New DNA Test approved for the Papillon
Dear Ted,
I would
like to inform you of the email below informing breeders of the
new DNA
testing scheme that has been approved by the Kennel Club. The
Kennel Club
will be sending this email out to breeders of Papillons
(born between 2011
and 2014), possibly later today, tomorrow or early
next week. Please feel
free to disseminate this information amongst
your breed.
NEW
DNA TESTING SCHEME FOR PROGRESSIVE RETINAL ATROPHY (Pap-PRA1)
APPROVED BY THE
KENNEL CLUB
The Kennel Club has recently approved an official DNA Testing
Scheme for
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (Pap-PRA1) in Papillons
following
consultation with the Papillon Breed Council on behalf of the
breed
clubs. This test is offered by Optigen in the USA and Laboklin in
the
UK.
Copies of all test results issued by these laboratories
will be sent
directly to the Kennel Club and will be added to the dog's
registration
details. This will trigger the publication of the test results,
which
will appear:
* In the next available Breed Records
Supplement
* On any new registration certificate issued for the
dog
* On the registration certificates of any future progeny of
the
dog
* On the Health Test Results Finder in the Kennel Club's
online
health rescource, Mate Select
By publishing these
results, it allows breeders to have a better
understanding of which genes a
dog may pass on to its offspring, giving
them the information required to
avoid producing affected puppies.
Making informed decisions from health test
results enables breeders to
adapt their breeding programmes and reduce the
risk of this disease
appearing in future generations.
For
more information regarding this announcement, including how to get
your dog
tested, please see our Questions and Answers section
below.
Questions and Answers
What is
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)?
PRA is an inherited eye
disorder that causes cells in the retina of the
eye to degenerate, eventually
leading to a decreased adaptation of
vision and blindness.
For this particular type of PRA in Papillons, the onset of this
disease
and severity of its clinical signs vary greatly.
The
disease is described as an autosomal recessive condition. This
means that a
dog must inherit two copies of an abnormal gene (one from
its mother and one
from its father) before its health is affected. A
dog that inherits only one
copy of the abnormal gene (from its mother or
its father) will have no signs
of the disease, but will be a carrier and
may pass the gene on to any
offspring.
Who can I contact to find out how to test my
dog for Progressive Retinal
Atrophy?
This test is offered by Optigen
in the USA (
www.optigen.com
), and,
Laboklin in the UK (
www.laboklin.co.uk
). Further details
can be obtained by
contacting Optigen at
genetest@optigen.com
, or Laboklin at
info@laboklin.co.uk
.
Where can I find advice on breeding from a DNA tested dog?
The Kennel Club currently recommends breeders consider only
breeding
from dogs that have been tested for this condition. This is a
breeding
recommendation and is not a requirement for Kennel Club registration
or
the Assured Breeder Scheme. For more information on how to
breed
responsibly from your DNA tested dog, please read our Breeding
for
Health Information Guide, which can be accessed here
.
For information on other health tests that may be recommended
for your
breed, please visit the Kennel Club's Breed Information
Centre
(
www.breedinformationcentre.org.uk).
How
do I know if a dog I'm considering mating from has been tested
for
Progressive Retinal Atrophy?
The Kennel Club's online health
resource, Mate Select, allows you to
search for health test results for any
dog registered on the Kennel
Club's Breed Register. Searching the database is
easy and only requires
the dog's registered name, registration number or stud
book number. It
will display any health screening test results received and
recorded by
the Kennel Club from any official Kennel Club DNA Testing
Schemes, or
from the British Veterinary Association/Kennel Club (BVA/KC)
health
schemes.
To access Mate Select, please visit
www.mateselect.org.uk
Mate
Select also allows you to calculate the degree of inbreeding, or
Coefficient
of Inbreeding (COI), for potential puppies that could be
produced from a
hypothetical mating. For more information on inbreeding
and its impact on
health, please read our Breeding for Health
Information Guide, which can be
accessed here.
How do I submit my dogs' results if they were
tested before August 2014?
Results for dogs already tested can be
recorded on our database, but
owners will need to submit copies of the DNA
certificates themselves.
If the owner includes the original
registration certificate for the dog
(not a copy) then a new registration
certificate will be issued, with
the DNA result on it, free of charge. Please
send any DNA test
certificates to:
Health & Breeder
Services
The Kennel Club
1 - 5 Clarges
Street
Piccadilly
London
W1J 8AB
or scan
and email copies of the certificates to
hbs@thekennelclub.org.uk
How
does a DNA test become an official Kennel Club Testing Scheme?
The Kennel
Club continues to work alongside Breed Clubs and Breed Health
Coordinators,
in a collaborative effort to improve the health of dogs.
The Kennel Club is
happy to consider a club's request to add a new DNA
test to its lists and
would normally need a formal request from the
Breed's Health Coordinator or a
majority request from the Breed Clubs.
If you would like the Kennel Club to
consider making a DNA test an
official Testing Scheme then please contact
your local Breed Club.
Breed specific contact details can be found on the
Kennel Club's Breed
Information Centre (
www.breedinformationcentre.org.uk).
Who
can I contact if I have further questions that are not
answered
here?
If you have any questions about the DNA test itself,
please contact
Optigen at
genetest@optigen.com , or
Laboklin at
info@laboklin.co.uk
If
you have any general questions regarding the Breed Club or its
activities,
then please use the contact us section of the Breed Club's
website which can
be found at
www.papillonclub.co.uk
.
If
you have any general questions regarding official Kennel Club
Testing
Schemes, please e-mail
mateselect@thekennelclub.org.uk
.
Kind regards,
Bonnie-Marie
Abhayaratne
Health and Breeder Research Assistant
The Kennel
Club
www.thekennelclub.org.uk
