optigen

[cupcakebarb]

Hi was reading bit about people waiting for test results.  How do you do these tests and what does it involve.  Thanks

[Tasha]

depends on the test but mine were done by a blood test, very easy to take and send off and the results come back very quickly especially if you do it as part of a clinic which makes the cost cheaper.  Optigen have licenced some tests to another company in France which you have to do independantly which is a pain in the neck though.

If you do do the test ask for the blood to be taken from the leg the vet tried to take it from Aylas neck and she was very unhappy and in a lot of pain and they still had to take the blood from the leg in the end anyway.

[cupcakebarb]

Hi been reading about the optigen tests on here and fn.  Do cocker's need to be tested for these and what other eye tests are there?  I have heard about a test that involve just looking at the eye.  Which test should i have done on my two and what does it involve??  Thanks

[Nicola]

You can have the genetic tests done just 'out of curiosity' if you want to but the only instance in which they're really essential is if you are thinking about breeding your dog. There is a more basic eye test which looks for clinical signs of PRA in the dog but even if they show up clear in this test only the Optigen gene test will show if they are a 'carrier' as even if they themselves are not affected by PRA they can still carry the gene and therefore pass it on to puppies who could then go on to develop PRA. The FN test is similar except it tests for genetic kidney disease. 

[cupcakebarb]

Thanks for that info where do you get these test done and how old shouldthe dog be mine are 9 mths and 14 weeks thanks

[Nicola]

The tests are done by blood tests or cheek swabs although I think the bloods are more reliable from a contamination/sufficient DNA to test point of view. You can get the bloods drawn by your vet and then you have to send them off to the relevant labs for testing and you get the results back in the post. The website www.optigen.com has most of the info you'll need. There are clinics held every so often where multiple samples are collated and sent off at once which makes it cheaper as the tests are fairly expensive. I don't think there is an age limit as such as obviously they're testing for genes rather than actual clinical illness so it really depends on whether you want it for your own records in which case you could have it done at any stage or if you want to have the tests done with a view to breeding as then you might want to wait and see if your dog meets other criteria for breeding suitability such as temperament, general health, show ring/working performance etc.

[Les1]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum! My orange roan bitch was Optigen tested on Friday at the only vet's in the area who run an eye-clinic. It cost me £130. The breeder asked me to have her eyes tested before she would remove the endorsement on her papers, so of course, being a novice, I assumed she meant Optigen. She has now told me it should have just been a simple eye test which would have cost approx £40!!  I am going to breed her at her next season, her dad is clear and her mum is a carrier. I basically want to know if I have wasted my time and money getting this test done? Please help!!

[spanielcrazy]

. I basically want to know if I have wasted my time and money getting this test done? Please help!!

No, absolutely not. All breeding stock should be tested! 

[Cob-Web]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum! My orange roan bitch was Optigen tested on Friday at the only vet's in the area who run an eye-clinic. It cost me £130. The breeder asked me to have her eyes tested before she would remove the endorsement on her papers, so of course, being a novice, I assumed she meant Optigen. She has now told me it sh(ould have just been a simple eye test which would have cost approx £40!!  I am going to breed her at her next season, her dad is clear and her mum is a carrier. I basically want to know if I have wasted my time and money getting this test done? Please help!!

Not at all - well done for being committed to your bitches health and the health of any future puppies 

The Optigen genetic test provides an accurate picture of your dogs genetic make up in terms of the gene that causes one form of PRA.  All genes come in pairs, and  if a dog has two affected genes then they will develop the condition.  Dogs which carry one affected gene and one normal gene will not develop the condition themselves, so will not be detected in the eye examinations, but if they are mated with another "carrier" then the puppies they produce can have two copies of the gene and be affected themselves

With the ancestry of your bitch known, it is possible that she could be a carrier - so the Optigen test is a really valuable way of finding out. The specialist screening should still be done annually for other forms of PRA that Optigen does not test for; but at least if you know if she is clear or a carrier, you can pick a genetically suitable stud for her.

I would suggest though, that if you intend to breed, you may well get quizzed by potential owners about the genetic inheritance of PRA and the value of the various tests you have carried out.......perhaps your bitches breeder can explain to you why she didn't think the Optigen test was necessary?