As Breeders of one of the healthiest breeds we must continue to take steps to address hereditary diseases and keep the Giant Schnauzer as vigorous as it is today. One such hereditary disease which has been highlighted is cataracts, a potentially damaging condition but one that is not too difficult to avoid.
A pertinent example of this was a dog who in 1993 was diagnosed with HC (bilateral subcapsular and cortical cataracts). Whilst we were most concerned about this, no other dog known to us was found to have anything similar in the following years. However in 1997 Stuart ElIis found a son of this dog to have the same cataract and stated that he had seen a handful of cases in the UK in the past few years, and assumed that his colleagues had also seen some. He also stated that there are cases not only in the UK but also in Scandinavia and the US. In March 1999 an 8½ year old dog was found to have the same cataract - he was a son of the original dog. Having been tested at the same time every year, in 1998 this dog showed no signs of cataract, yet a year later the cataract was present and fully formed, unfortunately in November 1998 a 3 year old daughter of his in Norway, was diagnosed too.
This type of cataract (posterior polar) is seen in a number of breeds, most commonly Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and Belgian Shepherd dogs, and has been for a long time thought to have a dominant mode of inheritance in these breeds. Unfortunately the exact mode of inheritance has not yet been defined. Only by implementing an annual testing program for breeding stock can we hope to eradicate this problem, another point to remember is that this cataract is variable in onset i.e. shows itself at different ages, and in expression i.e. different ways of affecting eyesight. It appears that it can strike at any age and to any degree.
We would hope by now that anyone who is actively involved in showing and breeding Giant Schnauzers will be aware that several more cases have been reported. It is important that all breeders take a few minutes to read and absorb the following without panicking or over reacting, The cataract in question is the polar variety, which is the same type as the dog mentioned earlier. The oldest Giant of the three is the father of one of the bitches and the grandfather of the other, so again a direct link has been seen.
In light of this information The Giant Schnauzer Club strongly recommends that:
- All adult breeding stock to be tested annually for life under the BVA/KC eye scheme
- All puppies to be eye tested at 6-12 weeks i.e. prior to leaving the breeder, this test is for M.R.D not cataracts
- All puppies registration documents to be endorsed R - progeny not eligible for Registration
- Dogs attending for eye tests to be identified by microchip prior to testing (this does not yet apply to litter screening of pups under 12 weeks old)