Collie EYE ANOMALY.
The Lancashire Heeler should be tested by a veterinary eye specialist at around the age of 7 weeks for CEA (collie eye anomaly). The entire litter should be tested and the results are given to the breeder.
A reputable breeder should make the results available for you to see. If a puppy tests affected for CEA it will have no bearing on its health as a pet and you should not see any difference in a pet with CEA and a pet without.
Make sure that the pups in the litter can be identified (by microchipping etc) and that the identification tallies with the result sheet. (See the microchipping page under puppy facts for more information)
If you are buying a puppy and wish to breed from it in the future, this is where you need to make sure the puppy is clear of CEA as breeding on from this pup WILL make the problem within our breed worse. We need to eradicate these kind of problems and not knowingly add to them
There is only one reason I can think of to breed from a CEA affected dog and that is to save a rare line from extinction. If the dog you want to breed from has CEA and the gene pool will not miss its genetic input type or temperament why breed from it?
My advice is... If you’re new to breeding the Lancashire Heeler why start off with any problem at all? Buy a CEA clear puppy from, if possible, a clear litter. Make sure both Dam and Sire are clear of CEA.
DON'T BE SCARED TO ASK TO SEE EYE TEST CERTIFICATES - THEY ARE IMPORTANT IF YOU WISH TO BREED.
Here is an excellent link to explain CEA and about breeding from affected and carriers.
http://va.essortment.com/collieseyeanom_rlpf.htm
I must stress most UK kennels are breeding with CEA in mind when choosing their matings, but we all still get a few litters with pups testing affected for CEA. The important thing is REPUTABLE BREEDERS will sell these puppies as pets, or request that they are not breed from and therefore take them out of the breeding pool.
It is therefore so important that you as a buyer tell us exactly what you want when purchasing a Lancashire Heeler Puppy.
Breeding from affected or carrier stock
There is now a DNA test that has become available by a lab in the USA
This changes the way I can now look at breeding, enabling more choice
in my breeding programme and enabling me to keep dogs I otherwise would
not have done, which has to be good for this breeds future for survival.
Hotpot and Doddsline have had 9 dogs tested so far and await results.
More about the test here
