Health Report Final - Flipbook - Page 31
PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) RPGRIP1 (crd4/cord 1) variant
Progressive Re nal Atrophy (PRA) is an inherited disease of the re na (the back of the eye)
that can lead to blindness in clinically affected dogs but may not cause blindness in all
gene cally affected dogs. Where it does happen It usually develops slowly over several
years.
Current evidence suggests that PRA in Clumber spaniels may not cause full sight loss in all
dogs affected and may only cause par al loss or loss of visual acuity (clarity of vision) in
some dogs, so it is possible that there are clinically affected dogs that are undiagnosed.
There are many different genes that can cause PRA and in some breeds a combina on of
different genes is needed to cause a degenera on of the re na at the back of the eye.
It is thought currently that in Clumber spaniels a combina on of genes is needed. It is o en
noted in dogs over the age of 8 and is a disease that is o en iden fied as a late onset
condi on. Currently there is no treatment for progressive re nal atrophy.
Some older Clumbers may lose their sight, and not have PRA, this can be due to a variety of
different causes as is evident from the BVA eye test results.
The PRA muta on that has been found in Clumber spaniels is the RPGRIP1 (crd4/cord1)
variant that was first iden fied in Miniature Dachshunds by the Animal Health Trust and
has since been noted in English Springer Spaniels. It is a recessively inherited condi on,
and a dog would need to inherit two copies of the faulty gene from its parents to be at risk
of developing this form of PRA.
The Clumber Spaniel Club has received results for a number of Clumbers that have been
tested outside of the survey and the database has been published on their website. The
WCSS will provide the CSC with the anonymised results of the embark PRA tests to help
them monitor number of dogs with clear, carrier and affected status. But we encourage
owners who have had a DNA test for PRA to let the CSC have a copy of the results.
3.4% of owners responding to the WCSS health survey whose dogs were diagnosed with
clinical eye problems stated their dogs had been diagnosed with PRA.
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