[pyrnet] Eye problems

["Linda Weisser" <lmweisser@olywa.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: <JGentzel@aol.com>

By background we first
diagnosed cataracts in a couple of our dogs two years ago.  Were told by
the
powers that it does not exist in the breed and CERF had no data.  >>

Well, I don't know who "the powers that be" are but the health committee
(as in JoAnn or myself) did not talk to you personally about the cataract
issue when it first arose, and certainly neither of us told you that it did
not exist.  What you may have been told was that we had no cases reported
to the committee nor to the survey.  This does *not* constitute non
existence.

<<We
diagnosed a couple more and have had to endure the talk of it being
familial
i.e. only in our dogs.  >>

Having it called "familial" says *nothing* about it being "only" in your
dogs.  What calling it familial means is that it is most likely hereditary
at some level.  It could occur familially in any number of kennels or
groups of dogs.  Possibly even unrelated to each other.

<<It did not take much checking to dismiss the misinformation.  >>

If by checking you found information that led you to know that the problem
did not exist *only* in your dogs, it would truly be helpful to the breed
if that information could be shared by the owners/breeders with the GPCA
health survey and the GDC open registry.  This is the  same point i have
made over and over with the dwarf issue (indeed any genetic "problem")  If
the information is not shared where it will be useful to the breed as a
whole, it can only be regarded as a form of "rumor".

<<The problem is all across the breed and now we know the breed has PRA (a
much
more serious probem than late onset cataracts)>>

As Darrell pointed out, that depends upon whether we have early or late
onset PRA.  The one Pyr actually reported as examined (twice) and certified
for PRA is an 8 year old, multi titled male whose owner was totally
surprised and shocked by the diagnosis because this dog has virtually no
clinical signs of any vision impairment.  Except, in retrospect, perhaps a
somewhat increasing diffiuclty of seeing at night which is typical of PRA.
This is not in anyway to say that the PRA diagnosis was not an extremely
serious one, just to point out that many if not all, eye problems have
varying degrees of manefestation.

<<We are being told now that this new condition
is "one no big deal", but I suspect differently from what you and others
have
reported.    >>

Perhaps you should read the actual articles and reports from Dr Grahn in
which he says that they found no visual impairment in these dogs and that
they even passed their maze tests without problems.  I certainly am open to
controlled and verifiable studies that show vision problems resulting from
MR but at this point they do not exist.

<<I have not had one tell me that PPM, will
be a precursor of cataracts.  I have had them tell me that it is probabaly
nothing to worry about.  >>

Again, I'll support  what Darrell said about iris to cornea PPM.  I have
been told by veterinary opthamologists that this form of PPM can create
vision problems in some dogs.

<<You can also find cheap eye clinics at dog
shows etc.  Until we have a lot more data maybe we will not know for sure
about PPM.>>

Yes, but be very aware that, for breeding dogs at least, eye exams and
certification are a yearly event.  Especially for those conditions in which
we are seeing late onset.

Linda