Last Updated on July 23, 2024 by Dogs Vets
In a significant breakthrough, researchers in England have identified the gene responsible for progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), an inherited disorder that causes blindness in dogs.
This discovery has led to the development of a test that could potentially prevent the disease from being passed down to future generations of English Shepherd Dogs.
Key Takeaways:
- Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is an inherited disorder that causes blindness in certain dogs.
- Researchers in England have discovered the gene responsible for PRA and developed a test to alert breeders.
- It is hoped that the test could eventually eliminate the disease among English Shepherd Dogs.
A New Dawn for Dog Breeding
Shola, a former rescue dog and member of the Edale Mountain Rescue Team in the UK, lost her sight to PRA, a rare genetic disease. While it’s too late for Shola, new research offers hope that other dogs won’t suffer the same fate.
“Once a dog’s eyesight starts to fail, there’s no treatment – it will end up totally blind,” explained Dr. Katherine Stanbury, the study’s first author and a veterinary researcher at the University of Cambridge.
Typically, dog owners might not realize their pet has PRA until middle age, long after breeding has occurred.
Gene Discovery and Testing
Stanbury’s team pinpointed the gene responsible for PRA by comparing DNA samples from six English Shepherds with PRA and 20 without it.
The University of Cambridge, already equipped with services to help dog owners avoid producing puppies with genetic issues, quickly identified the PRA gene and created a commercial mouth-swab test for dog owners.
The gene is recessive, meaning both the male and female dog involved in breeding must carry the gene for a puppy to develop PRA. Due to inbreeding, the odds of this occurring are higher in dogs than in humans.
“For the price of a decent bag of dog food, people can now have their English Shepherd tested for Progressive Retinal Atrophy prior to breeding,” said Dr. Cathryn Mellersh, senior study author and Cambridge veterinary researcher.
“It’s about prevention, rather than a cure, and it means a huge amount to the people who breed these dogs.
They no longer need to worry about whether the puppies are going to be healthy or develop this horrible disease in a few years’ time.”
Impact Beyond Dogs
Interestingly, PRA is closely related to retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease found in humans. Insights gained from this research might also shed light on human vision loss.
Shola’s Legacy
Although Shola can no longer rescue stranded hikers, her daughters, who are free from PRA, have completed their training with Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England. In fact, “one of them saved a man’s life three weeks ago,” according to the Cambridge news release.
More Information
For more about PRA, visit Cornell University’s Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center.
Source: University of Cambridge
