This article appeared in the 2007 November-December Golden Retriever News and was approved by the GRCA Health & Genetics Committee.
In 2007 a Golden Retriever was diagnosed with physical symptoms of Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA). A second opinion and subsequent DNA test proved that it was prcd-PRA, a genetic disorder tied to a recessive gene that can be tested for and diagnosed through a blood test prior to the appearance of physical symptoms. This article discusses the discovery, explains the disease and also talks about the challenges breeders face in making complex decisions about how to eliminate undesirable genes without also losing desirable ones.
download PRA in Golden Retrievers
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