I will look into getting their dna checked to see if they have the dna marker for the disease, but the dna test still has an error rate and isn’t 100 percent accurate, so even if my basenjis were 100 percent clean I would be lying to say the puppies did not have Fanconi disease. And any basenji owner knows the risk that they take in buying a basenji and it getting this disease.
Please, please, please test the parents for Fanconi and recommend that ALL puppy buyers do the same, especially if any of the parents test carrier/affected and you are not planning on testing the puppies before homing them. I don't think it's enough to say that "any basenji owner knows the risk they take in buying a basenji and it getting this disease" because obviously, one can do their research and still not know about the efficacy or need for this OFA test. You may also get a puppy buyer who decides they would like to breed their pet in the future, papers or not, and I think this kind of information is invaluable for the overall sake of the breed.
FWIW, many vets don't know about Fanconi testing either, even if they claim familiarity with the breed or the disease based on having seen a few in their practice before. My vet picked up the little purple certificate I received from the OFA for my pet-only, spayed Basenji and said, "What's this?" She didn't understand at first why I was including that in the stack of health records I passed along when I was setting up her account in their database. But she picked up real fast.
I'm sure your pups are being raised in a loving home and I hope they find equally loving homes. I think you'll also have more peace of mind if you know the test results of the parents so that you can better inform any of your puppy buyers as to future health status of their babies. It'll also give you peace of mind if you know for your own, cherished pets.
Also, shouldn't the puppies be at least 8 weeks old before being rehomed?
I am not familiar with Texas law, but in my state it's a misdemeanor charge to rehome before 8 weeks.
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BBozer: what is an amature show dog?
Just for the record…for the people who are reading here: true that no test is 100% accurate, but the Basenji Club of America is suggesting that all puppy buyers makes sure that at least one of the parents tests "Clear" by DNA marker test. If you do this, you can be reasonably sure that your puppy will never develop Fanconi syndrome. If come across a breeder who refuses to test their breeding stock, you should ask yourself (and them) why. If you really feel you have to have one of their puppies, arrange to have the simple cheek swab test done on your puppy before you purchase...that way you won't face many years of heartache and regret after your purchase.
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So if a puppy buyer asks a lot of questions too, are you going to put your puppies away and show them the door?
I hope that this person keeps reading the Forum even if they have removed the posts. I would hope that they also do a little more research into Fanconi testing and health testing in general.
This is from another thread that was about a couple of weeks ago. It is from a committee member of the BCOA Health Committee (one that I am a member of also and others on this Forum) stating:
From Itzyu: from this thread: http://www.basenjiforums.com/showthread.php?t=8624&page=8
The Canine Health Foundation discussion of the original Fanconi test development is at http://www.akcchf.org/research/funde…arch/0801.html
The OFA page on the Fanconi Syndrome test is at http://www.offa.org/dnatesting/fanconi.html
The most recent update on Fanconi to BCOA is referenced at the annual meeting powerpoint at http://www.basenji.org/joomla/images/bcoa2010.pdf - note that it references the 2009 research update, the 2010 research update, and that inconsistent results thus far are 4 out of 1089 carriers, which currently is consistent with a high level of accuracy.
I think that should make it VERY clear that Fanconi research has been continuously ongoing.
The current advice from BCOA to puppy buyers, as given in the Basenji Health Pages on the BCOA web site, is as follows:
"Owners should insist that at least one parent of any puppy they purchase be tested “Probable clear” for Fanconi, unless the pup itself has been individually tested and was not tested “Probable Affected.” While not a guarantee of health, studies to date indicate that dogs with one or both parents tested probable clear are very unlikely to develop the disorder."
That is directly from the health pages on the BCOA web site and does accurately reflect the advice given to BCOA by experts. In fact, the statement above is a close paraphrase of the researchers.
He deleted his posts? Why? Obviously not someone you want to buy from…
He deleted his posts? Why? Obviously not someone you want to buy from…
Most likely because they were challenged about breeding practices and health testing. Again, I hope that they read about Fanconi testing and health testing. I was glad to see that the bitch will be spayed and hope that they do so… but more I hope that they have the sire and dam tested and the pups if the sire and dam are not clears.
