How many of you test your breeding stock for prcd-PRA?
Why or why not?
Thanks in advance.
Why or why not?
Thanks in advance.
Question for Golden Retriever breeders
hotel4dogs
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I went and read their site. I'm sorry but I think you could go nuts with this stuff. While I do plan to do optigen's test, my knee jerk reaction is that doing the AHT one for something with such a low incidence (and my dog is not from recent european lines) is getting out of hand. But I'd like to hear other opinions, will everyone else be doing the new test when it becomes available?
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on another note, Optigen said they would be happy to send me the cheek swabs at no charge. Nice customer service there!
G
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·FYI, cheek swabs are less reliable and you may end up paying for the test twice if the results from the swab are inconclusive.
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143 Posts
It does not test for the prcd-PRA gene. It is a separate marker--since the GR-PRA1 is what is generally refered to as "European PRA" it is the one of more concern to British and European breeders, so that is what AHT's research focused on. The people I think will be most interested in this new test are going to be those who have British or European dogs in their pedigrees, including from those key imports that people like Cherie Berger brought over. I have dogs I have had tested with the Optigen test as there are links in their pedigrees to older North American lines that have been connected to prcd carriers. In the case of one of my other dogs, Winter, his paternal grandfather did produce a case of non-prcd PRA. So for him, this is the test I've been waiting for. Waiting for my swabs to arrive--they do not want blood for this one.
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I thought their website said that they'd re-do it at no charge if it was inconclusive, but I read it rapidly and I could be mistaken.
EDIT to add---
I found it on their website. If you resubmit using blood instead, there will not be a second charge. Good to know.
"...Cheek Swab Repeat Testing Policy
On rare occasions over the years, we were unable to isolate sufficient high quality DNA from a blood sample to complete testing on that sample. In these isolated cases, OptiGen has requested that the client send us a second blood sample and then we repeated the extraction and testing of this second blood sample at no additional cost to the client. We will continue to honor this policy for blood samples. Due to the higher likelihood that cheek swab samples will yield insufficient DNA, we can not extend free-retesting for cheek swab samples. The full test fee will be charged if a second cheek swab sampling is submitted to replace the first failed sampling. We will, however, allow a replacement submission of a blood sample at no additional charge if the first cheek swab sample fails to yield sufficient DNA...."
EDIT to add---
I found it on their website. If you resubmit using blood instead, there will not be a second charge. Good to know.
"...Cheek Swab Repeat Testing Policy
On rare occasions over the years, we were unable to isolate sufficient high quality DNA from a blood sample to complete testing on that sample. In these isolated cases, OptiGen has requested that the client send us a second blood sample and then we repeated the extraction and testing of this second blood sample at no additional cost to the client. We will continue to honor this policy for blood samples. Due to the higher likelihood that cheek swab samples will yield insufficient DNA, we can not extend free-retesting for cheek swab samples. The full test fee will be charged if a second cheek swab sampling is submitted to replace the first failed sampling. We will, however, allow a replacement submission of a blood sample at no additional charge if the first cheek swab sample fails to yield sufficient DNA...."
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927 Posts
The cheek swab process is described in great detail, and I suspect it would be easy to make a mistake. I have done the cheek swab on two of my dogs with no problem. I also know of others who have used the cheek swab with no problem. So far I have not run into anyone who has done it who has had a problem. That doesn't mean it can't happen.
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120 Posts
I completely agree. We (my wife and I) feel that we owe it to the breed as well as the new owners to test all that we can. Sure, nature can run its course and a pup "can" come down with some debilitating illness/disease in their life. But why not try our best as reputable breeders to keep the breed as healthy as we can. Just my .02
Kent
G
Guest
·Lack of DNA is different than contaminated which is more likely to happen when using cheek swabs. Note that my quote was:
"...you may end up paying for the test twice if the results from the swab are inconclusive."
But yes, it is good to know you can resubmit a blood sample if the swab is done correctly and just does not give them enough for a final result.
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266 Posts
I have tested over a dozen dogs with cheek swabs, including wiggly pups as young as 8 weeks, and have yet to have Optigen reject any samples. Follow all the guidelines they give you (personally I crate them overnight, no food, no water, no toys, brand new blanket - then I do the swabs the moment I let them out, before they can contaminate themselves) Make sure you rub that swab well in the cheek, don't be wussy! Rather than just brushing the swab back and forth, the way I do is is put the swab in the mouth against the cheek, and use my other hand to kinda hold the swab around the swab from the outside of the mouth, and then twist the swab around and around while I count to 20. Have extra swabs handy, I have snapped a few 
also if you accidently touch the swab tip yourself or drop it, you will need a fresh swab. I also wear latex surgical gloves while I do this, and if testing more than one dog I switch gloves between dogs.
I buy the sterile swabs at a local medical supply store, I pay 15 cents ea. So, 2 swabs - 30 cents, and about a buck to mail it if I send it regular mail...a far better deal than the $29 blood draw plus $60 courier cost the last time I sent blood to Optigen
also if you accidently touch the swab tip yourself or drop it, you will need a fresh swab. I also wear latex surgical gloves while I do this, and if testing more than one dog I switch gloves between dogs.I buy the sterile swabs at a local medical supply store, I pay 15 cents ea. So, 2 swabs - 30 cents, and about a buck to mail it if I send it regular mail...a far better deal than the $29 blood draw plus $60 courier cost the last time I sent blood to Optigen
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great idea, thanks for the tip!! I was wondering about the toys, which my dogs share.
I(personally I crate them overnight, no food, no water, no toys, brand new blanket - then I do the swabs the moment I let them out, before they can contaminate themselves)
G
Guest
·Out of curiosity, how did U of M handle the resubmitted sample in terms of payment? Did you have to pay for the second test?
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7,868 Posts
No. This was the wording. "Please resubmit samples for EIC testing. The sample had insufficient DNA to perform the test. Feel free to resubmit either a blood sample or 2 cheek samples for testing."
G
Guest
·In the case you and I were discussing, it's prcd-PRA. Now would it be good if you did the PRA1? Kinda sorta, but it's not as urgent.
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605 Posts
I think we all owe a big debt of gratitude to Gerry Clinchy for bringing information about prcd/PRA to the forefront. Many persons would not have had either the guts nor the ethics to do this.
I was speaking to a vet who is involved at a high level with the OFA and she feels that we are not seeing the prcd/PRA show up as much in show lines as in field lines because they aren't testing those lines as much. When they have, they have about the same percentage as seen in field lines.
This is apparently true with some of the Lab genetic diseases----the field persons are testing more and show persons don't feel it affects them so not as many get the testing needed. Or maybe they just don't want to know.
Glenda Brown
I was speaking to a vet who is involved at a high level with the OFA and she feels that we are not seeing the prcd/PRA show up as much in show lines as in field lines because they aren't testing those lines as much. When they have, they have about the same percentage as seen in field lines.
This is apparently true with some of the Lab genetic diseases----the field persons are testing more and show persons don't feel it affects them so not as many get the testing needed. Or maybe they just don't want to know.
Glenda Brown
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