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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)
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 on 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:
To aid in the
understanding of
molecular genetics the
following
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
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 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 .....
or equivalent in a particular
country
|
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).
Other organisations issue certified
hip ratings from 12 months old.
The OFA do not issue a certified hip
rating for dogs which have been evaluated 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 at least breedable hip-scored parents.
MORE INFORMATION COMING
SHORTLY
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