| COLLIE DISEASE & RESEARCH |
| Scientists across America are looking for the DNA markers that will identify specific diseases in Collies, and many other breeds. These researchers are asking the participation of collie breeders and owners who would like to make a difference. There are currently available tests for the following diseases: Collie Eye Anamoly/Choroidal Hypoplasia (CEA/CH) Gray Collie Syndrome (Canine Cyclic Neutropenia) MDR1 (a gene responsible for sensitivity to Ivermectin) Coat Color (sable and tricolor) DNA Parentage Test (Thanks to the research already done!) |
| Researchers are looking for participants for their research projects. Detecting the genes responsible for these diseases can help help eliminate the diseases from gene pools (bloodlines) and also may help determine better treatments. Here is a list of the current research projects: DERMATOSMYOSITIS (DM) Purpose of Study: To determine inheritance of dermatosmyositis (DM) RESEARCHERS NEED: DNA from affected & normal collies. Dr. Christine Rees Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Department of Veterinary Small Animal Clinical Sciences College Station, TX 77843-4474 (979) 845-2351 Fax: (979) 845-6978 e-mail: crees@cvm.tamu.edu EPILEPSY Purpose of Study: To determine normal & mutant alleles, so breeders will have a test so they can produce epilepsy-free dogs. RESEARCHERS NEED: DNA from dogs who have experienced seizures, and immediate relatives, both normal & affected. Samples from all available siblings, parents, and grandparents & any offspring, as well as the mate of those offspring. Liz Hansen University of Missouri 209 A Connaway Hall University of Missouri Columbia, MO 65211 (573) 884-3712 e-mail: hansensl@missouri.edu |
| COME ON COLLIE FANCIERS! Only 25 collie samples have been submitted as of 4/2005. Other affected breeds are so far ahead of us that it is shocking! Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs submitted just short of 800 samples!!! (It seems to me that the Swiss Mountain Dog Fanciers are VERY SERIOUS about eliminating epilipsy from their breed. Only collie samples will benefit the collie breed specifically. |
| PHENOTYPE = the outward expression of your genes (or genotype. In other words, what you see and what is genetically expressed physically, such as hair color, skin color, eye color, etc. Please note that PHENOTYPE can also be affected by environmental factors, such as chemical hair coloring, or sun tanning or injuries, as well as other things.. |
| GENOTYPE Genotype is the specific genetic makeup of an individual, usually in the form of DNA. Genotype 'codes' or affects phenotype. DNA TESTING & RESEACH are important to determine which dogs are carriers (therefore they are also affected) so they can be eliminated from the gene pool in favor of dogs who are clear of known disorders. |
CLICK ON THE LINKS TO
THE RIGHT FOR TEST
INFORMATION.
THE RIGHT FOR TEST
INFORMATION.
| All that is needed is a cheek swab or small blood sample, just like for heartworm testing. |
| Ask your veterinarian if he or she will take the blood sample for free. Many will, if asked... after all this research helps not only the collie, but also gives reseachers an idea of where they may find the DNA marker in other breeds. You can do the cheek swab sample yourself! |
| www.canine-epilepsy.net "Epilepsy simply refers to repeated seizures...anything which damages the brain in the right area can cause epilepsy....if no cause is found, it is called 'idiopathic', or primary epilepsy. Treatment: controlling the seizures with drugs. Dogs with idiopathic epilepsy begin seizing between one and three years old. Seizures can be brought on by other non-hereditary factors, too, such as drugs, toxins, and stress. It will be a great help when researchers create a DNA test for heriditary epilepsy. |
| ~ COMING ~ How to submit a sample Samples may be blood, frozen semen or tissue sample and more. |
| A carrier of PRA will not show that his a carrier of PRA until bred to another dog who is also a carrier, and the two recessive genes combine and show themselves in their offspring. |
| An example is a sable dog that also carries a gene for tricolor - thus giving you a tri-factored sable dog, or a sable dog that also carries a merle gene - thus giving you a sable merle dog. Both of these dogs are recognized as sables when you look at them, but each, genetically, (the genotype) also carries a gene for tri-color,in the case of the tri-factored sable, and for merling, in the case of the sable merle dog. It is also possible that a sable dog could be 'pure-for-sable' if he carried two genes (received one from each parent) for sable coat. |
| SS = Pure-for-Sable = 2 genes recieved for a sable coat St = Tri-factored Sable = 2 genes received, one for a sable coat,(the DOMINANT GENE) & one for a tri-color coat (recessive gene) Sm = Sable Merle = one gene for a sable coat (again, Sable dominant over any other color) & one for merling (recessive to sable coloring) |
| ** Just a note: Even though a sable may be very pale or light with little or no dark hair in the coat, or another dog has a lot of dark hair in his coat, it is not possible to know the genotype without test breeding or DNA test for coat color. The best that can be done is guess. An adult sable merle may be more easily identified if he has a mottled sable coat, as he had as a puppy, I have seen long time collie people who do recognize a sable merle even though there was no 'spotting' in the coat, as some have a silvery look to the hair around the ears and head. |
