Introduction
It has been brought to the attention of the ISAE Committee by the
breeders that an eye condition recently found by Professor Bedford
in three Irish Setters has provisionally been identified as a Stationary
Night Blindness (SNB). It affects the rod photoreceptors in the
retina, impairing night vision (N.B. It is NOT PRA!). A similar
condition occurs in Briards. where the mode of inheritance is recessive,
with the pattern we are familiar with from PRA rcdl and CLAD. However,
the mode of inheritance in Irish Setters has not been established:
DNA tests of two of the affected animals have shown that it does
not involve the same defective gene as in Briards. Two bitches are
from the same litter. The third animal, a dog, is related but not
closely. None have been bred from.
The discovery of this condition resulted from an owner mentioning
apparent night vision problems during a routine eye test by Professor
Bedford. The bitch and her litter sister were subsequently tested
at the Royal Vet College and both found to have apparent SNB. Much
later, in conversation, it was realised that the dog also had problems
after dark.. The aim of this information is to make Irish Setter
owners aware of the potential problem and to take more notice of
their dogs' general behaviour after dark.
How to check on your dog's night vision at home (extract
from ISAE 2007 Annual Review)
