From:  Erika Kiss <sarmudi@e...> Date:  Sat May 22, 2004  3:22 am Subject:  Cataracts

Hi All, I have something to share and to ask about. We had taken Matyi to have his eye checked - CERF - and we found out that he has tiny cataracts in both of his eyes. They are the size of a pin-head, and are not expected to get bigger, nor to interact with his vision. So the good news is, he is fine. However, I consider this a fault which should exclude him from breeding. Prior to this information, I considered him to be a great specimen for breeding, because of OFA excellent hips, normal elbows and patellas, proven working ability and temperament, and good confirmation. But I believe the eyes should be cleared as well for breeding - providing good structure is one thing, also providing possible genes for cataracts is another. Based on a recommendation, we got a 2nd opinion. The good news is, while the cataracts are there, the opinion was matching: same small size, not to effect his vision, nor to get bigger. First Vet. thought he should not be bred, the 2nd couldn't confirm it, but rather gave a small lecture about genetics. Bottom line is, in his opinion, if his is dominant, it could be inherited, based upon what comes out of the genetic "blender", if not dominant, it may not effect the puppies at all. The only way to know it is by DNA - not there yet to determine it, or to evaluate his pups. I am not very willing to take the risk of the latter one. I wasn't at the office for either exams, and I do know that some of you have quite a background in genetics. I am curious to hear what you think and recommend. I am also asking this, because my decision to remove him from ever being bred is not temporary, I am planning to have him neutered (castrated). At one level, my heart bleeds about this, because his kennel is no longer in existence anymore, and he is a really nice dog, but on the other hand, in my heart, I believe neutering him is the right action. I love this breed, and do not want to harm it in any way. I think it would be also great to know how often this happens in this breed, but not sure how much of the breeding population is screened or how much data is available. Any information you may have is appreciated! Thanks! Erika

From:  Erika Kiss <sarmudi@e...> Date:  Mon May 24, 2004  2:55 am Subject:  Re: [InternationalMudiGroup] Cataracts

Dear Rose and Linda, Thank you for your kind words, yes, it is a difficult time for me right now, it was a very hard-hitting result. I never expected that he will not fly thru it. I did some research on the internet about cataracts, there are some medical web-sites for K-9's, so this is where my knowledge (besides from the vet's statements) coming from. It appears that there are breeds where K-9 cataracts is very rampant, and there are high hopes that those breed's gene-pool could be cleared up a bit once the DNA testing becomes available for the cataracts. It will be able to tell if a given dog carries it dominantly, or, to even further eliminate it from healthier breeds, if it is carried recessively. It is tough for this breed, because there is no study or data available - as the 2nd vet explained -, so we could be introducing it into the breed, or it could be already in it, and in that case, it might be a risk worth taking it because his other qualities. Or, if it is not dominant, as long as his puppies - if they carry it recessively - are not bred to other pups who also carry it recessively, it would be ok to breed him. I am not very up to date on the genes to really understand what kind of risk would that be for the breed, so I hoped that maybe others, who are more at home with that stuff might be able to shed some light on it for me. At either case, the DNA technology is not there yet, so if I want to play it safe, I should not breed him. But I wanted to tap into the collective knowledge before I make this decision... Linda, you had some questions... I do not know how many Mudis are in NA, it is a lot more than we have on the lists, but they are largely unknown. It is terrible that we do not know of each other, it really further limits our resources for breeding population. About Istvan's dogs, no, to the best of my knowledge, no-one continues to breed with them in Hungary. There are some off-springs from earlier time when he studded some of his dogs, but I am not sure if those dogs are in breeding. I know that after his death, all his dogs followed him to the Bridge. He had some gorgeous dogs, who were not sold or desired and were already almost 2 years old, so they followed him, due to hardship on the widow and the family. There are some of his dogs in Finland who had been bred, Sessi just had a litter very recently, and your litter with Luke, so there are dogs out there with his line behind them. But it is not continued in Hungary. Good Luck with Racey's hips on Monday. I know about the frustration with the committed buyers, it is so difficult to breed, if you have 1 or 2 homes, that is not enough to plan a litter, but it is very frustrating for those who are waiting for a pup. It is difficult with a rare-breed... Again, thank you for your notes. Erika