PRA
Epilepsy
Chryptorchidism
Vitreous Degeneration
PRA - Collection & Shipment of Blood for DNA
Studies
UPDATE 7/7/05
The researchers at Michigan State
University have notified us that they seem to be making some progress
on finding the gene for PRA in IGs. They are in need of blood samples
from PRA affected dogs, their littermates, parents and/or offspring.
If you own a PRA affected dog or a relative of one, please help out
with this research. All that is involved is filling out a form and
taking your dog to your veterinarian to have a blood sample drawn
and sent to MSU.
Michigan State University
The diagnosis of Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) must have been made by a
veterinary ophthalmologist. If you have questions about your dog's diagnosis
and whether it qualified for this study, please contact Teri Dickinson dickinsont@mindspring.com
All the appropriate information about how to collect
the blood and where to send it is included in the two forms linked
here. Please download and print these forms, fill out the PRA Info
Form and send it along with a copy of the dog's eye exam and a copy
of the dog's pedigree if you have one. If you do not have a pedigree,
don't worry, IGCA can create one and send it to MSU.
NOTE: Adobe Reader is needed to view and print PDF files.
Click
here for the FREE Adobe Reader download
(please be patient, PDFs take awhile to load)
Instructions
for sending samples in PDF Format
Instructions
for sending samples in Word Format
PRA Information Sheet PDF Format
PRA Information Sheet Word Format
If you have any questions about submitting samples or
need financial assistance to do so, please contact Teri Dickinson dickinsont@mindspring.com 972
396 8990
Baker Institute
Please collect about 10 cc's of blood from each dog, depending on the dogs
size. The blood can be collected in ACD (yellow top tubes), EDTA (lavender
top tubes), or any other anticoagulant if neither ACD or EDTA are available.
These can be obtained from your veterinarian. It is very important that new
sterile needles and syringes should be used for each dog. Care should be
taken that the blood does not clot. Coagulated (clotted) blood is totally
useless for our purposes.
Each dog's blood should be put into a separate vial and labeled with the dog's
name or number and breed. Please tape over the label on each tube with transparent
tape. Please also tape the top of each tube with adhesive tape, to prevent
it loosening during transportation.
Wrap each tube generously with paper towel, so that if a tube leaks or breaks
the blood will be absorbed. Then place each wrapped tube individually into
a zip lock bag with an additional label bearing the dog's name or number and
breed, seal this bag and put it into a second ziplock bag and seal this bag
also.
If more than one dog has been collected, then place all the individually bagged
vials together into another (single) plastic bag and seal this final bag also.
The samples should then be refrigerated immediately. They'll be stable at 4
degrees (i.e. in a regular refrigerator) for a week or so at least.
When shipped, the collection of bagged tubes need to be in a solid, rigid container
(Styrofoam or cardboard is satisfactory) with 1 or 2 frozen icepacks (NOT ice
or dry ice!), and all dead space filled with bubble wrap, styrofoam peanuts
or any other filler material.
Please include with the shipment an advice note listing the
name, age, and sex of the dog(s) collected; the name, address, and phone number
of the owner(s), and the name, address, and phone number of the veterinarian
collecting the blood, as applicable.
We would appreciate receiving any further relevant information that could be
sent with the samples. Such information would include copies of pedigrees,
CERF or other eye exams, and any other relevant health history.
Clearly mark the shipping label as "noninfectious canine (dog) blood".
If shipped internationally you need to state specifically on an official looking
letterhead (your veterinarian's would be fine) "the dogs from which these
blood samples were collected were not inoculated with, or exposed to any infectious
agent" in a document attached to the outside of the box, in order to pass
through USDA inspection.
Please send the blood overnight by Federal Express or other express shipper,
to:
Attn: Keith Watamura
James A. Baker Institute for Animal Health
College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University
Hungerford Hill Road
Ithaca NY 14853 USA
Tel: 607 256 5600
Fax: 607 256 5689
sep4@cornell.edu
Please send the shipment on a Monday or Tuesday, preferably, and no later than
Wednesday, and try to avoid holiday periods. If in doubt please call and advise
us of the shipments, and give us an airbill tracking number.
Free PRA Testing for PRA Affected Dogs
Optigen www.optigen.com is currently
offering free DNA testing for any PRA affected dogs that have not previously
been tested by either Cornell or Optigen. See their site for more information.
Any other questions, please contact:
Teri Dickinson
4 Hillcrest Dr.
Lucas TX 75002
972 396-8990
dickinsont@mindspring.com
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Epilepsy
Forms are available from the epilepsy web site, or from Liz Hansen
http://www.canine-epilepsy.net
Liz Hansen
573-884-3712
HansenL@missouri.edu
321 Connaway Hall
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211
Liz is Dr. Johnson's Coordinator of Veterinary Information,
and can help with any questions you may have.
Sample Submission Address:
Dr. Gary Johnson - (Breed of Dog) DNA Research
320 Connaway Hall
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211
Again, affected dogs and their littermates, their parents and their
offspring are very valuable.
For more information, please contact:
Pat Klinger
ricklinger@worldnet.att.net
8 Birch Ridge Dr.
Great Meadows, NJ 07838
908 637-8124
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Cryptorchidism
In the laboratories at the Baker Institute for Animal Health, Cornell
University, Dr. Vicki Meyers-Wallen focuses upon inherited disorders
that affect canine reproduction. Our goal is to identify genes that
have a negative impact upon reproduction, with the final goal of producing
practical tests to identify those carrying harmful mutations. The long
term goals are to reduce, and eventually remove, such deleterious genes
from purebred dog populations, thus improving the reproductive soundness
of purebred dogs. We are asking for breeders and owners to participate
in our study by allowing us to collect blood samples from their dogs
and related dogs. Those interested can e-mail Dr. Meyers-Wallen at: vnm1@cornell.edu
Website: http://bakerinstitute.vet.cornell.edu/faculty/view.php?id=180
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Vitreous Degeneration
You can currently download the forms and the exam instructions at
Dr. Schoster's site:
Vitreous Degeneration Study
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