GLAUCOMA/CATARACTS

Cataracts and Glaucoma - This is a huge problem in our breed. It seems that a litter was born that yielded many of it's get had Glaucoma (Not at the time of whelp but later in the dogs lives about 2003). The unfortunate outcome was that each one of these dogs bred .The breedings before they got glaucoma were understandable. To use these offspring in your breedings after the knowledge that they were affected, was not a wise idea since the offspring had the possibility of being carriers of the gene. The offspring that these dogs produced were so beautiful, that the possibility that glaucoma could develop down the road for their puppies was not considered. The desire to produce beautiful dogs over took the need to protect the breed's health. Many breeders are importing dogs now to water down the genes, however once it is injected in your line, it is there. IT CAN NOT BE WATERED DOWN!

An article in the Gazette illustrated how long forgotten genes reappear years later. A columnist wrote about her terrier bitch that had puppies. She looked at the litter and one of the dogs was distinctly a different breed of terrier. She mused about the possibility of an accident but knew that she had not gone to any shows or let the btich out of her sight. After a great deal of study she discovered that 100 years prior a different breed of terrier had been introduced for shape and form to her breed. She then knew that this injection had caused her little surprise. All her friends who had bred for some time said that although not common, it happens.

The same can be said for a buried health issue. It will crop up. Once there it can always show up.

There were studies being done at the University of Missouri in Columbia to discover the marker that Glaucoma is carried on. Should this discovery be made it can solve many of the mysteries of who could be a carrier and who is not. The recent declaration is that the gene is so vast that it is entering on many avenues (polygenic). This mode of inheritance makes it unlikely that the DNA of these maladies will be indentified. What should a breeder do in this situation? NOT USE THE LINES THAT CARRY THIS HISTORY OF BAD HEALTH IN THEIR BREEDINGS! (UPDATE: AS WE PREDICTED THE STUDY WAS SHUT DOWN DUE TO INSUFFICIENT DATA AND OUTCOME TO PREDICT INHERITANCE RATE) THE STUDY WAS ABANDONED DUE TO INSUFFICIENT ABILTIY TO DISCOVER ANY GENETICS AND A FLAWED SECURITY SYSTEM IN THE DATA SUBMITTED BY THE PARTICIPANTS.

Until man becomes advanced enough to unravel the DNA of this problem, it is wise to distance one's self from these pedigrees.

Dogs can be tested for cataracts and glaucoma and be cleared for the moment. Many Bouvier breeders think that a Gonioscopy is the answer. Eye doctors and specifically the doctor doing the study at Mizzou has said that a Gonio is not any proof that a dog will or will not come down with Glaucoma. It is a test that is a waste to spend money on.

A test for glaucoma tells one if their dog has or does not have glaucoma at that precise moment. This malady can crop up quickly and in fact over night. So a test this month yielding good eyes can be quite the opposite next month.

The Clubs realizing the enormity of the problem in the breed at this point has suggested breeders get eyes checked every two years. Why? Because this over used and saturated pedigree is there and still being used to excess. Even though many breeders have been stung by the problem of cataracts and glaucoma, the ones that have not feel that "it won't happen to me, I have tested dogs". They could not be further from the truth. Glaucoma can be tested for and in less than 24-48 the symptoms can begin.

The now present dogs are line bred on this same litter. The least you will find as we call it the H litter (becaus all the dogs from this litter were named with their names starting with an "H". You see it used to be and some still use this method breeders start with A and each litter is alphabetically what the breeder uses to name the litter. if my first litter was the "A" litter then next is "B" and so on till you get to "X" and then they start all over and do "AA", "BB" and so forth.

What we will say about Glaucoma is that the "truth" came out in 2000-2003. Many dogs had Glaucoma and the dogs producing those dogs were winnign in the show ring decisively because the H litter had such a beautiful structure and presentation. That desire to win made all the breeders throw caution to the wind and turn to the OFA (orthopedic foundation Association) This group health tests dogs and then Certifies their health. While that may sound like a great idea it is faulted beyond words.

The breeders health tested their dogs and still bred cousins to cousins and what has happened is the breeders (almost 90%) or more use the same lines bred to one another and this has locked in Glaucoma in to the line.

Recently nearly 20 years from the discovery of the dogs causing the issues, The club wants to discuss the problem. They want people to open a dialogue but yet no one wants to admit or even offer up DNA or talk about issues. it is a Dirty secret when your dog comes down with Glaucoma, yet a simple dive in to the pedigree can point a finger at the most likely dogs to contract the issue.

You can read about the illness the club says a Gonioscopy will help you identify your dog that will come down with the issue but that is speculative and has never been proven., what has been proven is that all the dogs in the 2005-2017 study were all related and shared the same sire or grand sire. Without naming that dog the lines are obvious to us.

What is even more obvious to us is what our mentors admitted in the early 2000s and what they told us is what holds true today in terms of what dogs hold this genetic issue so strongly.