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AB
HEALTH ISSUES:
~ MORE
INFORMATION COMING SHORTLY ~
This webpage will
contain information & links
on Health Issues which
affect the American Bulldog,
to help inform & raise
awareness of these issues within the breed.
This page is still
currently under construction.
NCL
Canine - Neuronal
Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (NCL)
Ed & Victoria Nesmith
of Outback Kennels American Bulldogs in Las Vegas -
USA
First bought this
health issue they had witnessed first hand in our
breed
to the attention of
the University Of Missouri (U of M), requesting
there help
through research to
identify the disease, after further research the U
of M
identified a specific
strain only applicable to our breed of "NCL".
Information on NCL
can be found on the website link below,
with specifics on the
American Bulldog.
A test is now
available to identify if a dog carries a
clear/carrier/affected NCL gene
This is a great
breakthrough as testing and breeding responsibly
will help
ensure no AB's will
ever be affected by the disease
from this particular
mutated gene in the future....
www.caninegeneticdiseases.net
Below is a
link to
NCL Testing
Result Definitions and Breeding Risk Guidelines ....
UPDATED (2009)
NCL TESTING information RE: THE American BulldoG…
Below is some UPDATED information & links to the
University of Missouri & the Orthopedic Foundation
for Animals (OFA) websites re testing for the
current strain of NCLspecific to the American
Bulldog.
In the USA these organisations now offer NCL - DNA
testingfor our breed via a swab kit method.
Basically…the swab kit method eliminates the need of
taking your dog to the vet and paying for the blood
extraction costs which were incurred on top of the
test fees, and all the hassle & costs of shipping
live blood for testing which you would have needed
to do using the previous USA & the European
(Germany) testing methods.
The swab kit collection process is non-invasive,
and no veterinary appointment is necessary.
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI / OFA -
The OFA offers DNA based disease testing through an
exclusive license arrangement with the University of
Missouri.The University of Missouri were the
organisation who first identified the gene involved
re the current strain of NCL in American Bulldogs.
They now offer a swab kit method for testing for the
NCL Gene via the OFA.
·
Tests offered through OFA will not require a blood
sample, but can be run using DNA collected using a
swab kit which can be ordered online.
·
The swab kit collection process is non-invasive, and
no vet appointment is necessary.
·
Tests are ordered online through the secure area of
the OFA website. Payment is accepted online by
credit card (MasterCard and VISA). The OFA
administers all order handling.
·
Upon receipt of an order, the OFA will send out the
test kit which will include an FTA card for DNA
sample collection, along with sample collection
instructions.
·
Using the FTA card technology, owners can safely
collect DNA samples at home.
·
DNA is collected using a special swab to gather
cells from the buccal surface - the moist inner
surface of the cheek inside the mouth.
·
After collecting the cells, the swab is pressed
onto a card with a specially treated surface which
transfers the DNA to the card and makes it very
stable at normal temperatures.
·
These card samples are then sent by mail to the
address supplied in the kit where the samples will
be processed by the Veterinary Diagnostics
Laboratory.
·
After the test is run, results are emailed to you
and a certificate is mailed from the OFA.
·
Currently the fee for each test is $65 and includes
the test kit, laboratory processing, and subsequent
registration in the OFA databases (if required).
Please visit these links for more information.....
The
University of Missouri - NCL link providing
information on NCL and the test ect.
http://www.caninegeneticdiseases.net/DNAtests/TESTSnow.htm
The OFA link - Please scroll down to NCL American
Bulldog link
https://secure.offa.org/dnatesting/index.html
Information on collection using swab via OFA / UofM
https://secure.offa.org/dnatesting/ftacardproc.html
Order test kit from the OFA website.... scroll down
to NCL - American bulldog kit
https://secure.offa.org/Cart.html
Other
useful further reading links can also be found
relating to
dog
genetics around the above websites.
VETGEN - (USA)
Are
another organisation based in the USA who offer a
swab method form of testing also. The following Link
is to their NCL page...
http://www.vetgen.com/canine-NCL.html
NCL TESTING
AVAILABILITY IN EUROPE (Germany) -
A blood test to identify
the NCL gene is now also available at a lab in
Europe.
Click on the link below
to open a PDF file which we have previously been
emailing to people upon request. It contains
information and submission form with a translation
copy also.For testing at the Lab at the University
of Hanover, Germany.
Link:
NCL Information & Submission form for German Lab
NCL - Further
Reading:
As the American
Bulldog is viewed as a rare breed in the UK,
not all vets are
aware of the health issues in this breed,
If your vet requires
further information on
NCL re the American
Bulldog then forward them the
links outlined above
and those below...
Below are links to
abstracts from the latest published articles
which your vet may
have access to acquire the full versions:
A Beginner's Guide to the
Molecular Genetics of the Dog
Written by Dr Jeff Sampson BSc.
D.Phil. & Diana Nicolson BSc.(Hons)
To aid in the
understanding of molecular genetics the above link
to a
'beginners guide to
the molecular genetics of the dog' article
and a glossary of
brief explanations of some terms
that dog breeders and
fanciers may encounter is a good place to start...
HIP &
Elbow Dysplasia
(HD &
ED)
The following is a
brief explanation of the dysplastic joint
taken from the
OFA Website
Hip Dysplasia is a
terrible genetic disease because of the
various degrees of arthritis (also called
degenerative joint disease, arthrosis,
osteoarthrosis) it can eventually
produce, leading to pain and debilitation.
No one can predict when or even if a dysplastic dog will start showing clinical signs of lameness due to pain.
There are multiple
environmental factors such as caloric
intake, level of exercise, and weather
that can affect the
severity of clinical signs and phenotypic
expression (radiographic changes).
There is no rhyme or
reason to the severity of radiographic changes
correlated with the clinical findings.
There are a number
of dysplastic dogs with severe arthritis that
run, jump, and play as if nothing
is wrong and some
dogs with barely any
arthritic
radiographic changes that are severely lame.
All ethical breeders
will test for Hip dysplasia by submitting Xrays
to one of the following
organisations
for certification.
Hip Scoring and Elbow
Scoring are one of the tools
a breeder
will use to help them check the
structure of their dogs.
It
must be stressed that this
SHOULD NOT BE THE ONLY TOOL
a
breeder utilises before making a decision to breed.
Click on the links
below to read more information on this issue and
these organisations systems and criteria
for testing and explanation of results and breeding
recommendations
|
OFA Comparision Chart to other
International Hip Dysplasia Registries
- An Approximation - |
|
OFA |
FCI
(European) |
BVA
(UK/Australia) |
SV
(Germany) |
|
Excellent |
A-1 |
0-4 (no >
3/hip) |
Normal |
|
Good |
A-2 |
5-10 (no >
6/hip) |
Normal |
|
Fair |
B-1 |
11-18 |
Normal |
|
Borderline |
B-2 |
19-25 |
Fast Normal |
|
Mild |
C |
26-35 |
Noch Zugelassen |
|
Moderate |
D |
36-50 |
Mittlere |
|
Severe |
E |
51-106 |
Schwere |
|
The above
information is taken from the OFA
website. |
The OFA do not issue
a certified hip rating to dogs under 2 years of age,
the main reason being
that the dog is not considered to be structurally
fully mature.
There stance is that
HD is a chronic, progressive disease, so the older
the dog,
the more accurate the
diagnosis of HD (or lack of HD) will be.
Other organisations
systems will issue certified hip ratings from 12 months old,
and it is common for
dogs to be x-rayed, tested and issued with a hip
rating / score
under these other
systems when they turn 12 months old.
The OFA do not issue
a certified hip rating for a dog which has
been evaluated and
identified as
having a rating of Mild or below.
We advise anybody wishing to purchase an AB puppy to
request to see the
original Hip-score
paperwork from the breeder of the Sire & Dam of the
puppy
to ensure they are buying a puppy from hip-scored
parents.
MORE INFORMATION COMING SHORTLY
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