Having recently read the interesting EIC thread and the discussion on tested 'Affected' dogs who do not appear to collapse set me thinking.

When we started Optigen testing and tried to encourage other people to use the test I heard again and again "where are all the blind dogs?". "Why do we need to test, its nothing to do with us". We now know that many lines, worldwide, were, and still are involved. But probably the main reason we are not now seeing many blind dogs is because the test came along just in time. Would you agree, or not?

What I would like to ask, in relation to the EIC situation, is

a).How many of you had dogs come back as Optigen Affected and have not suffered significant sight loss into old age, and

B). It also would be interesting to know what sort of age you saw changes in your dogs sight when it has been affected, and

C). When your dogs sight has been affected what changes has this made to how you treat your dog and how it is kept in the home/kennel.

Hopefully lots of answers please.
Thank you.

I don't know who you talk with but when Optigen testing came out, I did not hear this from my mentors that have been in the breed for 40+ years. They had experience PRA what they did say is with the carrier rate Optigen was claiming at first, they would have experience a lot more dogs with PRA. Optigen improved the test 4 years later and this carrier rate dropped. These same breeders have never experience a collapsing dog.

"B). It also would be interesting to know what sort of age you saw changes in your dogs sight when it has been affected, and

C). When your dogs sight has been affected what changes has this made to how you treat your dog and how it is kept in the home/kennel."


My PRA affected boy started showing signs of night blindness when he was around 6 or 7 years old. He was completely blind by 8.

He was a house dog. We didn't move furniture around, kept him leashed when we went outside of our fenced yard. Made noise when coming up to him when he was sleeping so as not to startle him. Banged on walls in the house when he was in excited bunny run mode so he remembered not to run into the walls. Gave him extra time with everything. And STILL let him ride in the front seat of the car as if he could still navigate...

I miss him.

I agree with Moe, prior to the Optigen test, we had all seen blind Labs from PRA. The comment of "where are all the blind dogs" did originate from the 1st Optigen test that showed approximately 25% (or 30%, I don't remember) of Labs were effected by PRA. With those numbers and the fact they insisted that the test was 95% accurate led to that comment being made multiple times by many different people.

My only dog that did have PRA did go blind at an early age of two. He was never tested with Optigen as we knew the results first hand. I am not even sure the test was out yet. He lived a normal life in a pet home and was well loved.

My first test with Optigen reported my whole litter was going to go blind. We still have our old girl that still sees very well and she is now 10 years of age. (one of that litter) The rest of that litter before passing and those alive are still able to see well. That was before the test was perfected. We didn't do the test over when they were doing the "C's" over again, free of charge.

With EIC I believe many are out there but are not collapsing, as we all know it can be asymptomatic?

That doesn't mean the condition is "not" out there.
I am doing the test just to know how to use the tool when breeding. I heard of dogs that are collapsing, and so does my Veterinarian. Saddly a lot of breeders are waiting for the test to improve.

A) I had a male who was initially evaluated with the first Optigen test as "affected", though he was 6 years old at the time, had been CERF'd every year, and my ACVO vet assured me he wasn't affected. We thought he might be a carrier. When Optigen perfected the test he was clear (at that time rated "A")

B) I have a bitch who is affected - tested as such with the initial test and confirmed by both the more accurate test and by ACVO exam beginning at age 4. She has gradually lost night sight and is now pretty much totally blind at age 9. She can still sense when a light is on in the house at night.

C) We don't move furniture, but she still bumps into door frames from time to time. She treads very carefully when the grandchild is here leaving toys all over the house - she just goes to her crate & waits patiently until the baby leaves!

In addition, I co-own a male who Optigen tested clear for prcd, but has been diagnosed (& confirmed at OSU) with one of the other forms of pra unilaterally. He is not expected to lose sight entirely and one eye doesn't seem to be affected.

A couple I knew through their workplace used to like to talk about their old dog. It had been dead for several years. They laughed and said the dog became senile in its old age. They related that the dog had a path in their backyard, and if she strayed off the path, she wouldn't move but would stand still until they got her. I didn't have the heart to tell them the dog must have been blind. I think that happens more often that we realize.