At what age can a breeder test a litter's status for EIC? Can it be done with a cheek swab?

I believe you can actually send dew claws (on newly whelped pups only) as long as their individually identified somehow (such as Pink Girl, Blue Boy, etc.). Other than that, I don't think they accept the cheek swabs anymore, but I could be wrong on that. So, the only other way besides dews, would be the blood draw. Good luck!

Probably have to wait until they are ready for their first shot then? Was hoping to do it sooner to help make choices.

Just email the EIC people at the university and ask what your opions are. They have always answered my emails promptly.

MK

I'll be curious to hear how they might respond. The mechanics of knowing EIC results before you make a pick seems somewhat daunting.

If saving and freezing Dew's yourself, to submit just before you make your picks, is an option that seems like the most likely way to go. It would be expensive to test an entire litter if the Dews have to be submitted right when they are removed.

I did read in an earlier thread that indicated blood can be drawn when microchips are done at about 5-6 weeks but then you're up against the clock to make a pick based on results that take a couple of weeks to come back and you would have to have made some preliminary picks to know who to draw blood from.

I still haven't sorted out a plan of attack for this one yet.

Yeah. I don't do dews, so that's out. I sure hope this test is trustworthy.

We girl owners need to know, or you lose our business.

The reality of it is that many really don't give a rat's a$$. I lost a lot of respect for someone recently who crossed (more than once) two lines that are proven to produce carriers and obviously didn't think testing was that important in the grand scheme of things. The whole "I don't believe in this test" crap is only going to hold water for so long. Keep rolling those dice and you are eventually going to lose.

You say it is important for you to breed to a Stud with EIC clear or you will breed to something else.

Then why take on such an aggressive and accusatory tone with stud dog owners? You think that this sort of public goading is going to make you seem more in touch?

Why put down in violent terms, a stud simply because the owner sees potential problems?

Aand why do it on this forum in such a blatant attempt at making someone feel guilty or pick a fight?

What is your hidden agenda?

"We girl owners need to know, or you lose our business."

Why don't you test your girls so you can go anywhere if they are clear and if not, then make that a drop dead issue. Same with Optigen.

Spending a few bucks so you know your girl's genetic status, what a concept........

Bonnie

My girls are tested. If a carrier is one of them then we need to know who is safe to breed to. I don't think I brought attitude to this post. There is a need to have more boys tested to open up our breeding choices.

I have to wait until they are older to draw blood.

Bonnie, I totally agree. I know bitch owners that don't optigen test, just breed to clear males and it's not necessarily because they are the best choice for their girls. Not only are the stud dogs blamed for any problems, they're the ones expected to have every clearance available.

So if you had an Optigen B, and there were no boys to breed to who were known A's, that would make the statement full of attitude?

Its not expensive to test for EIC. And I'd like to have more than 15 boys to choose from for my (surprisingly) Carrier girl.

I bred to a stud before knowing about EIC (he had all the other clearances plus a Champion)...Both of us(stud owner and myself) were heartsick when we found out about the results of his EIC test. I decided to test the dam of the litter, she is clear so now I am very relieved to know all the puppies that went to pet homes will only be carriers...I can bred the puppy I kept knowing I can again use the EIC tools and bred her to a Clear and maybe get some clears from this generation...Works for me...Don't need to avoid affected males just bred to clear girls...
I am still not completely confident of this test but it is all we have for now.

I feel the same Breeder. I'm not sure how much faith to put into the EIC test, but it is all we have and when you have a carrier girl it's paramount to have more clear boys to choose from.

I DO know my girl's EIC status, and she is a carrier. I have also tested her for everything else I would expect a stud dog to have. Not a novel concept AT ALL. However, I can run every test known to man on her and if the stud dog is not tested it does me no good if she is a carrier. If she were clear for everything I would not worry about it. There is no reason not to breed carriers if they are bred wisely, but breeding with no info on the stud dog is NOT wise.

Where does one go to get this test?

It's available through the U of Minnesota:

http://www.vdl.umn.edu/vdl/ourservices/canineneuromuscular/home.html

OFA is up to 490 EIC results.

I wish more of those people would also submit to LabraData. I don't have my dogs' EIC results in OFA simply because I can't justify spending the $15each for them to list it. Talk about a money maker for OFA. I do have all of my dogs' info in LabraData.

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OFA is up to 490 EIC results.

There are only 225 males in OFA and most are field dogs.
Please stud owners test and post your boys so we we can use them!

Not familiar with Labradata. What does that have that registering with ofa doesnt?

OFA charges $15 per dog, per test to submit results of DNA testing. Unlike OFA, LabraData is a FREE online Labrador database. You can submit your dogs, their pedigrees and any health clearances or records that they have. The database is also free to search and you can search by the dog's name, breeder's name or you can just search for dogs with a certain type of clearance; like EIC.

I'll use my boy Gandalf as an example: http://www.labradata.org/DB/LinkTo.aspx?DogID=42
LabraData has all of his titles and health clearances listed. Click on Certs/Tests to see his certs. You are even allowed to upload 2 photos of your dog for free. Unfortunately, the database is only as good as the people who submit information. If more people would use it, there would be more information available. I mean, it is free after all.

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Not familiar with Labradata. What does that have that registering with ofa doesnt?

"OFA charges $15 per dog"

The problem is most people will check OFA, it's worth the $15 for EIC, CNM or InGen for the dog to be in the OFA database forever. Of course, Labradata is another option(free) but most have a problem submitting to it. I will when it becomes more user friendly.

"I believe you can actually send dew claws"

Do you mean removed dew claws from newborn pups? I don't remove dew claws & many of us don't. A personal choice.

From http://www.offa.org/history.html

Following John Olin's original intentions to promote animal wellness, the OFA also supports studies on animal wellness through financial contributions. The OFA has contributed nearly $3 million to researchers through the Morris Animal Foundation, the AKC/Canine Health Foundation, and occasionally, direct funding. Through its support of such projects, the OFA hopes to provide resources for the further understanding of, and ultimately prevention of genetic diseases.

That is what your $15 is funding.

Getting to the discussion late - been out of town. I have all mine tested. I STILL want to know the status of the male. I figure if I can pony up the money to test my girls, why would I want to breed to a dog owned by someone who doesn't share my concern for the breed???

I may opt to breed to a carrier dog... or even an affected. However, I deserve to know what I am getting into both ethically and financially (testing a whole litter) before I pay a stud fee. It is just reasonable to expect those who want me to pay $1000 for semen to let me know the status of their dog. It is unreasonable to even hint that people should pay to buy a "pig in a poke" when the test is so reasonably priced. Stud dog owners are only fooling themselves if they think bitch owners are going to continue supporting the the guessing game in this economy.

Please... if you have ANY suggestions for making the database more user friendly, send them along. It is our hope to make submitting all dogs easy and fast. We have changed our sign-in format and our submittal process based on user input. We always are eager to hear YOUR suggestions for improvement.

If you have not used it lately, please see how "user friendly" it has become. All we need is a photo copy/scan of your dog's registration - if it is registered - and submittal of a few physical characteristics. It is fast and simple. Any public documents (like OFA certs, AKC titles) are automatically added. All other documents can be scanned and entered to fill in the data. Photos are encouraged.