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PRA DNA test for English
Springer Spaniels!
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At Karmadi, I am
committed to continue my quest to produce the healthiest dog I
can, for you the buyer.
Progressive
Retinal Atrophy (PRA) , an autosomal recessive inherited disease, is a
degeneration of the layers of the retina that are responsible
for vision. The disease is progressive, eventually resulting in
blindness.
In the past, the
only way we (breeders)
knew our lines were clear of the hereditary disease PRA, was to
do eye exams on all of our breeding dogs from 8 weeks of age and
then annually for life.
With the news of
the new PRA test that was made available (Apr 2007), I can now be certain that the puppies I
produce will never develop PRA.
In order to
develop PRA, a dog must inherit two copies of the defective PRA
gene ; one from its dam, one from its sire.
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Dogs will fall into three categories:
NORMAL: Dog has inherited two normal
genes. 'Normal; dogs will not develop this form of PRA,
and can safely be bred to any dog.
CARRIERS: Dog has inherited one
'normal' gene and one PRA mutant gene. 'Carrier'
dogs are not at risk to develop the disease.
AFFECTED: Dog has inherited two
mutant PRA genes. Dogs are at risk for developing PRA at
some point in their lifetime.
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The defective PRA
gene can be eliminated from a breeding line by adhering to the
following:
- 'Carrier' or
'affected' dogs can be bred to 'normal' dogs without
producing affected offspring.
- 'Affected' dogs can be bred
to 'normal' dogs: their progeny will all be 'carriers'.
- 'Carrier' pups can be bred
again to 'normal' dogs.
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Expected breeding results for
inherited recessive diseases:
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Parent 2 |
| Parent 1 |
Normal |
Carrier |
Affected |
| Normal |
All=Normal |
1/2=Normal
1/2=Carriers |
All=Carriers |
| Carrier
|
1/2=Normal
1/2=Carriers |
1/4=Normal
1/2=Carriers
1/4=Affected |
1/2=Carriers
1/2=Affected |
| Affected
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All=Carriers |
1/2=Carriers
1/2=Affected |
All=Affected |
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*It is important
never to breed two carrier dogs, because on average 25% of the
pups could be affected. One parent should always be clear/normal
for the disease |
According to the ESSFTA (English Springer
Spaniel Field Trial Association) as of April 2007:
- The percentage of
English Springer Spaniels testing as affected or
carrier for this mutation is very high.
- only 20% of the
1100-plus ESS’s genotyped during the research tested as
clear, or normal.
- Eliminating
all dogs testing as affected would have a major impact on
the breed and would have the potential to devastate
successful breeding programs.
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All Karmadi breeding dogs have been tested
for PRA. My PRA 'carriers' will only be bred to 'normal'
dogs. All resulting offspring will either be 'carriers' or
'normal', eliminating the risk of PRA.
All of my future puppies
will only test 'carrier' or 'normal' for PRA-meaning they will NOT be at risk for developing
this type of PRA.
We will continue to do eye exams on all of our
puppies at 8 weeks of age and annual eye exams on our breeding
dogs, (as we have always done). This helps us to ensure
that our dogs do not have any other eye disorders, which
means a healthier puppy for you, the buyer.
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At Karmadi we do the
following certifications on all of our breeding stock:
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committed to improving our breed, so from here forward, future
Karmadi puppies will not be at risk of developing PRA.
We will always promote any new
tests made available for our beloved breed.
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PRA
information:
ESSFTA--English
Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association (AKC Parent Club)
Canine
Genetic Diseases Network
Optigen:
Frequently asked questions about PRA.
Home
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Handling Links Contact Us Site Map
Karmadi English Springer
Spaniels
Diane & Carmen Herns
2839 Ardoch Road,
Clarendon
Ontario, Canada K0H
1J0
(613) 464-0269
Web creation and design
by Linda Macdonald
Graphic design by Lori Stewart
Questions or comments? Email the webmaster
©
2006 Diane Herns. All
rights reserved.
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