Abstract Background Superficial chronic corneal epithelial defects (SCCEDs) are spontaneous corneal defects in dogs that share many clinical and pathologic characteristics to recurrent corneal erosions (RCE) in humans. Boxer dogs are predisposed to SCCEDs, therefore a search for a genetic defect was performed to explain this susceptibility. DNA was extracted from blood collected from Boxer dogs with and without SCCEDs followed by whole genome sequencing (WGS). RNA sequencing of corneal tissue and immunostaining of corneal sections from affected SCCED Boxer dogs with a deletion in the NOG gene and affected non-Boxer dogs without the deletion were performed. Results A 30 base pair deletion at a splice site in Noggin (NOG) (Chr 9:31453999) was identified by WGS and was significantly associated (P
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