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