Dear OES Owners,
I will try and update you all with the relevant details from
the meeting with Cathryn Mellersh at the AHT last Wednesday.
She explained how the department dealt with the blood samples
and the steps they took to safeguard the identity of the donors.
Each sample is given a number and all the work is referenced
to that number, dog's names and owner details are not kept on
the samples. She then outlined the progress that had been made
within the department. The rough gene which causes H C has been
isolated in the SBT and this same mutation is found in the Boston
Terrier which they had expected. However they have also found
the mutation in the Australian Shepherd. The SBT will have a DNA
test available in the New Year.
Cathryn then went on to explain the thinking of the K C and
themselves on the use of affected and carrier dogs. Providing
breeders exercise common sense they see no reason to remove these
from the breeding programme thus reducing the gene pool. The
view held by Dr J Sampson at the K C is that if a dog is of such
quality that it has a lot to offer the breed I should be allowed
to mate with a clear dog, the resulting stock should not be used
for breeding until they have been DNA tested. This should mean
the removal of all carrier / affected dogs within 2 generations.
The K C would support the use of an endorsement (which they
will help formulate) to prevent the registration of puppy's from
untested dogs.
These endorsements would be removed once the dog has been tested
clear.
.
The good news came when she explained that the K C Charitable
Trust had asked her to submit to them a proposal for further research
which if acceptable they would fund. This would mean that those
breeds who had shown an active interest in resolving eye problems
and get accepted onto the scheme would not have to fund the research.
However the bad news was that without samples from affected dogs
and their parents she was unable to do anything.
The trust holds 42 samples but none from affected dogs. She
did say that if she received 2 or 3 samples from affected dogs
she could check these against the SBT rough gene for a match but
if that failed to reveal the mutation she would need a dozen affected
samples for any research and these can come from anywhere in the
world.
The question of blood samples verses swabs was raised and the
reason given was that blood gave a greater volume of DNA which
can be stored for research into other problems at a later date,
swabs had a limited use but if owners did not wish do send blood
she could accept swabs for use in the proposed research into H
C.
You now know the position we find ourselves in. The funds will
be in place, Cathryn Mellersh is keen to help us and we will possibly
only get one chance of free funding of the research.
NO DNA NO RESEARCH so if you want to solve H C in the breed
get working on the owners of any dog affected with H C. The time
scale is very short we need the samples in January otherwise we
will miss out.