The Vector Borne Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine is recruiting cases for a funded research project, which is investigating the potential role of selected flea- and tick-borne bacteria as co-factors in the development of lymphoma in Golden Retrievers. This two-year study is being funded exclusively by the Golden Retriever Foundation and the Canine Health Foundation. 

The 1998 Golden Retriever Health Survey showed a statistically significant decrease in lymphoma among Golden Retrievers that had been treated with flea and tick prevention products. This research project will examine one mechanism by which these data might be explained – that infection with Bartonella, Ehrlichia, and/or Anaplasma species bacteria may predispose susceptible dogs to develop lymphoma. 

The purpose of this study is to search for evidence of Bartonella, Ehrlichia, and/or Anaplasma infection in Golden Retriever dogs with lymphoma, as compared to age- and sex-matched Golden Retrievers from the same geographic region. Obtaining identical samples from healthy control dogs will be critical to the scientific evaluation of data obtained from Golden Retrievers with lymphoma.

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