Paw Print Genetics, OFA/CAER, Heartworm prevention

 
According to Paw Print Genetics, "In a perfect world in which every dog breeder performed genetic disease testing on their breeding stock and made selective breeding decisions using these results, diseases caused by over 200 known canine genetic mutations could be completely prevented." 

I would like to add, even though not all of the tests on the Australian Shepherd Panel may NOT be an issue for our breed, we do feel it's important to support this lab through their research which is why we brag about doing their full genetic panels of the Australian Shepherd. 

It is our goal that both Dam & Sire/Sire for Hire compliment each other genetically in order to seek breeding quality of the Australian Shepherd.

It is extremely vital to us that our buyers understand the importance of whether or not your puppy has inherited 1 or 2 copies of the possible inherited genetic mutation by reviewing our breeding stocks test results yourself located within our website on each dogs page. If the mating combination is a Sire studded out, then we will provide you their genetic information we have on file with them on the tab called "Hired Studs." Any other hired studs we decide to hire will also be on the same page for your review. 

The dogs we own within our kennel will all have their full genetic panel completed with Paw Print Genetics and have their own individual page. Any hired stud may or may not be genetically tested and if not, we always assume worst case in that the hired stud is M/M when making our final breeding decision in mating combinations to produce the healthiest puppies as possible with our Bitches. What I mean by worst case is if the Hired Stud is Mutant/Mutant on any possible inheritable mutation that he has not been tested for, then we as a responsible breeder would need to make certain that the Dam is Clear/Clear on that one particular mutation. 

Concerning the litter out of this scenario, the worst case they would be are carriers and or clear and that's okay. Which ones out of that litter, we would not know unless we tested them through Paw Print Genetics which would be an extra cost. Let us know if this is something you would like to have tested as we can provide that for you at your cost. 

 
To review all of our dogs within our kennel genetic testing results, simply go to each of their pages and click on "View my profile on Paw Print Pedigrees." The link gives you access to our Paw Print Genetics account to review their testing results. We do not match a mating combination if it is NOT in the best interest of the breed and yes, the genetics is a complicated subject and can change daily.

 
Here is the complete Australian Shepherd full panel tests we do for all of our breeding stock that we own.

According to Paw Print Genetics CEO, Lisa G. Shaffer, "ALL of mutations within their Australian Shepherd Genetic Breeding Panel covers ALL of the different forms of the mutations in the panel." 

• NHEJ1 or CEA- Collie Eye Anomaly.
• CD1 -  Cone Degeneration is an inherited eye disease affecting dogs. 
• SOD1 -  Is an inherited neurologic disorder of dogs. 
• HSF4 -  is an inherited eye disease affecting Australian shepherds. Cataracts are opacities in the lens of the eye caused by structural changes in lens proteins. 
• HUU or SLC2A9 -  Hyperuricosuria is an inherited condition affecting Australian Shepherds. The SLC2A9 gene codes for a protein that allows the kidneys to transport uric acid from the urine.   
• BEST1 - Is an inherited disorder of the Retina.  Affected dogs typically present between 11 and 16 weeks of age with multiple discrete circular areas of retinal detachment with underlying fluid accumulation that are visible on an eye exam performed by a veterinarian. 
• CLN6 - Is a lysosomal disease affecting the Australian Shepherds.  Affected dogs lack a specific enzyme necessary for normal metabolism. 
• PRCD -  Is a late onset, inherited eye disease affecting Australian Shepherds. 
• BEST 1 or MDR1 - This merely means that a dog with two copies of this mutation is extremely sensitive towards certain medication. A dog with one copy of the mutation is less sensitive towards medication than a dog with two mutations. Ivermectin is the main medication to watch out for that can kill your dog. Other drugs that are known to cause neurological signs related to the MDR1 mutations are  Acepromazine, butorphanol, doxorubicin, emodepside, erythromycin, ivermectin, loperamide, milbemycin, moxidectin, rifampin, selamectin, vinblastine and vincristine 
• PDK4 - Dilated Cardiomyopathy (which is not common in the Australian Shepherd breed, but we had it done for Roxy and a past dog of our named Rebel.  Dilated cardiomyopathy is an inherited disorder of the heart affecting several breeds of dog.  
• As of recently, we were informed of another test we need to take on our boys and girls which is called the Pelger-Huet Anomaly (PHA) which causes abnormalities in blood cells. This disease is really more of a concern for Breeders as puppies usually do not survive but in rare cases they might survive. If a puppy does survive it will have health issues like severe skeletal abnormalities, have several health issues and will be more susceptible to infections etc. According to the Australian Shepherd  Health & Genetics Institute (ASHGI) PHA maybe mistaken for infection or early stage for leukemia.  So as a breeder, it is never advisable to bred two dogs that are carriers of the PHA.  Just something else good to know as a knowledgeable Buyer.