Yes, you’re a responsible breeder. Sure, you’ve donated to the Collie Health Foundation. But did you know that there’s something else you can do to help the researchers who are working to solve the breed’s genetic health problems?
Research institutions need more than just money. They need material to work with. In many cases, that’s DNA. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the blueprint upon which our Collies - and all other living things - are built. The New Oxford Dictionary defines it as “the carrier of genetic information.” In other words, whether a Collie is sable, blue, tri, or white is written in its DNA. Hereditary diseases are written in a Collie’s DNA, too.
Scientists across the country are using DNA to investigate how diseases are inherited. Why does this matter? As the website for the University of Missouri’s Canine Epilepsy Project (www.canine-epilepsy.net) explains it, “Our goal is to find the genes responsible for epilepsy in dogs so that wise breeding can decrease the incidence of the disease in dogs. We also hope that knowing what genes regulate epilepsy in dogs may help us better tailor our therapy to the specific cause.”
If you want proof that genetic research is working, look no further than the Collie Health Foundation’s website to see the tests that are available. There is now a test for Gray Collie Syndrome, more formally known as Canine Cyclic Neutropenia. Using a blood sample, HealthGene Laboratory will examine your Collie’s DNA and accurately determine if your dog is a carrier of this recessive disease. Similarly, the OptiGen company now offers a genetic test for Collie Eye Anomaly/Choroidal Hypoplasia. There has also been exciting news from Washington State University, where pharmacologist Katrina Mealey has discovered a mutant gene responsible for the breeds’ sensitivity to drugs such as ivermectin and Imodium®. WSU now offers a cheek swab test that will prove whether your Collie is normal, affected, or a carrier of the mutant gene.