SaberTails

IWinter2014

www.pbgv.org

17

TO:Allmembers

ofPBGVCA

SUBJECT:Primar

yOpenAngleGlaucoma

(POAG)

Wehavebecomeawa

rethatsomePBGV

ownersandPBGVC

Amembersarenot

knowledgeable

aboutaformofgla

ucomathataffects

PBGVs,knownasp

rimaryopenangle

glaucoma(POAG).

VivienPhillipsofthe

BGVClubintheUK

hasprovideduswith

somehistoricalinf

ormationon

POAGinthePBGV

.Sheinformedusthat

in1996,aPBGVin

theUKwasdiagnosed

withPOAG

andbecameblindat

4yearsofage.Since

thattime,theUK’s

BGVClubhasunder

takenannual

eyetestsonPBGVs

fromtheageof2to

approximately7y

ears,withthehelp

ofProfessorPeter

Bedfordandother

ophthalmologistsof

theBritishVeterinar

yAssociation.The

BGVClubhas

beenactiveinkeeping

therecordsofeye

testresultsand,ov

erthepast18years,

theyhave

recordedacouple

dozenofaffecteddogs.

Responsiblebreeders

shouldasktheirpuppy

buyerstohaveannual

eyeexamsthatinclude

gonioscopyandtonometr

y.Gonioscopyprovides

informationonthe

anatomicalstructure

of

theeyewhereastonometr

ymeasuresthepressure

withintheeye.Some

breedersandowners

thinkifthePBGVi

sapetthatisnotg

oingtobebred,the

nthereisnoneces

sitytocontinuewit

h

annualeyeexamin

ations.Thatisnot

thecase.AnyPBGV

candevelopPOAG,

whichisapainful

conditionthatleads

toblindness.Ifdiagnosed

early,thenthedisease

canbetreated.

Werecommendth

atallPBGVshave

anannualeyeex

ambyaboard-ce

rtifiedveterinary

ophthalmologiststar

tingat2yearsof

age.Earlydiagnosis

iscriticalsothattreatment

may

beginassoonaspo

ssible.Theexamsh

ouldincludetestso

fgonioscopyandto

nometry.Ifaneye

examinationindicates

signsofeyedisease,

haveyourPBGV’s

DNAsenttoCHIC.

Instruction

onhowtodothat

canbefoundatwww

.pbgv.org/Health/HealthCommitteeProjects.shtml.

To

haveyourPBGV’s

DNAincludedin

theon-goingPOAG

researchatAnim

alHealthTrust,

contacteitherHelen

IngherorLindaMur

raytohaveanAnimal

HealthTrustDNA

swabkit

mailedtoyou.The

instructionswillbe

includedinthekit.

Dr.AndrásKomár

omyofMichiganSt

ateUniversityhas

beenextremelyhe

lpfultothePBGVC

A

byconductingeye

examinationsatthe

nationalspecialties

thepastcoupleof

years.TheDNA

sampleshehascollected

ofaffectedandunaf

fecteddogshavebeen

senttotheAnimal

Health

TrustintheUK,where

researchersaresearc

hingforthegenethat

leadstoPOAG.Thank

sto

thisresearch,wes

houldsoonbeable

toascertain,byusi

ngsimplecheeksw

abs,whetherorno

t

yourPBGVisaffected,

clearoraPOAGcar

rier.

Inthemeantime,

weurgeallowner

sandbreedersto

havetheseeyeex

amsdoneontheir

PBGVsthatare2y

earsoldandolder.

Breeders,pleasecontact

yourpuppypeople

andshare

thisinformationso

thattheywillhave

theirdogsexamined.

Ifyouhaveadditio

nalconcernsorqu

estions,pleasecon

tactanyofthemem

bersofthePBGVCA

HealthCommittee

orPBGVHealth&

RescueFoundation.

HelenIngher,Chair

man

LindaMurray,President

PBGVCAHealthCommittee

PBGVHealth&Rescue

Foundation

pbgv@charlen.com

lmurray22@tampaba

y.rr.com