Great news!
I mean
GREAT NEWS
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In July, 2007, a linked marker test for fanconi was developed. In the development of this test it was determined that the fanconi gene is a simple recessive. The test tells us which dogs are clear (will not develop fanconi), a carrier (will not develop fanconi) or affected (will develop fanconi). As breeders, this gives us the info we need to never produce another puppy that will suffer with this awful disease.
As an owner or future owner of a basenji, this allows you to never add a puppy/dog to your home that will develop fanconi, but you will need to do your homework.
I'm typing this on July 30, 2007 and right now only dogs that are going to be used for breeding this season, fall of 2007, are being tested. After the backlog has cleared, all other blood samples sent in will be tested. All results will be posted on the OFA site, www.offa.org. You must have the dog's AKC registered name or number.
Detailed information on the test can be found at: www.basenjihealth.org. I'm not going to go into what is already there. I encourage you to go to that site and read all about this test. What I'm going to try to do is explain to you what you need to do to get a puppy that will be fanconi free.
(since this is a 'marker' test and not a test for the actual gene, it is impossible to say with 100% accuracy that the results are correct. However we are being assured it is pretty darn close, and it sure is better than nothing. "They" say a test for the actual gene is in the works - this is what was included with each result: "The current Fanconi syndrome test, like other linked marker tests, is not completely accurate. We are conducting ongoing research to identify the exact mutation responsible for Fanconi syndrome and to devise a fully reliable DNA test for Fanconi syndrome. The current Fanconi syndrome test is offered as an interim test for those wishing to breed their Basenjis in 2007. We hope that you will retest your Basenji when the fully reliable test becomes available.")
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So, you're researching breeders. What do you need to ask?
"Have the parents been DNA tested for fanconi?"
The correct answer will be, "Yes, and the results are posted on the OFA site." The breeder will give you the parents' registered names and numbers and you will go to the site and there they will be. If you have trouble finding the name, don't automatically assume the dog has not been tested. It takes a while to get the names into the system, and also, mistakes happen. Go back to the breeder for clarification before scratching them off your list. However, do not buy a puppy unless the proof finally appears from somewhere.
But, it's not that easy, it never is. As dogs get tested, it is possible to know other dogs' status because of genetics. For instance, Charlie Brown's owner got back the results for him, he is clear. What this means, without even testing his offspring, is that none of his puppies will develop fanconi. So, you need to educate yourself a bit on genetics and simple recessives. For instance, if a dog is the result of 2 clear parents, the puppy has to be clear and can be bred without testing. However, since this is just a marker test, in my opinion, we should continue to test all dogs being bred until a test for the actual gene is developed.
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I have made some charts of the various breedings that should or should not be done.
In these charts, this is the symbol for the recessive fanconi gene (a dog must have two of these to develop fanconi):
This is the symbol for the dominant gene (clear):
This is the symbol for a clear dog (no fanconi gene, will not develop fanconi):
This is the symbol for a carrier (has only one recessive gene, will not develop fanconi):
or
This is the symbol for an affected (has both recessive genes, will develop fanconi):
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Breeding #1
Both parents are clear:
As you can see, 100% of offsprng are clear, they will not develop fanconi.
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Breeding #2
One parent is clear, one parent is a carrier:
There is a 50% chance that a pup will be clear, and 50% chance it will be a carrier (will not develop the disease). None of the offspring will develop fanconi. This is a safe acceptable breeding (as far as fanconi is concerned).
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Breeding #3
Both parents are carriers:
Unfortunately, there is a 25% chance of a pup being affected and will develop fanconi. With the development of this test there is no reason to do a breeding that has any chance of producing such a doomed baby, so this is NOT an acceptable breeding. This is why it is so important to know the Fanconi test result for both parents of a pup you are considering.
You might think, well, I've got a 75% chance of getting a pup that won't get fanconi. No, each pup has a 25% chance. The whole litter could have inherited two recessive genes. This breeding just should not be done.
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Breeding #4
One parent is affected, one parent is a carrier:
There is a 50% chance that a pup will be affected, and develop fanconi, NOT something anyone should be comfortable with. This is a breeding that should NOT be done and puppies that you should NOT bring into your home.
Remember a dog can be bred before the fanconi symptoms present themselves. So the test MUST be done before breeding. Just because a mother or father of a litter appear healthy at the time of breeding, that does not mean they do not have the genes and will not pass them on to their offspring.
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Breeding #5
Both parents are affected:
All offspring will be affected and develop fanconi. You may ask yourself, if the disease is so bad, how could the dogs breed and carry a litter? Well, symptoms often don't show up until 3 yrs old or later, so they can breed and produce offspring while still healthy. This is why this test is so wonderful, we now know before breeding which basenjis can pass on the disease, and we can make choices to prevent that from happening. This test is wonderful for you because you can now add a pup to your home that will not develop fanconi!
This calls for another row of !
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Breeding #6
One parent is a clear, one is affected:
Well, 100% of the pups will be carriers, so will not develop the disease. Sounds great, right? Well, not always. Sure the pups are fine, but if the affected is the mother, is it fair to put her body through the stress of pregnancy, knowing it's already going to have to deal with fanconi? Dogs with fanconi need to lead relatively stress-free lives (is that possible?) so adding the stress of pregnancy, in my opinion, is not ethical.
What if the male is affected and the mother is clear? In my opinion, this is an acceptable breeding, until it is shown that the breeding stresses the male. However, I do think it would be best to neuter the dog to reduce his stress. Ideally I think collecting and freezing semen, and then neutering the dog, is the best way to go.
This is a breeding that is in that 'gray' area that every situation has. As a puppy buyer, you need to decide if a breeder who uses an affected male is within 'your' description of a reputable breeder.
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Well, that's all the different breedings that can be done.
#1 and #2 are the only breedings that you should consider for the puppy you are thinking of buying. #6 maybe, your call.
You now have an excellent, fast, efficient way to determine if a breeder is worth the time to discuss other things. If you ask about fanconi testing first and do not get the names to check on the OFA site, then you can just scratch them off your list and go on to the next.
What if you already have a basenji and want to know if it will develop fanconi? First, talk to the breeder of your dog. It is possible they are testing other dogs that will reveal your dog's status by pedigree, without having to do the test. If not, you can submit blood and have it tested, but we ask that you wait a bit until the backlog for the dogs being bred this year is cleared.
Also, since this is a linked marker test, you may want to wait until the test for the actual gene is developed. It will be much more accurate. Continue to strip test your basenji's urine monthly, feed high quality food, give them regular vet care, plenty of exercise and love until then.
(this
is what was included in the email that sent results:
The
current Fanconi syndrome test, like other linked marker tests, is
not completely accurate. We are conducting ongoing research to
identify the exact mutation responsible for Fanconi syndrome and to
devise a fully reliable DNA test for Fanconi syndrome. The current
Fanconi syndrome test is offered as an interim test for those wishing
to breed their Basenjis in 2007. We hope that you will retest your
Basenji when the fully reliable test becomes available.)
For those of you who have Rugosa babies, all I can say right now is that if you have a Charlie Brown (he was bred to Corie and to Ibis) offspring, or a Scotty (he was bred to Ibis and Corie) offspring, your basenji cannot be anything but a clear or a carrier, so will not develop the disease. Until I get more of my dogs tested, that's really all I can say with certainty (within the confines of the linked marker test)
If you have any questions or see anything here that is incorrect information, please let me know:
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Many years ago the basenji breeders before me had the vision that someday science would get to the point where they could find the fanconi gene and develop a test for it. They started raising money and investing it wisely, know it would take a lot, but they wanted to be ready. I would like to publicly thank these people, those who submitted samples, those who helped raise the money, those who did the paperwork, those who had anything to do with any part of getting this test. I love this breed and feel the world would be a sadder place without basenjis as I suspect many of you do. If you have a few extra dollars, please consider donating to the Basenji Health Endowment. Fanconi is not our only problem in the breed (it's still going to take more money to find the actual gene) and we will need more money to help rid our beloved basenjis of these other diseases too. You can donate here:
and just because this is such great news:
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