I had several puppies in a litter with the localized "puppy" folds at eight weeks about 15 years ago and chose to keep a boy to do a test breeding with a related female who also had had folds. I did so because my very experienced ACVO vet told me they were nothing to worry about, but CERF disagreed. I had purchased the dam of the litter, so they weren't closely related to my other dogs. I eventually was able to do two folds to folds breedings. I got several pups with folds but no RD-OSD. Then the DNA test became available, and I could have two of the folds dogs tested - they were clear. The type of folds I had were in the lower part of the retina, just a few in one or both eyes, not geographic. They were not visible at 6 months even when the same vet examined the eyes with the record of the first visit available. Actually, over the course of the study, 6 ACVO vets examined one or more of the puppies with folds and agreed that they could tell them from the folds of RD-OSD. I believe that these folds are now breeder option if you get the Optigen test for RD-OSD, but I haven't had any folds except in the study, so I don't know for sure.
At the time, I had a number of breeders contact me about folds. From these conversations I think there may be three types of folds in Labs, the RD-OSD folds that are geographic. the puppy folds (non-geographic), and another type that are geographic but not RD-OSD, as I was contacted by a breeder who had a dog with geographic folds on a dog that was clear for RD-OSD by the DNA test. The puppy folds appear to be completely benign, as some of my pups lived to be 14 with no problems. I don't know much about the non-RD-OSD geographic folds.
My personal way of coping with folds is that I have the litter examined at eight weeks and if there are no folds in any of the puppies' eyes, that's the end of it. If I should have a pup with the non-geographic folds I would have it Optigen tested. If clear, I would probably disregard that in my decision of which pup to keep. I used only one pup descended from the folds pups in my breeding program, as the DNA test wasn't available. An entire litter was free of folds, and one pup from that litter was bred. He is CHIC and sired over 30 litters for his co-owner with no eye problems. I used him twice, and in 15 puppies examined at eight weeks, there were no folds at all.
To the OP - get your dog DNA tested and determine if the folds are geographic or localized in the lower part of the retina. If he is RD-OSD clear by the test AND the folds are localized, you can probably breed him on a breeder's option. You should inform anyone who wants to use him of the condition, and you are welcome to send them to me for an account of my experiences. I have done research in molecular biology and used to teach genetics on the college level.
There are those who adhere to high standards, and there are those who do not, but have endless criticism for those who do. In my judgment, actions speak louder than words.
Someone is really judgemental. No you are no better a breeder than most of us who do not take pups in a 8 weeks. Its a nice thought but be high and mighty if you want, but the rest of us, good breeders, are doing tons of other testing. Talking down to someone will get you no where. We all do different things. Live with it.
Really? Since when are puppy CERFs not a normal recommended thing to do? I see I've been torturing myself for nothing for ~15 yrs then?????
As a friend once said, we do all this to avoid "the issue" in the breed. I think the OP is the one hurting here. Give him/her a little courtesy before you jump on judgment. Anne
I think there must have been some areas of the country that had a stud dog or two widely used by them that made breeders in these areas to the testing at 8 weeks. You have got to realize that alot of the country did not get on this same bandwagon since we never came across the problem. You can try to teach for an educational reason, but don't talk down to breeders who don't do the same as you.
We have always tested our litters at 7-8 weeks - whether it was a CERF exam or not. We don't do it to be high and mighty, or any of that. We do it for two reasons, primarily: to rule out any issues that SHOULD eliminate a "keeper", and to provide another piece of information about what is coming out of our breeding program. I consider it just another tool. Having said that, if one of my bitches goes back 6 generations, and nothing has ever come up on a CERF exam out of that line, and the same for the sire, and I lived 6-7 hours from where I could get an exam done on a litter of 8-10 puppies..... well, that might be a different story. So, I don't think I'm ready to judge this particular person just based on this situation. It's a pretty crappy place to find yourself, but not everything is black or white.
Thank you all for your advise and guidance. I have decided to place this sweet boy in a loving pet home.
He is the only one from the 3 we kept that showed problems. His siblings passed CERF & Optigen. Both parents have a clean bill of health too.
Thanks Laura. Yes, that is a big help. Never thought of it like that.
What to Do wrote, "True - But that is only IF he passes the DNA test. That is one big 'IF'."
If that is your attitude, then don't keep anything or make them all your pets and stop breeding. You aren't getting it. Without the genetic test, you don't know if your line (YOUR OTHER LABS, his dam and his sibs and all their relatives on both sides of the pedigree), carries for
*just innocent folds, a mere blemish on his retinas
OR
*if the CERF'd ones and he carry for the horror of skeletal dysplasia with blindness, dwarfism, retinal dysplasia, bad knees, bad hips, bad overall body in a dwarf that always looks as though it is walking downhill to crooked legs.
Not everyone is doing this Optigen test, true. Your situation is the perfect one in which to use it. If you choose not to test him, then you had darn well test anything else that you are even dreaming of breeding before you do so, or you will quite possibly have a Lab who is blind and dwarf next time. If you instead test him and he tests clear of this disorder, he will CERF, right?
That being said, if this was the final straw in a string of faults that he has, place him. Just genetically test whatever you think of breeding, please. A blind dwarf Labrador is a sad thing, not usually wanted.
Please, please test. Thanks.