PRArcd4 DNA Testing via the Irish Setter Association, England

[Rosie Dudley]

The Animal Health Trust are experiencing difficulties on their website with processing orders for PRArc4 DNA testing kits. With this in mind and to help alleviate the problem, I can let you all know that the Irish Setter Association, England will be holding their Championship Show on the 1^st October 2011 at Stoneleigh.

DNA testing kits for PRArcd4 will be available for you to collect at the show.

There will be a batch discount arranged by the ISAE, so you will be able to have the tests done at a reduced cost. Payment can be made by card or cheque via the form and sent together with your DNA swabs.

If you are not intending to breed from your dog or bitch in the next few months, there is no immediate urgency to have the test done, rather than us all causing a traffic jam, it would help the Breed and the AHT if the most urgent tests were initially allowed to be given priority.

[Carmel Murphy]

Thanks Rosie for the latest update! Good idea for those in the UK, to get the kits at a show;o))

And I agree about the urgent cases getting priority;o) Otherwise I would have to wait another 10 months before I could breed Abbey(presuming she is either Clear or Carrier) I will not breed from her if she is affected!

[eva ciechonska]

That is useful to know Rosie and many thanks to the ISAE for making this available. 

[Margaret Sierakowski]

Are results from the tests going to be listed somewhere? By the KC or on a club website?

 

[Rosie Dudley]

The KC are setting up an Official Scheme for PRArcd4 in Irish Setters, the results will be published as with all DNA tests in the Breed Record Supplement (BRS) which is published quarterly. Results for all tests can also be viewed on their website. Results up to the end of September should hopefully be in the next issue. Overseas dogs results will only appear in the BRS if the dog is registered with the UK KC and provided that the UK KC registration number was put on the AHT form when applying for the test, so make sure you put both your home KC & UK KC numbers on the form.

The rules for the scheme are yet to be set, this will be done with the consultation of the Breed Clubs via the Joint Breed Clubs Health Committee, their next meeting is in September and it may be a few months before the scheme rules are finally agreed. Initially the registration system may or may not report the status of tested dogs until the rules are final, in which case litters born until then, may not have the parents status for rcd4 stated on the pups registration document. In this interim period breeders would do best to ask for a copy of the sires result certificate sent to them by the AHT and with your own, attach a copy to the registration document when selling your pups.

[Dee Rance]

And what about the people who are at this moment getting their bitches mated....should the stud dog owner ask to see certificate's and should the bitches owner be asking for the stud dogs certificate...or should they not just bother??? and produce puppies that may well be affected....me personally, if I had a bitch to be mated now I would be putting it off untill everyones status is asured, or at least the two animals involved.....but that is just me...better to put things off for a few months than take a chance....and will the puppies be tested at 4 weeks and given a certificate, and if some of those come up affected then what??? do we sell them or have them put to sleep...lets face it, again, I for one, wouldn't want to buy a puppy that is affected by this...knowing that it will probably go blind.

We will of cause know the results of our own stock when the AHT sends us the results...so fingers crossed for us all...good luck everyone...mine was sent today...

And again SORRY for any spelling mistakes....