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scot-ish wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2017 10:57 am
do you know which strain it has come from Vicky, or Enid?
Only the breed health coordinators would know that and it doesn't seem like they're going to be giving out that information until there are a few more dogs tested.
It would be helpful if the owners of the carrier parents voluntarily disclosed their breeding but I suppose until they do the BHC aren't in a position to do so.
only reason i asked was vicky began the post with "It is not important to know what type" and not "they are not disclosing the type" making in my eyes it seem like she was aware of the type, but believe its not important to know which type it is.
in my eyes, if it was said it is confirmed in working ESS - more people would be apt to test.
Obviously I don't know for sure cos I'm not her but I very much doubt Vicky knows- I think she was basically posting the BHC's statement here, in a slightly paraphrased way.
As she says, PRA and Fuco affect both show and working type ESS, so it is entirely possible the AMS affects both. (Although maybe the evidence of it only affecting working type cockers would tend to suggest working side? But that's total conjecture.) It's literally impossible to know from the tiny amount of dogs tested so far what the real picture is though really.
I'm back to say I tested three of mine and all are clear of the AMS mutation. This also makes a fourth a hereditary clear.
I've also had Rebus's annual eye test and repeat gonioscopy done this week (it's now recommended every 3 years in at risk breeds) so it's been an expensive week. But all for the good of the breed.
vicky payne wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2017 6:17 pm
I'm back to say I tested three of mine and all are clear of the AMS mutation. This also makes a fourth a hereditary clear.
I've also had Rebus's annual eye test and repeat gonioscopy done this week (it's now recommended every 3 years in at risk breeds) so it's been an expensive week. But all for the good of the breed.
Vicky would you explain the repeat eye/gonioscopy test as I have always been a little confused by it and what it proves as to be entirely honest I am slightly struggling with a test that tells me that a dog is ok now but may not be next year. A little like a person popping into A&E for a check to make sure they haven't got a disease, they may not at the time of the test but they might develop it next year. I have had my dogs tested for various DNA tested diseases, pra cord1, fuco and I will probably get the ams test done in future as to me it is a relatively small cost compared to what I spend on sport generally and my dogs are the most important part of that but have never bothered with the gonioscopy for this reason as I am not sure what I gain by using a dog at stud who has passed this year but may not in three years time. This is a genuine question and not a bit of a go about health testing.
Added - when I use one of my own dogs at stud they are normally at least 5 years old and possibly older than that.
There are two parts to the eye test for spaniels.
The first looks at the retina (back of the eye), and the lens. Many of the retinal problems are degenerative so a young dog looks ok, but over time the retina starts to get thin, or come away from the back of the eye, reducing vision or even causing total blindness. An eye 'pass' only means the dog shows no clinical signs; it could be affected, a carrier, or clear if we could look at the DNA. This is the reason so many breeds have developed DNA tests for eye problems. Why then do we still do the annual examination? Because not all disorders have DNA tests and we may find new disorders emerging. The examiner with al6os now look at eyelid conformation in breeds such as clumbers which are prone to entropion and ectropion. Again, eyelids can change over time.
The other part is gonioscopy; this looks at the drainage angle of the eye. You might not realise but fluid is constantly filling and draining out of the eye. If the angle is narrow the dog is more likely to get pressure building up in the eye- glaucoma. Until recently it was thought that after a year old the angle would not change, but some dogs were getting narrow angle glaucoma despite passing tests. Examination of older dogs showed that some did change over time, so re-testing every 3 years is now recommended.
