Australian Shepherds
Australian Shepherd is a breed of working dog that was developed on ranches in the Western United States. Despite its name, the breed, commonly known as an Aussie, did not in fact originate in Australia. They rose rapidly in popularity with the boom of western riding after World War II. They became known to the general public through rodeos, horse shows and through Disney movies made for television.
Australian Shepherds - Collie Eye Anomaly - CEA
By Betty Roberts
Treatment of the eye is a major concern for puppies belonging to some breeds like the Australian Shepherds and the Border Collies. These breeds can be affected with eye diseases like Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA), PHR, Micropthalmia and also Cataracts.
Photo: asca.org
Research conducted in 2001 says that, the Australian Shepherd is less in number as compared to the Border Collies, with just about 12000 as against 20000 Border Collies. Open communication between the breeders and the dog owners revealed that such diseases were common in the breeds since they were mostly hereditary.
Owners were asked to submit eye examination certificates done on their dogs and the breeders too were asked to submit the same for the entire litter. All information on ocular abnormalities were recorded.
Invitations were sent across via dog magazines, mailing lists, word-of-mouth, breed specific websites and Club publications. Data on both affected as well as unaffected dogs were required and both puppy as well as adult certificates were taken wherever they were available.
It was noted that one-sixth of the PHR carriers were also carriers of the Collie Eye Anomaly. Also, CEA being the second most common disease among these dogs, it is difficult to get rid of this ailment without facing breeding restrictions. A direct DNA mutation test for carrier status can now be easily availed.
If this is carried out, Collie Eye Anomaly in Australian Shepherds can be reduced by a large extent and this appears to be the only plausible solution to help in controlling this heritable eye disease.
Betty Roberts is the author of the popular dog website TrainPetDog.com
