Interesting comparison of Portuguese Water Dogs vs. PF'ers

[Guest guest]

I found it interesting as we're trying to get a database established to

capture information on our disease, that Portuguese Water Dogs already

have one.

Connected to that the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America has a very

progressive health program. For instance, Storage Disease (GM1) has been

virtually eliminated. First carriers were identified through DNA

testing. Because it takes two carriers to transfer the disease to a

baby, if there were two then breeding wasn't done between them. Now,

there are fewer than 20 remaining carriers and have been no affected

puppies since August 1999 of the over 1200 tested. Why am I sharing this

specific genetic disease. Its the same way Cystic Fibrosis, the number

one genetic disease in humans works. No carriers, no cystic fibrosis.

One carrier, no cystic fibrosis but perhaps a carrier. Two carriers, 25%

probability of cystic fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis totally preventable by

genetic testing.

There are nine active committees for the most active diseases and for

many testing has been implemented prior to breeding. So two points,

first another crusade as to why we aren't eliminating Cystic Fibrosis

and other detectable genetic diseases such as the forms of Autism caused

by Fragile X which can be genetically tested for. Second, the importance

of databases and the need for one in PF. Often when you build a database

you have no idea what you're going to find. It's when it's populated

that some things come to light. Things which we partially know and

things we don't at all. Things such as connections between GERD and

specific forms of PF and Autoimmune and Hypothyroidism and Occupational

exposures and home environment exposures and Depression and markers that

may not have been looked at yet on top of those being studied.