The time has come for all of us to put our differences,personalities, likes and dislikes aside as we all have ONE thing in common and that is the love of our unique, beautiful AUSTRALIAN STUMPY TAIL CATTLE DOG.

Our beloved breed is in serious trouble as PRA has been confirmed in the ASTCD.

As many of you are aware I have been eye testing, annually for some 10 years. In December 2003 whilst attending my yearly eye clinic, PRA was diagnosed. In January 2004 after further testing, PRA was definitely confirmed in the breed. A second opinion was sought with the same diagnosis given.

Optigen is asking for any ASTCD's that have been diagnosed PRA affected by an Ophthalmologist, for blood to be drawn and all information sent to Optigen. The Optigen web site has more details on this matter. Look under "Free Test".

www.optigen.com

To help stumpy breeders/owners in Australia, Catriona Thompson of the DPI will extract DNA from blood sent from ASTCDs' that fit Optigens "free test" criteria and will forward the DNA to Optigen for a fee of $33-00. A further cost will be the actual drawing of the blood by your Veterinarian and applicable postage.

To:
Department of Primary Industries
DNA Testing Services
(Attn Catriona Thompson)
475 Mickelham Road
ATTWOOD Vic. 3049

Catriona Thompson

The good news is Dr Greg Acland , who pioneered the prcd marker for the ACD, is showing a huge amount of interest in our breed, so support from all of us is the only thing that will benefit our wonderful "Stumpy". Little steps , now, can make all the difference towards big headway, and we as breeders of Stumpies have the capacity and capability to get a control on this devastating genetic disease. We came together to save the breed from extinction. This is merely the next step to providing a safer future for the breed.

PRA is in the BREED, not just my lines so please do not shut your eyes and ears under the pretext of "it can't happen to me". PRA can occur, and will continue to do so if we do not band together and help Dr. Acland and partcipate in his further study of PRA in the ASTCD.

At the moment the DNA I have already sent to Optigen is being tested against the prcd test developed for the ACD however a lot more research needs to be done on ASTCDs before the test becomes readily available through Optigen.

If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me Bernadette Merchant

or Noreen Clark.

Noreen will be holding a data base on all test results if you would care to share any results with her. It will remain strictly confidential. Noreen is doing the same for the ACD.I can assure all concerned and interested parties that every bit of information received will be kept strictly confidential.

An article on PRA within the ASTCD breed is scheduled to be published in an upcoming issue of National Dog.


Bernadette Merchant . Australia.
"Ambajaye" AUSTRALIAN Stumpy Tail Cattle Dogs.
Home of Australia's FIRST Grand Ch ASTCD.
Ambajaye Kennels
All Breeding Stock at AMBAJAYE are Hip & Elbow Scored.
Puppies BAER Tested and Annual Eye Testing for PRA