Health Testing
Labradors
The Importance of Health Testing Labradors
Health screening for Labrador diseases is important. It involves testing dogs to see whether they carry the genes for diseases which could cause them or their future offspring to suffer.
A good deal of research has gone into these Labrador diseases, much of it funded by the Kennel Club, AKC Canine Health Foundation, and the British Veterinary Associaton (BVA).
You can’t assume that because you are purchasing a pedigree Labrador that they have undergone health testing.
Love’s Labradors screens for Hip and Elbow Dysplasia, EIC, CNM and DM, Annual Eye Exams, Optical Refractory, Optigen DNA-PRA-prcd and RDOSD, and Heart.
A responsible breeder tests his/her dogs for autosommal recessive diseases which are evident in the breed, and only ever mates a ‘carrier’ (one parent has the gene, the other doesn’t) with a dog that is ‘clear’.
With the development of so many available tests, breeding from carriers is not only possible, it is actually a good thing because it helps to keep the gene pool healthy. Breeders can be sure to only breed carriers with clear dogs.
Why don’t all Labrador breeders health test? Genetic testing is not cheap. By refusing to purchase a puppy who has untested parents, you can put pressure on breeders to do the testing.
Read more about the various tests by going to Health Screening for Labrador Diseases.
The Labrador Retriever Copper Toxicosis Test
The liver disease, copper toxicosis (CT) has become a hot topic among Labrador retriever breeders and dog owners with the arrival of a new genetic test which identifies two recently described mutations found in Labradors associated with opposite effects on the amount of dietary copper stored in the liver.
What is liver copper toxicosis?
ATP7A and ATP7B Gene Mutations
Copper toxicosis is an inherited metabolic disease affecting Labrador retrievers and other breeds, which can result in chronic liver failure. Dogs with copper toxicosis have a decreased ability to excrete dietary copper from the body resulting in excessive copper storage in tissues and organs, including the liver, which can result in liver damage, subsequent cirrhosis and the inability of the liver to function properly. In a study published in 2016 by Dr. Hille Fieten and colleagues in the journal, Disease Models and Mechanisms, increased liver storage of copper in Labrador retrievers was associated with a mutation in the canine ATP7B gene.
Breeding Strategy
Given that only a fraction of dogs inheriting the ATP7B mutation will develop CT combined with the fact that the mutation appears common, we support a conservative approach to safely eliminating it from the population. In an effort to prevent loss of genetic diversity, we recommend keeping dogs with the ATP7B mutation in the breeding pool with the purpose of breeding them to dogs that are clear of the ATP7B mutation (regardless of their ATP7A mutation status). Using this practice limits the number of copies of the ATP7B mutation in offspring to one copy at most and keeps overall CT risk at a relatively low level while maintaining genetic diversity.
Read more about the Genetic Markers, the Breeding Strategies, and CT treatment in Casey Carl’s Article here.
One of only a handful
of breeders that test for:
