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ALAA Labradoodle and Australian Labradoodle Health Issues: PRA prcd
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The ALAA has sponsored a PRA clinic through Optigen for the PRA prcd DNA testing of Australian Labradoodles,
Labradoodles, Labs or Poodles (miniature and toy). We want to stress the importance of this testing. In Australia the ALA sponsored PRA testing with
very serious results.
Of the 75 Australian Labradoodles tested the results indicated 64% PRA prcd DNA Normal/CLEAR, 32% PRA prcd DNA CARRIERS and 4% PRA prcd DNA AFFECTED*. This information
has given the ALAA direction to test immediately and in unprecedented numbers.
Without the necessary test results breeding carriers to carriers or carriers to affected would result in PRA prcd affected puppies. CERF eye exams are
important and should continue
however, even responsible breeders who have CERF eye tested their breeding dogs over the past years without the ability until 2007 to PRA prcd DNA test
their dogs could have unknowingly bred affected puppies.
As a consumer you should require that your breeder has at least one parent of you puppy DNA tested as PRA prcd CLEAR or CLEAR by parentage.
Your breeder should also be aware of this issue and understand the value of testing a parent(s) of your puppy.
What is PRA in the Australian Labradoodle or Labradoodle?
Later onset photoreceptor degeneration PRA (progressive rod-cone degeneration or prcd) primarily affects the photoreceptor cells.
Both eyes are similarly affected. Here the retina matures and functions apparently normally for varying
periods of time before degenerating. Dogs are not usually clinically affected until 1 year of age or later, sometimes not until old age, although
abnormalities can be seen in the eye and on the electroretinogram (ERG) long before owners notice signs of visually impairment.
The main focus of the prcd-PRA DNA Test and Breeding Strategies below are to ensure that breeders never produce any prcd-PRA affected puppies,
while at the same time ultimately take our breed to a
“Free of prcd-PRA” Status. For most of our parent breeds this (prcd) is the only form of PRA disease known to affect them. If you suspect other eye
problems with your dog/s please see your veterinary
ophthalmologist for further assessment. The PRA DNA test is not a substitute for a CERF eye exam. In summary MOST of our breeding stock even if carriers
may continue to be used for breeding, thus
maintaining genetic diversity within our breed. Armed with this new information we can ensure that no mating from this point forward will result in a
puppy that will be affected with the disease as it ages.
- Production of affected dogs can be prevented by ensuring at least one parent is clear in mating of current breeding stock.
- The disease-causing gene can be eliminated completely by selection of future breeding stock from clear tested puppies.
CLEAR - any dog tested as Clear or Normal (also known as A) will never develop the progressive rod-cone degeneration (prcd) form of Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA).
CARRIER - any dog tested as a Carrier (also known as B) will never develop the progressive rod cone degeneration (prcd) form of Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA).
AFFECTED - any dog tested as Affected (also known as C) will develop prcd-PRA. The age at which the PRA develops varies between breeds - in some breeds there is early onset and in others late
onset. Known cases of extremely late onset of PRA can indicate that some Affected dogs may not be diagnosed with PRA in their lifetime.
Breeding Strategies
CLEAR - Breeding - Normal or Clear dogs can be mated to any dog and will never produce prcd-PRA affected puppies.
Note: Offspring from ALL Clear to Clear mating may be given Clear status “Clear by Parentage” when DNA Profiled with Genetic Science Services. No disease testing is necessary from this point onwards
so long as Clear to Clear matings are maintained. See GSS. web site for more information.
CARRIER - Breeding - a Carrier can be used for breeding but should only be mated to a Clear as this will always avoid producing any prcd-PRA affected puppies. As resulting puppies will be a mix of both Clear and Carriers, resulting puppies can be tested to determine Clear puppies kept thus eliminating the disease being inherited further. Or Carrier puppies can also be kept and in turn only bred to Clear if they are superior in other Health areas, Temperament and or in Conformation to their Clear siblings. Delaying the Clear status for another generation or more if needed while never producing any prcd-PRA affected puppies. While maintaining Genetic Diversity and possibly better overall breeding quality puppies for the betterment of the future of our breed.
AFFECTED – Breeding – The ALAA recommends that all affected dogs be spayed or neutered to ensure no possible matings to carriers, thus producing affected puppies. However, a responsible breeder can continue breeding an affected breeding dog. Affected dogs MUST only be bred to a Normal/Clear dog to avoid producing any affected puppies (Puppies will NEVER Present the Disease and will never go blind). All puppies produced from an Affected to Clear mating will have the Carrier genotype but as stated will never be affected by PRA prcd. These puppies if kept intact MUST then be bred according to the Carrier Breeding Strategies above.
Where do we recommend you go from here?
For information on participating in the clinic email the ALAA Health Testing Committee Leader Heather Hale with any questions haleslabradoodles@bak.rr.com. All stud dogs should be tested, and every breeder should require this test of those studs in service. This will ensure that at the very least only carriers are produced at a minimum. Contact the owners of those breeders with common pedigrees and share the costs of clearing these parent dogs. Once a parent dog is cleared the offspring are cleared by parentage. If a commonly used stud is cleared this will clear one side of a pedigree and reduce costs for breeders.
This is not a required test for ALAA membership, however as breeders you are placing puppies with families that may in 1 to 7 years become blind if you do not clear your breeding dogs. By clearing breeding dogs now, we can clear future pedigrees by parentage. We urge you to be proactive in your own program.
The IALA/ALAA is a not for profit association dedicated to the Australian Labradoodle and Labradoodle breeds. Our health information is written in
association and/or in conjunction with the following resource(s), veterinarian(s) and association(s). As the ALAA is dedicated to informing our member
breeders as to the latest advances in health care, health testing and diagnostic medicines and not marketing an individual breeders program we are able
to aid our breeders in understanding these methods and to develop breeding strategies which in turn produce the highest quality puppies. To gain more
information on the programs, health testing and breeding strategies the ALAA has written, please ask our consults and current recourses:
Dr. Arun, Veterinarian Breeding Specialist, Summit Blvd Animal Hospital (ALAA consultant),
Dr. Dodds and
Hemopet (ALAA assisting in Dr. Dodds Addisons Research and using Hemopet/Dr. Dodds Thyroid Testing with personal assistance of Dr. Dodds),
OFA (Hip, Elbow, Patella and using recommended Thyroid and PRA prcd testing methods),
Dr. Kent Wallace, DVM, MSc, DACVR (OFA Certified Radiologist with the highly regarded Veterinary Multi-Imaging Group),
PennHIP, (hip testing)
BVA (Hip testing),
UCDavis (Addisons Research Initiative, ALAA is participating, genetic kit can be ordered via ALAA Heath Committee /UCDavis),
Dental Vet (Underbite and Orthodontics), and
Vet Dentistry ,
Optigen (PRA prcd) and
Articles,
CERF Canine Eye Registry Foundation
Antech Thyroid Testing and Addisons Research and
Update on Antech Thyroid Testing
*As reported by Optigen 6 of 2005, Statistics to date for Toy and Miniature poodles, show 68% are “Normal/Clear,” 28% are “Carrier” and 4% are “Affected and statistics to date for Labrador Retriever show 76% of tested Labs are “Normal/Clear,” 21% are “Carrier” and 3% are “Affected.
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Australian Labradoodle Association of America, Inc.