of them are really bad.

Answer 8

weak babies some times deforned organs some will look fine but wont live long:( some you might have to be put down :(

Answer 9

as long as they are not blood related breeding animals are fine.however i wouldnt breed 3rd or 4 cousins. horses are difficult to breed. they need to be like 15th cousins or more

Answer 10

because of the select gene pool you could propetuate an adverse gene(i.e in felines, the polydactyl feline) and the mortality rate is high