Xanthinuria in Manchester Terriers 

In August 2015, Dr. Eva Furrow, VMD, PhD, Dip ACVIM, Assistant Professor of Small Animal Medicine at University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine and her team concluded a successful investigation of hereditary xanthinuria in Toy Manchester Terriers.  Xanthinuria simply means an excess of xanthine (a by-product of the metabolismof some proterins) in the urine.  In affected dogs, xanthine may accumulate in blood and urine and can cause urinary stones (bladder and/or kidney) and kidney failure.

As a result of her research, Dr. Furrow has identified a DNA test to detect carriers of the autosomal recessive gene causing this disorder.  

We encourage all Manchester Terrier and English Toy Terrier owners and breeders to explore these pages and learn more about what we have learned, our current research activities and how you can help research efforts.

Learn More!

  • View updated statistics on Xanthnuria testing results as of May 2020.
  • Check out our Completed Research page for results of Standard Manchester sampling.
  • The CMTC and AMTC thank Nicole Tate from the University of Minnesota for her September 2016 presentation on Juvenile Cardioymopathy and Xanthinuria at the American Manchester Terrier Club National Specialty.  Click the links below to view the presentation slides and hear recorded audio of her presentation.