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The importance of DNA tests when choosing a puppy!

59K views 48 replies 19 participants last post by  Susan Thackeray 
#1 ·
Hi I would highly recommend that whatever breeder you use has proof of eye testing. Our gorgeous
cockapoo has PRA and started going blind about 4.. He is now 7 and has been completely blind for almost 2 years, with very poor sight in between!! He is fantastic, copes really well and we love him to bits but wouldn't want anyone unexpectedly going through the same heartacheX I would have another cockapoo tomorrow.. The most loving and loyal companion... A constant teddy bear hug X
 
#3 ·
Sorry to hear that your dog is suffering from PRA, he sounds lovely and it's nice he is coping. Such a shame he had to suffer this though when a simple blood test can prevent pups being born with this disease.
Yes, he truly is amazing but I do get sad when hear that the breeder is still producing lots of pups and does not test. How many more little pups and loving families are going to go through the pain of watching much loved pet go blind? As you say it is a simple blood test.. And any responsible breeder would do them X Elaine
 
#4 ·
That is so sad to hear and maddening too!! So many more poor puppies and families.

Have you gone back and informed the breeder of your dogs condition?

If you don't mind I may start a thread off with your comments about your dog as so many people decide to go ahead and buy puppies even when they know tests aren't what they seem, I guess thinking it'll never happen to their dog, it will help highlight the seriousness of PRA and that it can and will affect dogs.
 
#6 ·
Sorry to hear about your dog but how lovely that he is having a great life with you. It is terrible that breeders are breeding without these tests - how hard can they be to get done.
 
#8 ·
Simple answer Dawn .. the test are easy to carry out and should be carried out. I am a huge fan of DNA testing as it gives you firm result which stays with that dog for life, it is a result that can not change and gives you a Clear, Carrier or Affected result for that breeding dog.
 
#7 ·
Elaine, firstly thank you for sharing your experience with us all and secondly I am so sorry you have had to go through this with your dog ...

When I first started researching cockapoos it saden me how many breeders did not take DNA testing seriously and I hate to think of the other stories out there where dogs have suffered and gone or will go blind due to PRA.

I am in the camp where I think both parents should be DNA tested for PRA as breeders should know exactly what they are breeding and the outcome of their litter can then be predicted ... but it must be DNA testing.

Sending you and your cockapoo a massive hug ... it is lovely to know he has such a wonderful life with you :)
 
#9 ·
I look after a cockpoo from the same breeder as elaines cockapoo,also blind with pra.The breeder was informed by her family too and is now telling new owners he doesnt eye test because he has never had any problems,its infuriating ( see post under cockapoo talk,looking for a breeder in scotland).The post about this seems to have become lost n the many posts since buts its of the utmost importance its highlighted. xxx
 
#12 ·
I'm so glad that this has been highlighted!!!! As much as I'm used to my boy being blind, Every walk we go on you have to be constantly 'risk assessing' I took my eyes off him for a split second just today and he was almost into some fencing... I'm sure if he was bald he'd have quite a few wee bruises on his body... The families who are considering buying puppies from breeders who are not testing need to be prepared for some heartache along the way! Bobby was only diagnosed a few years ago but probably had poor sight long before that and just 'coped'... Apparently some dogs can go blind within their first year, so I guess we were lucky Bobby had quite a few years as a seeing dog... Please please please think long and hard before you select your breeder... Research as much as possible.. If they are reputable they will be more than happy to answer all your questions!!!!!! They should be expecting you to ask questions just as they should be ensuring their puppies are going to loving forever homes!!!! My breeder was informed about the PRA.. And carried on breeding without testing being done!!! If we carry on buying from these people.... They will continue to breed affected pups... The breeder gets our money... We get a lot of heartache, always looking out for the signs.....
 
#13 ·
It seems like something like this should be reported to the RSPCA, but I guess sadly if they aren't able to stop the terrible puppy farms that this would not seem like a high priority.
 
#16 ·
Hi Donna, I was the same with Bobby, totally naive. When we were having him tested we first went to our regular vet, who then referred us to a specialist as he was already displaying signs of PRA. Eye colour change... They went a kind of shiny green.. Almost marble like...especially noticeable in strong sunlight.. If you google PRA it explains this fully.. He didn't even need the blood test as they knew just by examining the eyes.. I'm sure your vet will do the test and send them away. Dont know how much it costs, but for peace of mind it'd be worth it X
 
#18 ·
Donna PRA is completely irreversible, and when checked we were told he would probably be completely blind within a few months as it was already quite advanced..I can't tell you how much research we did, we would have paid anything!!! It was probably about 6 months after that, it's actually quite hard to tell cos they are so amazing at adjusting that you think they can still see!!!!! I just can't emphasise enough about choosing a breeder that tests.
 
#19 ·
Elaine, Thank you again for hi-lighting the importance of testing, I think in the past so many people have thought 'oh I'm sure it won't happen, loads of people buy untested pups and they are fine...' but it DOES happen as you have sadly found out, it is a shame that so many people don't even know about testing before they get a puppy, at least anyone who stumbles across this forum before choosing a puppy should know, as it is usually the first piece of advice on any thread about getting a puppy. good luck with your lovely boy, I hope he continues to cope well.
 
#21 ·
Hi Julie, yes people have gone ahead and gotten puppies from the breeder, and if you refer to another thread in 'chat' 'looking for breeder in north east Scotland'.. you can see that one is particularly upset about her chosen breeder been named! It appears the breeder has now chosen to test due to being informed that he has been mentioned on his forum.. I can only see this a a good thing, it's a shame that people have gotten upset by this topic, however, I stand by what's been said. I wish this forum had been available when I'd been looking for my 'fur baby'... Who at present resembles a drowned rat as we have just come home from a very wet soggy walk lol!!!
 
#22 ·
I think the breeder will only have improved the situation if he has dna tested perhaps all the boys so at least one parent per mating is dna tested but i doubt he has because there hasnt been enough time for him to do that.If only one parent has been bva tested then its a waste of time and means nothing,even if both are just bva tested they can still produce affected pups if both are carriers( this does not show up in a bva test) so its back to the importance of dna tests and how important they are xxx
 
#23 ·
Well if that's the case Mandy and he is not testing properly, at least these new owners have the required information about the importance of DNA testing, and the possible outcome of buying a puppy NOT tested, sad as that is. And hopefully people will take note the importance of buying a puppy from a reputable breeder and that it doesn't always pay to go with the cheaper option :/
 
#27 ·
Why would choosing a breeder from there mean youre safe,one recently got struck off cos they were breeding from affected dogs.i dont mean to sound harsh but the best way to make sure you get a puppy from eye tested is parents is to check out the paper work yourself,hunt around and make sure pups are seen with mum.xxx
 
#35 ·
It's confusing as aa can mean clear or affected, depending on the use of capital letters!! What you need to see or have proof of is the DNA certificate from either Optigen lab or Labakolin, the breeder will have this if they carried out testing.
I will put links up for you.
All your vet needs to do is take a blood sample and send it off to either of these labs. You will have to pay the vet a fee for this and also pay the lab for the test. All price info is on the websites.


http://www.laboklin.co.uk/laboklin/showGeneticTest.jsp?testID=8094

http://www.optigen.com/opt9_test_prcd_pra.html
 
#36 ·
Update

Hi just an update on indie. We have had her bloods sent to the lab to check for PRA and just awaiting results. We have telephoned Tinyshires twice with regards as to wether she could be affected and they will not confirm this. I have had the phone slammed down on me and told that her dogs were nothing to do with me despite them selling me a pup that may potentially go blind. There are now 7 potential PRA affected pups out there that have been sold to unsuspecting buyers and I think these people should have a right to know. We bought our pup on the understanding she was AA clear as the advert stated. It has been a sham and nothing but lies. We do not know if the cocker spaniel shown was really Indie's mother as she has been showing different cocker spaniels as the mother when people had visited pups. Needless to say we are now going down the legal route. These people should not be allowed to do this and I think it should be broadcast so that people who have bought a puppy off them know what they are up against. Not a nice situation to be in.
 
#37 ·
Hi just an update on indie. We have had her bloods sent to the lab to check for PRA and just awaiting results. We have telephoned Tinyshires twice with regards as to wether she could be affected and they will not confirm this. I have had the phone slammed down on me and told that her dogs were nothing to do with me despite them selling me a pup that may potentially go blind. There are now 7 potential PRA affected pups out there that have been sold to unsuspecting buyers and I think these people should have a right to know. We bought our pup on the understanding she was AA clear as the advert stated. It has been a sham and nothing but lies. We do not know if the cocker spaniel shown was really Indie's mother as she has been showing different cocker spaniels as the mother when people had visited pups. Needless to say we are now going down the legal route. These people should not be allowed to do this and I think it should be broadcast so that people who have bought a puppy off them know what they are up against. Not a nice situation to be in.

Wow what an awful situation. I feel so sorry for you. Fingers crossed the blood results come back with good news!
I would also recommend informing the breeders local trading standards office.
 
#38 ·
I'd be interested to know how you get on with the legal route as my experience of complaining it authorities such as KC, Trading Standards and RSPCA etc was that they're weren't at all interested or helpful.
This was with my cavapoo/ Cavoodle not my current cockapoo, I learnt from bad experience and did more research and checks etc.
I've heard Pets@home have DNA tests but not sure what for.
 
#39 ·
I would like to share with you an upsetting situation I was in 4 months ago when i purchased a puppy. The breeder was recommended to me by an approved breeder who was a member of a recognised club. (Why she would put her reputation at risk is beyond me). Anyway the breeder I bought the puppy from said that the Mum and Dad were both DNA clear of PRA. Stupidly I did not ask to see the paperwork at the first visit as I had put my trust in the person that had recommended her to me. The long and short of it was the breeder could not provide evidence of the blood tests and only a visual examination certificate for the stud. I had already taken the puppy home when I saw this in the paperwork. The whole situation got very upsetting and I felt misled by both parties concerned. In the end I paid for a blood test myself which was thankfully clear and the breeder reimbursed me eventually. I also had paid top price for the pup which I was happy to do so as I was led to believe all the testing had been done. The first few weeks of owning her was worrying and it took away the pleasure out of the whole experience. So buyer beware, ask to see the paperwork and don't assume anything.
 
#40 ·
Its a shame you had to go through the worry, I wouldn't feel bad about not checking the paperwork, I must admit I just trusted the breeder and luckily was ok to as I got a copy of the DNA certificate when I picked up Dudley to bring him home, obviously there would not have been a problem seeing it earlier if I had asked, but I guess your situation just shows you need to be more up front about asking to see it.
 
#41 ·
Hi. I have just picked out my cockapoo and will be getting her in 7 weeks. Unfortunately I don't think the breeder did genetic testing, but does give a 1 year health guarantee. How expensive would this test be to get and can it be done younger than 1 year of age?
 
#42 ·
Sorry to be harsh but I think most people on here would say find another puppy from a breeder that does testing, I don't believe it is an expensive test and there is no reason in the world why breeders should not get it done before any mating, if people buy untested pups it makes it easier for the breeder to keep breeding without bothering and there could be a lot of blind dogs in the future, a 1 year health guarantee is very generous - but what would that cover? PRA is not likely to show up in that time and if you took the puppy home, had the test and found out they had it would you return the pup - no, I doubt it. I'm not sure what age the pup would have to be to be tested, could you discuss with the breeder the possibility of the mum being tested before you get your puppy, that way she would know if any of the pups were at risk, this is likely to show you how much they really care about the pups they are producing, I know it is really hard when you have set your mind on a puppy, quite a few have pups that were not tested but would not do that again and if you have read this thread thoroughly you will see how much everyone cares about good breeding, the breeders make a lot of money they should not be allowed to take shortcuts....sorry, rant over. Good luck
 
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