11/03/2024
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is an inherited eye disease that leads to blindness in dogs. 🐕👀 There are two main types of photoreceptors in the retina: rods and cones. Rods detect and track motion ✨, while cones detect color 🌈. The disease is caused by the degeneration of retinal cells, both rods and cones, and initially manifests as night blindness, which leads to cataracts and complete loss of vision.
The breeds known to have genetic variants that put them at a higher risk for PRA include but are not limited to, Irish Setters, Welsh Corgis, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Basenjis, Sloughi and Poodles.
Genetic tests can detect the presence of harmful mutations, which can help breeders select dogs to reduce the risk of inheriting the disease and owners to implement appropriate preventive measures. 🔎🧬
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