health issues (page 2 of 2)

Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) refers to a group of diseases affecting the retina at the back of the eye. These diseases cause the retinal cells to become increasingly abnormal over time. In most cases, the eventual outcome is blindness. Some form of PRA has been recognized in over 100 dog breeds, including Toy and Miniature Poodles.

PRA is inherited, meaning the disease genes that cause PRA are passed from generation to generation. In Toy and Miniature Poodles, one specific type of inherited PRA predominates, although at least one more type is present at a low frequency in the breed. This predominant form is the progressive rod-cone degeneration (prcd) form of PRA. Rod cells in the retina slowly lose function, with diminished vision in dim light and diminished field of vision. Subsequently, retinal cone cells lose function, resulting in diminished vision in daylight and eventual total blindness. The age of onset and the rate of disease progression are variable among different breeds, within the same breed and within the same litter. In general for Toys and Miniatures, diagnosis of prcd-PRA is made around 3 years of age, based on an eye exam by a veterinary ophthalmologist. Some prcd-PRA affected dogs retain some useful vision throughout life, while others progress to blindness in mid-life. Unfortunately, there is no treatment or cure for PRA.

A DNA test offered by OptiGen is available to detect the genetic mutation that causes prcd-PRA in dogs. The disorder is inherited as a “simple recessive,” meaning that affected dogs have two copies of the abnormal gene.  The DNA test is used to identify Toy and Miniature Poodles as clear, carrier (one copy of the abnormal gene and one normal gene) or affected. Identification of breeding animals carrying or affected with prcd-PRA is essential to avoid producing affected offspring. For more on the test and its use in breeding decisions, see the OptiGen site (www.optigen.com).

Not all retinal disease is PRA and not all PRA is the form currently detectable by DNA testing in our breed. Accurate diagnosis is essential. A dog can test as prcd-PRA normal or carrier, yet be affected by a different type of PRA. Yearly eye examinations should be done on breeding dogs by a veterinary ophthalmologist, even after prcd-PRA testing by OptiGen.

Optic Nerve Hypoplasia is a congenital failure of development of the optic nerve which causes blindness and abnormal pupil response in the effected eye. May be unable to differentiate from micropapilla on a routine (dialated) screening ophthalmoscopic exam. Micropapilla is a small optic disc which is not associated with vision impairment.

Additional known eye disorders in Poodles:

• Entropian Corneal dystrophy
• Cataracts
• Juvenile cataracts

This is a common disorder in Standard Poodles involving inflammation of sebaceous glands that normally lubricate the skin and hair follicles. Heredity plays a role in SA, although the mode of inheritance is not yet understood. The disease has been identified in more than 30 breeds as well as mixed-breed dogs. While Standards represent the vast majority of Poodle cases, SA also has been reported in Miniature and Toy Poodles. Symptoms include scaling, flaking and thickening of the skin, hair loss (often with a “moth eaten” appearance) and sometimes odor and sores caused by secondary infection. The disease can be difficult to diagnose, often mistaken for hypothyroidism, allergies or other conditions affecting the skin. Although there is no cure for SA, oil baths and other treatments often can keep symptoms under control.

Currently the only diagnostic test available for SA is a skin biopsy evaluated by a dermatopathologist, and Standard Poodles used for breeding should have a yearly biopsy. Because the age of onset varies and some affected dogs are “subclinical” with no outward signs of disease, SA is an especially challenging problem for breeders. On its web site, the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals maintains a registry for SA tested poodles and lists names and addresses of approved dermatopathologists and laboratories, along with procedures for submitting samples for SA analysis. Samples are needed for a study supported by the Poodle Club of America Foundation on the genetics of Sebaceous Adenitis in Standard Poodles.

Vaccinations might not seem like a “health issue” at first glance, until you consider the vast numbers of dogs killed by Distemper and Parvovirus before the era of effective vaccines to prevent these infections. Thanks to vaccinations required by law, canine rabies is seldom seen in the United States, but that dreaded disease is still a serious problem among dogs in some parts of the world. Modern vaccines can also protect our dogs against other infections when needed, such as Lyme disease, Leptospirosis, and kennel cough. Vaccination guidelines will continue to evolve with advances in veterinary knowledge and as new vaccines become available.

2006 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines for the General Veterinary Practice

Dr. Dodds Vaccination Protocol

Von Willebrand’s disease (vWD) is an inherited bleeding disorder. It is a complex and difficult disorder to deal with because genetics, diagnostic abnormalities, pathogenic mechanisms, and sometimes conflicting clinical signs are all involved. The commonality between all vWD is a reduction in the amount or function of von Willebrand factor (vWF), which is manifested through abnormal platelet function and prolonged bleeding time. Different breeds exhibit different variations of the disease; and some individual animals appear to “acquire” vWD. A DNA test is available to determine whether Poodles carry an abnormal gene for the form of vWD found in this breed. Because two faulty genes are necessary to produce the disease (one from each parent), this test allows breeders to avoid breeding two carriers to each other. See PCAF Health Testing for discounts.