eye testing

[hennaly]

ok i rang the vet for an appointment for the puppies to have their eye tests done and was suprised to find out that the test is only valid for a year as they could still get eye problems it just means they dont have them now. I always thought the point of buying a puppy that was eye tested was so you know it wont have problems but this is not the case, also the mothers eye test is a waste of time as she too could have eye diseases later too as her test is only valid for a year.

[RoughCollies]

Originally Posted by hennaly

ok i rang the vet for an appointment for the puppies to have their eye tests done and was suprised to find out that the test is only valid for a year as they could still get eye problems it just means they dont have them now. I always thought the point of buying a puppy that was eye tested was so you know it wont have problems but this is not the case, also the mothers eye test is a waste of time as she too could have eye diseases later too as her test is only valid for a year.

Yep. They only last a year. That's why breeders keep testing even after the dog is retired. To show the dog is normal through life. My breeder was cerfed normal for 30 years with her dogs. Every dog is tested every year for it's entire life.

[hennaly]

so whats the point, thats like being tested for cancer every year or am i missing something here.

[rutylr]

Yes even if they come up normal now they can still have problems down the road,but some breeders don't care even if the dog fails some of the things it was tested for they still breed the animals.

[hennaly]

ok lets say for example...
holly was tested eye clear so she has had a litter but then next year fails, i will have had a litter from her thinking she was ok but in fact wasnt but too late she has been bred from, it all seems a waste of time to mean and i really had good intentions with getting it done.

[RedyreRotties]

Hennaly, I would not call having eye tests a waste of time, one should just understand that on animals used for breeding, it should be done yearly, most of the recommendations I've seen say until age 8.

I do believe the test for CEA now available is for the genetic markers for this condition, so that would only have to be done once, if I'm not mistaken.

Also some breeds have a genetic marker isolated for Progressive Retinal Atrophy and this test can be done very early as well.

[BabyElephant]

i guess it's just like our own eyes too, i mean my eyes were ok when i was young but then i had them tested and needed to wear glasses. my mum was ok for 40 odd years and now she has glaucoma.

red is right, you can genetically test for some diseases in some breeds of dog and they would last for the life of the dog but a general eye test is only valid for a year.

[pung-yo]

An eye test right now would show anything amiss.But if you breed her and next year they find an issue it would be best not to rebreed. Even normal dogs can have a pup with an issue. Most breeders check once a year.

[hennaly]

im not breeding from holly again anyway so wont get hers done again.
The bit i feel is wrong is when ive heard it said so many times not to buy a puppy who isnt eye tested and yet it proves nothing as it would appear most of these problems wont be apparent at 7 weeks anyway.

[RedyreRotties]

I would be much more interested in the testing of the sire, dam, and the extended pedigree that the puppies come from.

If a breeder is testing all dogs up until age 8 or so, and you can see that in the grand parents, gr. parents siblings, etc, then I think you stand a much greater chance of having normal eyed puppies.

The importance of keeping Holly tested would have more to do with the breeding decisions the owners of her puppies make, and less with you deciding not to use her again, IMO.

If any of her progeny will ever be used, her continued eye testing information would be very valuable to those owners.

JMO as always.