Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Preventing Blindness In Dogs

Progressive Retinal Atrophy is a rare genetic disease in dogs that leads to them going blind overtime. Passed down from the parents, most owners do not realize their dogs have PRA until after their dogs have already mated and given birth. Dr. Katherine Stansbury, a veterinary researcher at the University of Cambridge has identified a potential way to give breeders the opportunity to rid dogs of this disease. Stansbury and her team took DNA samples from six dogs with PRA, and compared them to twenty dogs without PRA. They were able to quickly identify the gene responsible for the disease. The group then created a swab test that will help owners identify if their dog has the gene. Although this is not a cure it can help prevent the inheritance of the genetic disease, since the owners will know early on. 



https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-07-22/scientists-may-have-stopped-a-form-of-inherited-blindness-in-dogs


https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=5792409#:~:text=DNA%20testing%20for%20PRA%20is,is%20the%20only%20prevention%20available.





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