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Should I Do PK Test?

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • I had never really heard much about this before, but we're just sorting out the Paperwork for PRA testing two of our labs and the company who do the test list a PK Deficiency test for Basenjis.

    It is only $80 so not expensive, but just wanted some ideas from other owners as to whether it is a good thing to have done? Generally i think if there is a health test available you should do it, but it would involve a blood test which is more invasive and painful than a fanconi cheek swab so wanted some more input please :)

  • It never hurts to do testing… this is a recessive gene and this is a direct test, so offspring can be called "clear" by parents. So really if you know that parents or grandparents have been tested clear, your girl will be clear. You would just need to research and verify that she comes from clear.

  • I have the same idea Maya.

    I have heard that there are very few carriers left in the world, and that the disease appears to have nearly been erradicated, BUT, to my way of thinking, if there are even a few carriers left in the world, then Im sure I would be the "lucky" one who would put carrier to carrier, so testing for me was VERY important…

    Im actually a bit anal about testing anyway :D

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    BettawhippetB
    That is a huge relief about the cheek swab…She absolutely HATED having her blood drawn and has been mistrustful of the vet and vet techs ever since. I didn't not realize that there were many errors in the original test. I stopped frequenting this forum shortly after I had her test done and haven't really heard anything from the basenji world until I got the e-mail. I will definitely get this re-test done as soon as possible and will pick up some strips tomorrow so I can start testing her urine. Thankfully she has not been showing any signs of poor health and has always done well on checkups.
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    Kathy, I sure didn't mean to indicate it isn't a godsend or fantastic! Of course it is. I just meant… well as the Arabs say, Trust in G-d but tie your camel. Get the testing, use it to help guide breeding, retest if necessary, but keep doing the strip test. It's an easy if annoying process that protects your dog against testing errors or human errors.
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    @jinxed_1980: What is OFA? I hope this is a good thing you guys sound excited about it. :) And OFA is the place were all Fanconi test results are posted. Information on Fanconi is www.basenjihealth.org Anyone breeding needs to be testing their Basenjis "before" breeding….. there is no excuse to ever produce another Fanconi Affected pup
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    sabaS
    Thanks once again Tanza ;). Again I will have to wait for this test to be done… Khani's, our dogs first birthday pressie was info on how to be a good doggie, and follow all the rules Mummy has laid down for them ;););)... I cant believe that they wont follow the manual...
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    And chances are that your vet will tell you that there is no test. Just because it has been available for nearly two years does not mean that they know it is now here. You can do the fanconi tests without seeing a vet at all. Finger's crossed both your Bs come back NOT affected.
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    @wizard: I've looked at that website but still don't understand the reason behind doing this test. It doesn't check for genetic defects just parentage. It seems it undeniably verifies parentage, but isn't that what the AKC registration does? There must be something I'm missing. It is to prove parentage… as you could put any name of any dog on a set of papers and sent them it.... which in cases of Puppy Millers and some BYB's that is was was being done..... so the parents were NOT the parents of a given puppy. If you read the minutes each month on the AKC site (Secretary's page) you can see how many litter registrations were reversed "due" to DNA parentage.