Cerebellar Ataxia
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Animal health trust has developed a genetic test to identify carriers of the gene responsible for cerebellar ataxia, Cerebellar ataxia it’s a thankfully quite rare condition that affects the Hungarian Vizsla.
The onset of this disease is normally around 2 to 3 months of age and it progresses quite aggressively initial symptoms would be abnormal gait and lack of coordination.
Unfortunately there is no treatment for cerebellar ataxia and affected dogs are normally euthanised on humane grounds.
Animal health trust has developed a genetic test to identify carriers of the gene responsible for cerebellar ataxia, The test is quite simple it involves a cheek swab being taken and sent for analysis a dog is then able to be given a result of one of three statuses.
Affected
Carrier
Clear
And affected dog will develop symptoms themselves and any offspring that they produce could be carriers it is unlikely that an affective dog would live long enough to be bred from.
Carrier dog has a recessive gene so while symptom-free can pass the recessive gene to their offspring care should be taken not to breed them to another carrier as two carriers can produce an affected dog, Carriers can be brought to clear and they will only produce other carriers or clear offspring.
A clear dog has no copies of the gene responsible for cerebellar ataxia and cannot produce affected puppies.
If bred to a carrier Some of the puppies me carry the gene recessively.
Please click here to visit LABOKLIN for information or to order a DNA test