EIC questions

[riverview]

I have a batch of british lab pups that are 7 weeks old, female is 4 and the male was 2 in febuary. I had the female at the vet this summer to get x rayed but was too close to heat cycle so i was going to have them both penhiped in fargo but i had a accidental breeding . To be honest i hadnt heard of eic. and on another forum i got completly torn apart by guys asking about it on my for sale ad. I see the same thing happening here. I since have read about it on the web, and i am wondering how many people out there have seen dogs with this? I have been emailed quite a few emails saying they know a guy that his dog was taken off a pro truck because of eic. i read that this is a fairly new problem then i read that ebonstar lean mac is a carrier. that means my 11 year old female could of had it.

if somebody could shed some light on this without completly going off about backyard breeders and such i would appreciate it.

[LABS4ME]

Here's what I would say to do...

Sell the pups with a limited registration. Have your female tested to see if she is a carrier. If she is clear, then you can decide if you will lift the limited registration.

Lean Mac was a carrier. I had a direct son of Mac and he also was a carrier. It is definitley in those lines.

I have only personally seen one dog afflicted by this... but it is more prevelent than most think. We need to be very astute in our breedings to weed this out early and not let it permeate throughout the breed like hips did in the 70s and 80s...

Good Luck!

Ken

[BirddogLabs]

Exercise induced collapse (EIC) is a genetically transmitted neurological disorder. It is a result of a genetic mutation the prevents the production of a protien required for normal neurological functioning in situations of extreme exercise, excitment, or stress. The protien is required for the transmission of neurotransmitters in the brain and spinal cord.

How it works: Every dog gets one copy of the gene from each of its parents, and thus has two chances to be able to produce the protien. As long as the dog has one gene that is normal they will be able to produce the required protein and will not be affected. Dogs that are affected have received two mutated genes (one from each parent) and cannot produce the protien for normal neurological functioning in situations of extreme exercise, stress, or excitment.

There are three status options:

Clear/Normal - the dog does not have the mutation and cannot pass it on.

Carrier - the dog will NOT be affected. It's body can produce the protien and will function normally. But it will pass on the gene to half of its offspring if bred. If bred to a clear, no pups can be affected.

Affected - the dog cannot produce the protien required. If bred it will only pass on the mutated gene and all pups will at least be carriers.

By knowing a dogs status, a person can completely avoid producing affected pups.

The test for it is done at the University of Minnesota and just became available to the public in 2008. Because it is so new many dogs have not been tested.

I have personally seen one dog that is affected and talked with at least half a dozen other people that have had experiences with it and their dogs.

Hope this helps. Good luck with the pups.

[311Hemi]

Here's what I would say to do...

Sell the pups with a limited registration. Have your female tested to see if she is a carrier. If she is clear, then you can decide if you will lift the limited registration.

Lean Mac was a carrier. I had a direct son of Mac and he also was a carrier. It is definitley in those lines.

I have only personally seen one dog afflicted by this... but it is more prevelent than most think. We need to be very astute in our breedings to weed this out early and not let it permeate throughout the breed like hips did in the 70s and 80s...

Good Luck!

Ken

I mostly agree with what Ken says. Unless you have the males health clearances (along with your females) I would sell the pups with limited registration. EIC, CNM, OFA/Penn (hips/elbows), and CERF would be the health clearances to have. If you don't have them I would personally sell with limited registration. IMO no reason to allow these accidental pups to breed if they are not coming from proven healthy stock, especially if you don't know the male. I suppose you could get the male tested to see if he passed all health certification after that fact, but then you are still left with the question on the pairing of dogs to begin with and the traits of those dogs.

As far as EIC, I have a dog that is "affected" and know of a couple more. Another lab in a small club I am in (maybe roughly 20 guys) is also "affected". My dog and the other in my club have both gone down in the field multiple times. I know what to watch for in my dog and when I need to stop him or risk a full on collapse. I would not wish this disease on anyone's dog.....and luckily now there is testing to prevent it.

CNM is another nasty one...and the others health conditions are really no better. If you have not tested for CNM you might want to read up on that also.

Not directed at the original poster.....but if you could prevent or greatly decrease the possibility a disease from being passed on to pups you produce, why wouldn't you? Money?

Link to previous discussion on testing for health clearances

[riverview]

from what you are saying if the parents of my dogs are eic and cnm clear my dogs should be clean. I fully understand the hip eye and elbows. I am not saying british labs lines dont get hip elbow and eye prolems. but that is why i went with the british lab lines.

[311Hemi]

Correct, your dogs can be clear by parentage for both EIC, CNM, (and PRA) if both parents have been tested and are clear.

[riverview]

that is good to hear, thanks for the info.