Dismiss Notice
Hello Guest, Welcome to the new version of Sheltieforums.com. If you have any questions regarding the new software, please post in the following section: Forum Upgrade

CEA- Collie Eye Anomaly- breeders weigh in

Discussion in 'General Breeding Discussion' started by HopeShelties, Dec 19, 2009.

  1. HopeShelties

    HopeShelties Forums Enthusiast

    1,945
    1
    85
    Dec 2, 2008
    Kentucky
    Within the last two years, a test for CEA has been released. Up until recently, I was ignorant to their being a test for CEA. I knew CERF would pick up a dog who truly had it, but it can not test for carriers. I only recently began to read more into the CEA testing, as a friend's Sheltie has a sibling that has now tested as a CEA carrier. Only 26 Shelties listed on the OFFA's website have been tested to date. This makes me somewhat uneasy, and makes me wonder just how many of our dogs are unknowingly CEA carriers.
    I have a few questions for you guys:
    1 So, I'm wanting to find out how many of the breeders here plan to start testing for CEA. Why, or why not?
    2 Do you think the problem is very prevalent within the breed?
    3 Will you plan to start asking stud owners/bitch owners prior to breeding if their stud/bitch has been tested?
    4 Would you breed to a known CEA carrier, even if your bitch is clear? (CEA carriers bred to noncarriers can produce carriers and noncarriers)
    5 Are there yet clinics available (say, at dog shows, or club hosted) to test for CEA? I know, given the small number of shelties tested that there probably aren't yet at sheltie events, however, perhaps there are at the Collies?
    I would really hate to see us go the way of the Collies. The OFFA website estimates that 66% of Collies carry CEA.
    Though it is a fairly expensive test, I plan to test each of mine gradually (as I don't have a couple thousand dollars laying around). Each will be tested before they are next bred. I am uncomfortable doing another breeding without first knowing that the dogs I am breeding are not CEA carriers.
    I just thought this would be an interesting topic, and perhaps informative for some breeders who, like me, didn't realize we could/should now test for CEA. It really brought it home for me upon learning of my friends dogs sibling is a carrier, and that cerfing a dogs eyes does not give you a real answer on CEA unless the dog is actually afflicted.
    For more information on CEA, you can click here to read:
    http://www.optigen.com/opt9_test_cea_ch.html
     
  2. danisgoat

    danisgoat Moderator

    7,388
    849
    260
    Jul 23, 2009
    NJ
    How can you look up the dogs that have been tested for the CEA gene? My dog's breeder does the CERF test, but I am not sure about checking for the CEA gene.
     
  3. Justicemom

    Justicemom Forums Celebrity

    6,225
    37
    175
    Oct 2, 2009
    Minnesota
    Stacey,

    I knew this test was there. I haven't really thought about it. I can't think of a reason not to test. CERF exams while good at weeding out the affected one but do not find the carriers and they are not perfect mild cases can be deficult to find.

    CEA is not a huge problem in sheltie unlike Collies. But with tests at $180 I don't think all of breeders are going to be willing to do it. Health testing is already expensive and I feel many will think CERF is good enough.

    I think I might do it though.
     
  4. jazzyfizzle

    jazzyfizzle Forums Enthusiast

    134
    0
    0
    Apr 3, 2008
    CA
    I have been mulling over this very thing also Stacey. I am giving a lot of thought into moving (also) into border collies, and I am finding many of the breeders are using this test. I will probably do likewise and start doing them as I can fit it in.
     

Share This Page