[kaz]

Do any of you out there have some experience of DNA testing for eye conditions. I was all set to have my Goldies eyes tested when someone come up with the idea that it might be better to have her DNA tested as that shows whether she has any conditions is a carrier or clear and would only have to be tested once instead of yearly.

[Sylvia]

It's a simple test and will set your mind at rest if they are clear

[doganjo]

I believe the Kennel Club are recommending DNA testing - there are a number of laboratories who do this, I know Dr Mansour Makki, from the Laboklin company. I'm sure he'd be happy to discuss anything with you - he's a lovely person.  They are building up profiles on a  number of breeds and eventually will be able to tell which breeds make up any particular dog.

[Sandy]

Not sure why you have to go through the kennel club...to me its about money not about animals..I would happily have ours tested at a vet without paying the Kennel Club!

[doganjo]

I didn't say that.  Read what I said

1. The KC are recommending DNA testing.

2. Laboklin are a Laboratory who do DNA testing

3. I know Dr Mansour Makki,

4. I was speaking to him at Crufts about DNA profiling

5. Vets cannot do DNA testing unless they have their own laboratories.


These are five facts.  I only deal in facts.

[Mammyshaz]

 the kennel club are recommending it, not doing it. The tests can be taken by your vet and sent to the appropriate labs.

The results can then be submitted to the kennel club ,  for a fee yes. This then enables people interested in looking for an appropriate mate for their dog or  a pup from this breeding to see the results thus choose whether suitable or not.

Certain hereditary diseases will only pass on if BOTH parents carry the gene so the kennel club database is a great help for health conscious breeders finding a suitable mate  :  this applies to certain eye conditions so is very necessary if you have a breed known to carry faulty genes

I don't think much of some thing the kennel club do or don't do but this information IMO is vital in the
welfare of our dogs.

If you are considering using your goldie for breeding I think speak to your vet or the kennel club, who will know which tests are best for him/ her. The royal college ( vets ) and kennel club are currently liaising to establish standards for health testing in many breeds

[Sandy]

doanjo you are NOT the kennel club so do not take this as a personal gripe but, I would willingily stamp out the flaws in breeds that the Kennel Club have created due to wanting shorter backs, smaller heads, lower legs etc etc but why do they need to get money from testing..it the breed/dogs interest was formost, a vet could provide, after 7+ years of training and I know a few vets!!!! the same results!! A Vet is a Vet to disrespect thier training is soooo wrong!

[jaykay]

I think it's vets that get the fees for doing the actual testing, the KC get the fee if you want to register the results of the tests with them?

[robate55]

The DNA tests are very useful as they can spot carriers of the disease tested just affected dogs. However their will only be 1 condition tested so it may be necessary to also eye test. For example in my breeds the English Springer can be tested for PRA (cord1) and the Border Collie can be tested for CEA.  However the collies still have to be eye checked for PRA and the Springer for Retinal Dysplasia and for any other eye diseases.
Quick answer - do both.
At one time I had samples for DNA testing in Australia, USA & Uk for my collie as well as hip scoring & eye testing. All clear but still could not breed from her due development of a genetic problem there is no test for.
Rose

[doganjo]

doanjo you are NOT the kennel club so do not take this as a personal gripe but, I would willingily stamp out the flaws in breeds that the Kennel Club have created due to wanting shorter backs, smaller heads, lower legs etc etc but why do they need to get money from testing..it the breed/dogs interest was formost, a vet could provide, after 7+ years of training and I know a few vets!!!! the same results!! A Vet is a Vet to disrespect thier training is soooo wrong!

I I agree entirely, some breeds have horrendous problems that the Kennel club are only now beginning to do something about.  They should have put health issues to the fore years ago before they got out of hand.  The DNA profiling should help that though, and the vet checks at shows. But the Kennel Club didn't create those problems, regrettably it was the breeders who did that - they wanted to exaggerate the good points of their breeds and went too far.

I didn't question or disrespect a Vet's training - read what I wrote - I said that vet's can only do DNA testing if they have laboratories with the essential equipment to do so.  They will collect the specimen in the media required by the laboratories and send it to the labs like any other test, they may charge a fee for that, the labs charge a fee, and if an owner wishes it recorded on their dog's registration file the Kennel Club may request a fee too.

[Mammyshaz]

Sorry kaz, on retracing your post, prob A case of ' teaching mother to suck eggs'

I don't work in private vets so don't do breeding health probs tho daily recite about breeding commitments
    people who have no clue!!

Tests are changing regularly as they improve. Your vet will know which are the more reliable for breeding, and both KC and vet will know which are advisable for your breed.

No help to you at all really   

[funkyfish]

The animal health trust website has useful info on DNA testing.
Has anyone MDR-1 tested their Border Collies? ( the defect gene which makes them unable to tolerate certain drugs like Ivomectins).

[kaz]

I didn't say that.  Read what I said

1. The KC are recommending DNA testing.

2. Laboklin are a Laboratory who do DNA testing

3. I know Dr Mansour Makki,

4. I was speaking to him at Crufts about DNA profiling

5. Vets cannot do DNA testing unless they have their own laboratories.


These are five facts.  I only deal in facts.

I have been on the Kennel Club website and the company that test for PRCD/PRA is Optigen based in New York. A test can be ordered  online, but a blood sample has to be taken by your vet and they forward it onto the company.
As I live approx. an hours drive away from the nearest vets that do the eye testing yearly in Wales it is probably less stressfull for my dog for me to go down the DNA testing line as that is a one off test, so I'll be contacting my vet with regard to that a.s.a.p. Results are supposed to take  a couple of weeks and they are emailed to you. Don't know what happens as regards to the Kennel Club having them, but that's another issue.   

[Old Shep]

Hi Kaz, I recently DNA tested one of my setters for PRA via the Animal health trust.  You send off for a testing pack and wipe the cotton swabs inside your dogs cheeks and send them back .  You get the results very quickly.

http://www.aht.org.uk/cms-display/genetics_tests.html  scroll down to the Goldie tests.

My setter came back as a carrier (which means she won't get it) ( I haven't bred from her and she is spayed - so no chance of passing it on).  I did the test because I was worried about her sight - she is 8 yrs old and at 40 squid it was cheaper than an eye specialist :-)