CD disease causes day blindness due
to degeneration of the retinal “cones” – cone-shaped cells
in the retina that respond primarily to bright daylight. CD can be
diagnosed in the early weeks of the German Shorthaired Pointer’s
life. Between 8 and 12 weeks of age, when retinal development is
normally completed in dogs, signs of vision problems are
noticeable. The pups become day-blind and are photophobic –
meaning that exposure to bright light is irritating or even
painful. The pup will shun brightly-lit areas. Vision in dim light
remains normal. The retina of the affected dog initially appears
normal when examined by an ophthalmologist and initially the ERG (electroretinogram)
recording is normal. However, the ERG response from the
degenerating cones declines with age and is non-recordable in the
mature CD-affected dog.
Click here to learn how to
submit your dogs sample for testing - http://www.optigen.com/opt9_info.html
HELPFUL
LINKS ON CONE DEGENERATION
Orthopedic
Foundation for Animals - http://www.optigen.com/opt9_test_cd.html
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