A private email made me realize that when I wrote the first post about retinal dysplasia incidence being about 1% in puppies tested, we were talking only about the most severe form. I failed to mention that in those same 400+ puppies, there were about 10 puppies with geographic dysplasia and over 80 with folds. So if you add those all together, there are more than 90 puppies affected in what was probably their first exam. That is more than 20%. If you add in cataracts, you are closer to 25%, and adding in distichia and other miscellaneous conditions I didn't mention, you are talking 34% of pups tested having abnormal exams. If you consider that we select against these eye problems by the tendency to keep clear stock, you have to figure that an even larger percentage of untested litters from untested parents will have problems.
The percentage of dysplasia will naturally go down when we include the older age groups tested. First, because we place many pups with dysplasia as pets, so they are less likely to undergo further testing, and second, because once a puppy is diagnosed with retinal detachment, it may never receive another exam. Add to that folds that heal, and the fact that, for the most part, retinal dysplasia is not usually a progressive disease. (But it can be. Retinal dysplasia is when the two layers that don't adhere correctly, so it is possible for them to totally detach over time. Today I heard privately from someone who had a bitch diagnosed with geographic dysplasia. When the same bitch was checked 2 years later, the retina had detached.) Cataract prevalence would be expected to go up when all age groups are included, obviously because juvenile hereditary cataracts can, by definition, occur up to 8 years of age. The statistics (numbers only), by the way, are from the Canine Eye Registration Foundation. They are available to members. I don't receive the cavalier statistics anymore, as I opted for the Japanese Chin stats for the last couple years. A single membership in CERF was about $35. A club membership, which gives you the right to publish all statistics, is $75. If anyone here is on the health committee for either of the clubs, I would think the club membership would be worth pursuing. The Chin club joined this year at my behest. Dogs do not have to be "registered" with CERF to be part of the statistics, nor do they have to be seen in a clinic setting. All participating ophthalmologists send copies of examination forms to CERF, whether the owner gives permission or not. Identities are not included in public statistics, though, unless the owner sends in the form. Leanne ----- Original Message ----- > And don't forget that there are other conditions besides retinal dysplasia. > Out of those same 400+ pups, there were > about a dozen cases of distichiasis, and more than a dozen pups with > cataracts. ========================================================= "Magic Commands": to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: mailto:LISTSERV@;APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL to start it up gain click here: mailto:LISTSERV@;APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author.
