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.