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A great deal of the illness seen in dogs and cats is breed related (see 11.4 Heritable Health Conditions – By Breed). All breeds of dogs and cats have genetic susceptibility to particular medical and behavioral problems. In addition, any individual pet carries genes for diseases it may never develop itself but that could be passed down to its offspring.

Many canine and feline genetic diseases have been described to date (see 11.3 Heritable Health Conditions – By Disease). Many purebred cats have serious genetic problems and even most plain old domestic shorthair or longhair cats have susceptibility to genetically related diseases.

Mixed‐breed dogs are not immune to genetically related diseases either (see 3.19 Mixed‐Breed Considerations). A study by researchers at the University of California‐Davis [1] challenged the theory that purebred dogs are more prone to genetic disorders than mixed breed dogs. They studied 27 254 dogs with inherited disorders over a five‐year period. For 10 out of the 24 disorders studied, purebred dogs were more likely to develop the disorder. For 13 of those disorders, mixed‐breed and purebred dogs had equal risk. For cranial cruciate ligament tear, mixed‐breed dogs were actually at higher risk than purebreds.

Some of these diseases are very common and some are very rare. Some are common in one breed and rare in another. Breeds from similar lineages are more susceptible to certain disorders that affect closely related purebreds. Disorders with equal prevalence in purebreds and mixed‐breeds seem to be more ancient mutations that are widely spread through the pet population.

Some genetic diseases are dangerous and deadly while others are minor flaws easily dealt with (see 2.7 Risk Assessment).

Some heritable diseases can be tested for, either with DNA tests or more standard types of phenotypic testing, enabling earlier diagnosis and intervention (see 3.4 Predicting and Eliminating Disease Traits and 3.11 Integrating Genotypic and Phenotypic Testing). Disorders caused by a single genetic defect can usually be more easily diagnosed and treated, and more and more genetic (DNA) tests are becoming available all the time. Collectively, early detection testing helps us tailor a pet's healthcare plan to its own particular circumstances (see 4.7 Embracing Early Detection).

Some of these genetic disorders simply require awareness on the part of the owner as to what to watch for and when to call the veterinarian. Our goal should be to make sure that every owner of an at‐risk breed knows about the diseases and problems that could affect their dog or cat, both genetically related and not, and the testing or treatment that is currently available for them (see 6.4 Creating a Pet‐Specific User's Manual).