PRA and the Optigen test for the American Eskimo

PRA is a big concern in the American Eskimo. Affected dogs can go blind. CERF testing alone is not enough!

What is PRA? PRA stands for Progressive Retinal Atrophy. It is an inherited eye disease that is found in several breeds, including the American Eskimo. At first, a puppy will seem completely normal. But, in time, the dog goes blind. From experience, I can tell you that it is not easy to see your beloved pet gradually lose it's eye sight. Not only does the dog run into things, but it is more easily injured and temperament changes may occur. Please read on to see how this can be prevented.

The parents of an affected dog may appear to be normal all of their lives because they are merely carriers of PRA. However, there is still a chance of producing an affected puppy. At this time, there is no known treatment for a dog affected by PRA. The only way to prevent PRA is for breeders to research and understand it's inheritance and breed accordingly. For many years, the best we were able to do is to have our dogs CERF tested regularly and compare results and pedigrees with other breeders. But, by the time it showed up in an eye exam in our breeding stock, the dog may have already had several litters. Because it had become such a concern, many breeders, including myself, contributed blood work, pedigrees etc to several studies. In the spring of 2004, OptiGen had announced that they had a DNA marker test available for us. This is a HUGE step for us. In the past, it wasn't until later years in life that we became aware our dogs could be affected or carriers. Sometimes it was very difficult for us to know that we even had carriers. With the new DNA marker test, we can test our breeding stock at a very young age and know their status. We can identify affected dogs, carriers and non affected dogs with a reasonable degree of certainty. This is the most advanced and reliable test available to us at this time.

If you are concerned about your puppy losing it's eye sight, please ask the breeder questions about PRA. If they claim to have had their dog tested by OptiGen, ask for proof. Reputable breeders have spent a LOT of money to have their dogs tested and I'm sure they would agree with me that they would be more than happy to show you that certificate. When I have approached several breeders and asked them questions about PRA, the answer that I got was "I've never had any problems in my lines". Believe me, I have been doing a lot of research and have a database of about 6000 eskies. Every line has the potential. When I receive a response like that, my conversation ends right there. It makes me wonder what else they are trying to hide.

For your convenience, here is the link to OptiGen's home page : Optigen Keep in mind, a Carrier or even an Affected dog can still be successfully bred and not produce affected puppies. The important thing here is to KNOW the status of your dog and breed accordingly.

In short, here is a table of inheritance in the American Eskimo Dog.

Parents	Normal/Clear	Carrier	Affected
Normal/Clear	No puppies will develop PRA	No puppies will develop PRA	No puppies will develop PRA
Carrier	No puppies will develop PRA	25% of the puppies will develop PRA	50% of the puppies will develop PRA
Affected	No puppies will develop PRA	50% of the puppies will develop PRA	ALL of the puppies will develop PRA

Here's what a certificate from an OptiGen tested Normal/Clear dog looks like: