HEALTH SCREENING & GENETIC TESTING
The Stafford is a robust dog living on average for about 14 years,in the right environment.
His visits to the vet are usually for his annual booster injections, unless he has damaged himself in his over exuberant attitude to play.
The members of breed clubs from all over the country have been very proactive in dealing with any hint of heriditary problems that might arise in our breed. Working closely with the AHT (Animal Health Trust)we have supported research into the diseases below and will only breed to genetically clear stock. L2HGA & HC although very rare are debilitating diseases. By screening all dogs used in breeding we have saved many generations of future puppies from a terrible fate.
Genetic tests for L2hydroxyglutaric acidurea (L2HGA) & Hereditary Cataracts (HC) are necessary
These tests are done with a mouth swab, which is sent to "The Animal Health Trust" for processing. Visit their web site for details. These tests prove whether your dog is clear, a carrier, or will develop the disease.
Health Screening by eye test for Persistent Hyperplastic Primary Vitreous (PHPV) & more recently Posterior Polar Subcapsular Cataracts (PPSC).
These eye tests must be done as soon as the puppy is old enough and certainly before breeding. Ask your vet for the nearest qualified canine opthalmologist. Alternatively check with your breed club or in the canine press for clubs putting on eye testing sessions, they are usually cheaper.
Before you even consider purchasing a puppy or breeding from your own pet. Remember, no responsible breeder or exhibitor uses untested or unregistered stock.
Heriditarily clear puppies have this printed on their Kennel Club registration certificate.
The Gardener !!!
PPSC (POSTERIOR POLAR SUBCAPSULAR CATARACTS)
This is an eye problem which has been present in other breeds such as the Labrador and Golden Retriever, but is now a health issue for Staffordshire Bull terriers,
It can occur at any age in a dog’s life (reported cases have been anywhere from 10 months to over 10 years) it cannot be detected through litter screening and is not related to juvenile Hereditary Cataracts (HC) Dogs may be unaffected for several years then test positive, which is why breeding dogs must be checked every year through the British Veterinary Association eye testing scheme. Posterior subcapsular cataracts may be age-related or occur as a complication of other conditions such as intraocular inflammation, steroid administration, vitreoretinal surgery and trauma. Posterior subcapsular cataracts can also be related to irradiation and diseases such as diabetes mellitus.
The disease manifests itself as small punctuate (spot–like) cataracts, which are often difficult to initially detect. The cataracts themselves do not generally lead to total blindness in affected dogs (although there have been some documented cases where dogs have lost their sight.) However in humans the disease causes deterioration in vision especially in bright light, although sight is somewhat improves in dimly lit places.
L-2-HGA (L-2-HYDROXYGLUTARIC ACIDURIA) IN STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIERS
L-2-HGA (L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria) in Staffordshire Bull Terriers is a neurometabolic disorder characterised by elevated levels of L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid in urine, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid.
L-2-HGA affects the central nervous system, with clinical signs usually apparent between 6 months and one year (although they can appear later). Symptoms include epileptic seizures, "wobbly" gait, tremors, muscle stiffness as a result of exercise or excitement and altered behaviour.
The mutation, or change to the structure of the gene, probably occurred spontaneously in a single dog but once in the population has been inherited from generation to generation like any other gene. The disorder shows an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance: two copies of the defective gene (one inherited from each parent) have to be present for a dog to be affected by the disease. Individuals with one copy of the defective gene and one copy of the normal gene - called carriers - show no symptoms but can pass the defective gene onto their offspring. When two apparently healthy carriers are crossed, 25% (on average) of the offspring will be affected by the disease, 25% will be clear and the remaining 50% will themselves be carriers
The mutation responsible for the disease has recently been identified at the Animal Health Trust. Using the information from this research, we have developed a DNA test for the disease. This test not only diagnoses dogs affected with this disease but can also detect those dogs which are carriers, displaying no symptoms of the disease but able to produce affected pups. Carriers could not be detected by the tests previously available, which involved either a blood or urine test detecting elevated levels of L-2-hydroxyglutarate or magnetic resonance imaging. Under most circumstances, there will be a much greater number of carriers than affected animals in a population. It is important to eliminate such carriers from a breeding population since they represent a hidden reservoir of the disease that can produce affected dogs at any time.
The test is available now and information on submitting samples is given below.
Breeders will be sent results identifying their dog as belonging to one of three categories:
CLEAR: the dog has 2 copies of the normal gene and will neither develop L-2-HGA, nor pass a copy of the L-2-HGA gene to any of its offspring.
CARRIER: the dog has one copy of the normal gene and one copy of the mutant gene that causes L-2-HGA. It will not develop L-2-HGA but will pass on the L-2-HGA gene to 50% (on average) of its offspring.
AFFECTED: the dog has two copies of the L-2-HGA mutation and is affected with L-2-HGA. It will develop L-2-HGA at some stage during its lifetime, assuming it lives to an appropriate age.
Carriers can still be bred to clear dogs. On average, 50% of such a litter will be clear and 50% carriers; there can be no affecteds produced from such a mating. Pups which will be used for breeding can themselves be DNA tested to determine whether they are clear or carrier.
Samples submitted should be cheek swabs ( a non-invasive sampling method). Sampling kits are obtainable from the Animal Health Trust webshop www.ahtdnatesting.co.uk/canine_tests. Further information can be obtained by emailing dnatesting@aht.org.uk