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Blind Puppies Find Homes


Jumabaar
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Blind puppies find homes

Link to video

http://video.au.msn.com/watch/video/blind-puppies-find-homes/xqjl5eh

Does this sound sus to anyone else? Or am I just a synic

Breeding two carriers together? Are they even pure because it looks like the parents are a lab and a golden? But they were meant to go into the guide dog program??

Edited by Jumabaar
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Lab cross Goldie is a common mix for guide dog and assistance dog orgs.

However as far as I know Guide dogs VIC and seeing eye dogs have their own breeding program and would never breed 2 carriers together.

Its only Guide dogs NSW and ACT that use outside ANKC reg breeders I think

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From the Guide Dogs Vic site

What breeds of dogs are used?

In Australia, we use Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and crosses of the two.

Is there a DNA test for congenital cateracts? If there isn't how would you tell you were breeding 2 carriers together if they hadn't produced affected pups before?

Whether the breeder is genuine or not remains to be seen. I do imagine Guide Dogs Victoria will not be happy if she is using them to gain sympathy for the pups if they are not involved.

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From the Guide Dogs Vic site

What breeds of dogs are used?

In Australia, we use Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and crosses of the two.

Is there a DNA test for congenital cateracts? If there isn't how would you tell you were breeding 2 carriers together if they hadn't produced affected pups before?

Whether the breeder is genuine or not remains to be seen. I do imagine Guide Dogs Victoria will not be happy if she is using them to gain sympathy for the pups if they are not involved.

Agree, maybe someone will contact GDV and it will be proven or disproved.

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This is the quote from the Frankston newspaper.4/2/12

"

Owner Ashlea Pahl, 25, was devastated to learn her dog’s litter - three black and three golden retriever pups - were all born with varying degrees of congenital cataracts causing blindness.

“We were so heartbroken,” Ms Pahl, from Baxter, said.

“We had no idea they couldn’t see properly, they seemed so happy.”

Two puppies are almost completely blind in both eyes, two are blind in one eye and two are slightly vision impaired.

Veterinary eye specialist Dr Chloe Hardman said the rare eye condition was carried from both the mother and father, who might have come from puppy farms.

“This is an example of why you should always get your puppy from a breeder, they can test for these types of things,” Dr Hardman said.

She said puppies born with congenital cataracts were sometimes destroyed because treatments cost up to $4000 each.

She said that without surgery, however, the dogs could learn to use their other senses to function.

Ms Pahl said putting the pups down was not an option.

“How could I live with myself?” she said.

“I want them to have long happy lives.”

RSPCA spokesman Tim Pilgrim said if Ms Pahl considered surrendering the pups to the not-for-profit organisation, the same attention to detail in finding a loving new home would be given.

“If people are breeding their pets for sale, then it is important they consider the potential veterinary care the mother and puppies/kittens might need,” Mr Pilgrim said.

Local dog trainers, pet suppliers and a veterinary clinic have offered some services and products to help the puppies, including Messy Pawz dog trainer Sue Day who has offered to train the dogs.

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Agree Kirty BUT I think Channel 9 should do a revisit to this story and give the FACTS about irresponsible breeding and the results and not drag the Guide Dogs Vic into it.......I have steam coming out my ears at the moment.

This could have been a very good story to report but from the RIGHT angle. :cry:

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Guide dogs breed their own dogs. There is a DNA test for hereditary cataracts, not sure about congenital.

There are many ways a dog can end out blind. There are genetic tests to rule out blindness caused by a recessive gene (PRA, where the RA stands for retinal atrophy . . . which affects the retina, while cataracts affect the lens. My favorite Lab health site, Wing-And-Wave Labradors, says the following about cataracts:

http://www.labbies.com/eye.htm

Cataracts

The lens is the part of the eye which functions to bring objects to correct focus on the retina. A cataract is any opacity occurring in the lens affecting its transparency. In most cases the formation of cataracts is associated with abnormal water and calcium content within the lens substance. Causes for these abnormal chemical levels range from environmental, to metabolic, to hereditary, and can occur during the development of the lens (developmental cataracts) or be a result of degenerative changes after development has occurred (degenerative cataracts). Severity of the disorder ranges from non-progressive and slight, in which there may be no interference with vision, to progressive, in which there is a slow and gradual loss of transparency.

  • Age of onset: Birth to 6 years; senile cataracts (those associated with old-age) present in dogs at 9-10 yrs of age.
  • Symptoms: Bluish-white or milky appearance of the lens; blurred vision.
  • Treatment: Many dogs are able to see quite well despite the existence of lens opacities. There is no current method for treatment of cataracts other than surgical removal. There are two common techniques for cataract removal:
    1) extracapsular extraction in which the lens capsule is opened and the lens is expressed through the opening, or
    2) intracapsular extraction in which the entire lens and capsule is removed. The extracapsular method is usually the preferred method because it imposes less risks of secondary complications to the patient; however, the intracapsular method yields better visual results in the patient.

I'd guess there is no genetic test, and it would be good to have more information from the vet opthamologist . . . not filtered by a journalist . . .to make any pronouncement about what happened here.

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Guide dogs breed their own dogs. There is a DNA test for hereditary cataracts, not sure about congenital.

I'd guess there is no genetic test, and it would be good to have more information from the vet opthamologist . . . not filtered by a journalist . . .to make any pronouncement about what happened here.

I did do some research regarding testing but everything goes out the window when you start dealing with 'Labtrevers'.......

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