SaberTails

ISummer2014

www.pbgv.org

43

PBGVCAHealthCommittee

.

P

rimaryopenangleglaucoma,alsoknownasPOAG,isan
inheritedeyediseasethatisaleadingcauseofblindness
indogs.Thefirstsignisincreasedintraocularpressure

duetoanunknowncause.Theincreasedpressureintheeye
leadstodisplacementofthelens,cataracts,anddamageto
theopticnerve.The2010PBGVhealthsurveyshowedthat
onepercentofourdogshadglaucoma,whichmeansthat
thePBGVisnotoneofthebreedspredisposedtoglaucoma.
(Bycontrast,morethanfivepercentofAmericanCocker
SpanielsandBassetHoundsdevelopglaucoma.)However,
eyeproblemsasawholewerethemostcommondiseaseson
thePBGVhealthsurvey,andwewanttoensurethat
glaucomadoesnotbecomeamajorhealthissuefor
thePBGV.

ScientistsattheAnimalHealthTrustintheUnited

Kingdomaresearchingforthegenemutationthatcauses
POAGinthePBGV.Identificationofthegeneoranearby
markerofthegenemutationwillallowthedevelopment
ofaDNAtestthatwillbeabletodetectwhetheradogis
normal(orclearofdisease),asymptom-freecarrierofthe
diseaseoranaffecteddogthatwilldevelopglaucoma.

Atthe2013PBGVCANationalSpecialty,Dr.András

Komáromy,DVM,PhD,fromMichiganStateUniversity,

examinedtheeyesofPBGVs
bygonioscopyandtoniometry
totestforabnormaleyestructure
andincreasedintraocularpressure.Healsocollectedblood
fromeachdog.DNAfromthebloodsampleswassentto
theAnimalHealthTrust,wheregeneticistsareworkingon
identifyingthecauseofPOAG.Dr.Komáromyalsogavean
excellentseminaroncanineeyehealthanddisease.

Atthe2014PBGVCANationalSpecialty,Dr.Komáromy

returnedtoexaminemoredogsandcollecttheirblood
samples.HereportedthattheAnimalHealthTrust
geneticistshavemadesignificantprogressinthesearch
forthePOAGgene!HesaidthatitispossiblethataDNA
markerforPOAGinthePBGVwillbeverifiedbytheend
of2014.Yourparticipationintheeyeexamandblood
collectionwasvitaltothissuccess.

HavingagenetictestforPOAGwillhelpourbreedin

severalways.First,itwillallowbreederstoidentifycarriers
ofthediseaseandmakeinformedbreedingdecisions.
Second,itwillallowdogownerstobegintreatmentbefore
thedogisinpainandvisionisirreparablylost.The
PBGVCAHealthCommitteewillkeepabreastofthis
researchproject'sprogressandkeepyouinformed.

I

UpdateonPOAG

byLauraLiscum

PBGVCA2014NationalandRegionalSpecialtiesHealthClinics

byHelenIngher,chair,PBGVCAHealthCommittee
pbgv@charlen.com

OnMay9,2014,PBGVCAheldhealthclinicsin
Harrisburg,Pa.,inconjunctionwiththespecialties.

Therewere27CERFeyeexaminationsconductedby

Dr.AndrasKomaromy.Anadditionoffourcardio(echo)
examinationsalongwithnineheart(auscultation)were
conductedbyDr.LuisBraz-Ruivo.Thisisthefirsttime
hearthealthhasbeenaddressedandwewerepleased
thattheofferwaswell-received.Inaddition,therewere
12PBGVsthathadblooddrawnforCHIC.OnePBGV
thatwasclinicallyaffectedwithepilepsywasswabbed
withaspecifictestkitprovidedbyAnimalHealthTrust.
ThatkitwassentbacktoAHTforthebreed-specific
seizureresearchbeingconductedintheUK.

JoannBeaversefficientlyarrangedforourhealthclinicswithconsiderationfor

privacy.Theseclinicswerebroughttoyouatreducedrates,andwehopetocon-
tinuethisofferatfuturenationalspecialties.Pleasecontinuetodotestingonyour
PBGVs.IfyouhaveaPBGVclinicallyaffectedwithepilepsyorglaucoma,donot
hesitatetocontactmeoranyoneontheHealthCommittee.WecansendanAHT
testkitandputyouintouchwiththeproperHealthCommitteeBGVClubmem-
berforfurtherinstructions.

Pleaserefertowww.pbgv.orgforinformationregardingPBGVhealth.

I

Duringnationalweek,heart
examswereperformedbyDr.
LuisBraz-Ruivo,left,andCERF
eyeexamswereconductedby
Dr.AndrasKomaromy,below.

PhotosbyBobCohen.