Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

    I've seen a recessive genetic disease handled several different ways in
dogs.    In the Italian Spimoni, they were able to identify the carrier stud
very early and refused registration to any dog with that stud in the
pedigree.  But the breed is very small and the parent club very young, so
that is why they were able to take such a stand.    And I have also seen
people do "test breedings".  This is taking a female that MAY be a carrier
of the recessive and breed her to a KNOWN carrier male.   If the puppies
were not affected then the female was known to be clear as a carrier.
However, those puppies still had to be spayed and placed as pets, because
they themselves may be carriers.   (Is this confusing yet?)  What this did
was clear the female (of a known carrier line) and still retain the positive
qualities of that line.    This is a very hard thing to do, and I don't know
that I could take that risk, it can be heartbreaking if the recessives do
line up.     The problem, as I see it, is that so many studs (horses/dogs)
that have sucessful show/performance careers become "the flavor of the year"
and are heavily used and reduce our genetic diversity.  Sometimes it is hard
to find a quality dog in certain breeds that doesn't have "Stud XYZ" in his
pedigree.    And when something like this is traced back to him, it is hard
to work through.

Linda


> > geneticists advise using gene testing to manage diseases and gradually
> > reduce their frequency, instead of simply using them as a
black-and-white
> > cull factor.
> Yes, but who wants to take a chance that their SCID positive stallion will
> sire a SCID positive foal when crossed with their mare of probably arab,
but
> unregistered parentage?
>
> Maggie in Ohio
>
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> ~  Frank Solano
>
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