SCREENING FOR HEREDITARY EYE DEFECTS

 

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) is the hereditary eye disease of the most concern to Tibetan Spaniels.

It causes blindness. Having eyes examined by a vet,(DVM) cannot detect the onset of this condition, as it takes a vet who is a Specialist, a Diplomat, American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologist graduate, who has had the additional education & training beyond graduating as a DVM & the expertise specifically with canine eyes. Very specialized & costly equipment is used too aid in the exams & diagnosis, which is only owned by Colleges of Veterinary Medicine & some ACVO vets in private practice. However, eye clinics are hosted by many Kennel Clubs & held in conjunction with their dogs shows. At these clinics, there is an ACVO vet, complete with equipment & exam forms, who, for a fee, will dilate dog’s eyes with drops, to be able to have a larger view into the eye itself & back into the retina & blood vessels. The exam process is painless & noninvasive. The exam form, with all identifying information about the dog & owner, is then completed during the course of the exam, signed & dated by the ACVO vet. Any abnormalities, & their significance, found are noted & discussed with the owner during the exam. Breeding recommendations, based on these findings, are also given to the owner. Other exam forms may be used instead of the CERF form, both at eye clinics, veterinary schools & by ACVO in private practice. The other forms are very similar to the CERF form in that the identifying information for dog & owner are included & there are places to note findings & to draw in any atypical findings. It is also signed & dated by the ACVO vet. These forms are not

CH. ZEN TAO THE ARCHANGEL

CH. ZEN TAO THE OMEN

acceptable to CERF, should the owner wish to pay the initial fee, at first time submission, then also pay a renewal fee when submitting any subsequent exams on that individual dog. For the submission to CERF of the owner’s copy of the CERF exam form, a certificate is issued that the described dog, at this date & at this age, was certified free of hereditary eye defects. CERF also published the certification on their website & submits the most current info to both OFA & AKC. If a dog is already in the OFA database (more on OFA below), OFA will also include the publication of the latest CERF certification. AKC will also include that information on registration certificates on the dog itself & on the sire & dam, if they are currently CERF certified. They will include it on their AKC certified pedigrees, also. The CERF form is a several page form with carbon copies, that is completed by the owner & ACVO vet. It has the “fill in the dots” for much of the info, as these forms, when submitted to CERF, are run through a machine that recognizes the dots & not the handwritten area. Of these forms, the owner receives a carbon copy. A copy is retained by the examining vet & another copy is sent to CERF. Even if the owner does not pay the fee & submit to CERF, the findings are tallied in every purebred Breed & CERF keeps statistics as to the incidence of any abnormal findings within a Breed. The benefits of using the CERF form for the owner is the ability to submit to CERF for certification, the publication of the certification in several places, the inclusion in the statistical database. Also, due to the many safeguards within the actual CERF paperwork, a counterfeit or falsified CERF form would be impossible. An actual CERF form is PROOF. The authenticity of the other form could come into question. But if the owner does not wish to submit to CERF & is happy with his own knowledge of the findings & is not aware of, or does not care about the statistical database for his Breed, or wants to keep any abnormal findings private & untraceable, the other

AKC & INT CH. DUD-LEE’S ZEN TAO TWEE

Pictured at 9 years old

Judge Beverly Lehnig

Owner handler Marianne Minks

form serves its purpose. It may also be less costly for the owner to have the other form used, as the ACVO are charged by CERF & must purchase each form they use. Some use the other form as their standard form & charge more for filling out the same findings on the actual CERF form.

 

Having eyes checked by an ACVO vet on a regular basis is currently the main method used for detecting PRA & other diseases & conditions of the eye. Many Tibbies with PRA are diagnosed between 3 - 5 years of age. So one exam on a young dog cannot predict future findings. The Tibetan Spaniel Club of America recommends eye exams every 2 years, with the final exam at age 10 years old. Any findings of cataracts at that advanced age, in a dog who was previously clear, is due to the normal aging of the eye & is not the hereditary form which affects young adults or the congenital form, which are present from birth. Other findings, such as lenticular sclerosis, part of the normal aging process where the fibers in the eye compress & give the eye a bluish or grayish color, are noted, but are of no importance & do not cause pain or blindness. Lenticular sclerosis can even be white & easily mistaken for a cataract, but the ACVO can determine what it truly is. If what appears to be PRA is found on a young to older, but not elderly dog, further in depth testing, such as an ERG (electroretinagram) can be performed. Rechecking should be done on a schedule recommended by the vet ophthalmologist. The dog should not be used for until, or unless, the condition is found not be hereditary PRA. That dog & close relatives should have regular eye exams & be monitored carefully.

CH. DUD-LEE’S BER-NA’S BLACK-PEARL

pictured at nearly 15 years old

Cases of PRA have been found in Tibbies in several Countries, including England, Sweden, Norway, Finland & the USA. To get an accurate statistic of the incidence is possible only in those few Countries with mandatory reporting of the results of all exams. In other Countries, such as the USA, cases are reported to the public only if the owner of the dog chooses to do so. The CERF statistics, which are an accurate compilation of those exams on CERF forms, are possibly less than entirely accurate do to those who use the other forms. But those statistics are as accurate as we in the USA have.

 

The mode of inheritance of PRA has not been established in Tibetan Spaniels. In breeds of dogs in which the mode of inheritance has been established, most are recessive, though there are a couple of exceptions, including a sex-linked & a dominant mode of inheritance. More than one form of hereditary PRA has been found in some breeds. This includes breeds that have DNA testing available for one form of PRA , but does not detect the genes or markers for another form in that breed. Research has been underway at The Animal Health Trust in Great Britain for several years to locate the DNA genes/ markers for the Tibetan Spaniel. As they discovered how to check DNA in Lhasa Apsos for PRA, it was hoped it would be the same genetic sequence in Tibetan Spaniels, but it was not found to be.

I started showing & breeding Cocker Spaniels in 1976 & was familiar with hereditary eye

defects & began having yearly exams on all my Cockers. One of the things that helped to make the decision for the 2nd breed to be Tibbies, was that I was told several things about eyes when researching the breed. The most common “rumor” was that if a Tibetan Spaniel’s eyes were checked clear at age 2 years, no further exams were needed. Another rumor was if the eyes were checked clear at any age, that was the only exam needed - once clear - always clear. Or you only need to check the sire - if he is clear, the pups will be clear. Many breeders were not having the exams done 20+ years ago. Some were, & continue to this day, to only check by the above rumors.

 

Zen Tao Tibetan Spaniels began yearly eye exams for all foundation dogs in 1993. When I proudly took my first Tibbies for their first eye exams, my ACVO was suspicious of what I had been told. Had used him for about 10 years for my Cockers & had a great relationship with him , learned (& continue to learn) much from him, both during my own exams & at seminars he has given. He had never heard of a Tibetan Spaniel & the breed was not listed in any of the current literature he had. He even phoned a vet who he found listed who was familiar with Tibetan Terriers, in the hope to get info on the Tibetan Spaniels. He recommended yearly eye exams on the Tibbies, just like I was having done on the Cockers. His common sense reasoning was that the dogs mine descended from had been checked once, some as young dogs & others at various ages. How would Tibetan Spaniel breeders know if there was a problem, being the breed was so rare & to just assume if good once, always good, could be dangerous to the breed. There were no CERF statistics on the breed. I do believe this was also during a few year time period that CERF was inactive & during that time there were no CERF forms for any eye exams. In the ACVO vet’s experience with PRA in other breeds, onset could be in a large time frame & was not like a condition such as Collie eye syndrome, which is present from birth & one exam, at any time, can confirm or deny its presence. He also thought it foolish to believe if one parent was clear, all offspring would be. That theory was disproven all the time, with conscientious breeders in many breeds finding affected offspring from clear parents. Much less was known about PRA then than now. However, Dr. Jean Lepoidivan, a local MD & English Cocker breeder, in conjunction with her dog breeding partner, Dr. Mary Livesy, were working & researching the PRA problem in the English Cockers. I was privileged to be informed of & attend seminars on, the newly developed ERG testing method.

 

I had the yearly exams done for over 10 years, on all Tibbies, at all ages. At this time the Tibetan Spaniel Club of America recommended eye exams every 2 years, with the final exam at age 10 years. My ACVO vet agreed that this was now practical. My dogs had no diagnosis of suspicious or affected in their yearly exams. CERF was compiling statistics on the breed, but they were updated & published infrequently, as there were so few exams on the breed being done. Breeds like Cockers & Labs were updated & published a couple times a year then. Tibetan Spaniel info was available only every few years. It was great to save the money & start examining every 2 years & to stop having the dogs who had been clear at 10 years, from further exams.

 

You will notice on my website that I have listed for each individual dog, the age they were at the time of their last eye exam. I feel this information is very important. When I have placed adult dogs in retirement homes, I have always required that the dog’s eyes be examined by a ACVO vet on a yearly or every 2 year basis, until the last exam at age 10 years. This is to keep track of the eye status of any of these adults who have offspring (& I prefer the eye exams on those who have not, as they are related to dogs who have.) It is in the Breed’s best interest. It is my goal to have many generations of Tibbies whose eyes are certified free of hereditary defects, well past the age when they may occur. I feel these eye exams, & any further testing that could be needed to determine if any eye condition is hereditary, due to the aging process, or from another cause, is a small price to pay. Sadly, a few of my dogs that have been placed under this contract were examined only a time or 2, if at all, & that is why the age of the last exam may be at 6 or 7, rather than age 10 years or older. Due to this, I now seldom place adults that are under age 10 years if they have had offspring. I need to be certain that they are examined & have it done myself. I am very thankful for the happiness these retired Tibbies have given their new owners & the fantastic  people who have taken them into their homes, this is the reason that I now will only rarely place an adult. I have some lovely retired adults who would make wonderful pets for an elderly person who would love a dog, but is concerned that they might outlive their pet.

 

 I like to look at other breeder’s websites in several breeds. Still like to keep up on Cocker Spaniels, even though it has been over 8 years since my final litter & my last Cocker passed away last year at nearly 17 years old. Of course the Tibbie websites now interest me the most. It saddens me greatly to visit websites of some breeders & admire their beautiful dogs, look at their pedigrees & info, but to see no mention of any testing for genetic defects. Do they or don’t they? If they do, how often? Should I consider purchasing a pup from them to show & later breed? Should I breed to that drop dead gorgeous male they have available at stud? Can they PROVE any genetic testing or exams have been done? In another breed I was researching, I was particularly impressed by the breeder’s website. His years in his breed & devotion to it. His expertise, not only as a breeder & exhibitor, but as an AKC Judge & author. All the genetic testing claimed on the website. Hoever, when I researched further, I did find much proof of his hip certification on the OFA website. But what was disturbing was the LACK of proof on some of dog’s who he had offspring for sale of. There was OFA hip certifications for a few previous offspring of 1 or both of the parents, but the parents themselves were not certified. It was shocking to find that an uncertified parent had produced offspring when she was a year old & proving she had been bred a year prior to her being eligible for the certification.

 

For this reason I suggest to any person, researching ANY breed, to do their homework & find PROOF of claims made by breeders. There are many sources to to find out info on all breeds. I will be adding a page with links to sources for testing information. This will be called LINKS page. Some sources are more accurate & up-to-date than others. Some have different criteria for the publication. CERF publishes, on their website, all dogs, of any breed who have a CERF certificate. They list the identifying info of the dog & owner, date of original CERF certification & any follow up certifications, along with the age of the dog at time of last exam submitted to them. This info is very important. CERF does have a policy that they consider a dog to be current in their eye exams only if examined & submitted within the past year. So you will find dogs who are not considered current, but please note many of these dogs are now deceased or at an age where further exams are not necessary. CERF’s policy of this is for all breeds, as it would be very difficult to have different requirements for each breed & to keep it current. AKC receives listings of the certifications from CERF. They will publish the CERF certification number of the dog & its parents on registration certificates & transfers, puppy applications for individual registration & on pedigrees. They do so only if the dogs submitted are within the current time frame of their exams being within the last year of issuance of these registrations, etc. So it may be that a breeder has eye exams coming up & will wait to register a litter of pups until after the most current exams, so that information will appear on the puppies registrations.  These breeders want the exams, submission to CERF with the fee & then the time for CERF to submit to AKC & for AKC to then process into their records, to prove the eye status to their puppy buyers. CERF also sends current certification listing to OFA, who in turn publishes them on their website, but only if the dog has a previous record of certification with OFA. So a breeder who has a current eye exam on a dog who is not yet the minimum age 1 year for the OFA patella certification, or age 2 years for the OFA hip certification may wait until those OFA certifications are done & published, before submitting the eye exam to CERF, to be sure that the CERF info will be added to the existing OFA record. Many parent clubs for their breeds have their own Health Registry. Owners submit exams to them & they are then published by the Club, for the benefit of the Breed, at no charge to the owners. These Health Registries are done by a member or members of the parent club, who volunteer their time & energy to this, for no compensation. They do it for the love of the Breed & to make their contribution to it, by their help. As this is something extra they are doing, besides other Club activities, working full time, caring for their own dogs & also could be caring for their children &/or an elderly relative, sometimes these Health Registries are not updated on the regular basis which they plan to do. Or the owners no longer submit to the registry, so these wonderful volunteers have nothing to update.

 

It is for these reasons, that Zen Tao will be submitting for CERF certification, eye exams that will be current after our next eye clinic in Jan. 2012.  Due to the expense of the submissions to CERF, Tibbies with existing OFA certifications will be submitted first. These submissions will be done on a regular basis, with submissions of the elderly dogs who have offspring, who were certified clear of hereditary eye defects after age 10 years, to then be followed by those deceased dogs who also had offspring. The final groups to be submitted will be those dogs who were never used for breeding, but are relatives of dogs used for breeding. My goal is by the end of 2012 to have all submissions made. This will illustrate & prove the extent of the eye exams performed on the dogs in my lines for 20 years. After these submissions are complete, I will continue to submit & pay the fee to keep the eye exams current on all dogs who are not yet past their 10th Birthday. Certification numbers will be kept updated & posted on each dog’s place on my website. There will also be CHIC numbers posted, which are issued through a program through AKC’s Canine Health & by these numbers issued, prove that dog has been tested &/or examined for the problems that each Breed’s parent Club determines are of the most importance for that breed. In Tibetan Spaniels that is for the eyes & patellas. Also have a stack of patella exam forms that have been done. Was my intention to send in at same time as hip Xrays to OFA & then to send in a few at a time on dogs whose hips were already OFA certified. Didn’t get that far, but will begin sending in groups of 5 (they give a discount on the fees!) in the same order as the eye exams will be submitted to CERF. If these submissions are my only New Year’s Resolution for 2012 - it will get done!

 

Another point of interest that my ACVO vet brought up to me at my recent eye clinic - CERF has very strict requirements as to what conditions are allowed for a dog to actually get a CERF number. Some findings of conditions that had been allowed in the past, such as dry eye, are no longer allowed & an exam with that is now not accepted for certification. Cataracts are not allowed for certification - even on elderly dogs - unless specifics are precisely made by the examiner. If the exams were not to be submitted & were for the owner’s information & also for reference for future exams, as they should be, those exams cannot be certified. This presents a problem on such elderly dogs. So please make special notice of the age of the dog at the time of the exam. A young dog who does not certify due to a cataract is much different than an elderly dog. If a dog is now deceased & unavailable for a current exam, the previous exams can not be altered in any way or comments added to them to clarify the condition is due to the normal aging process.