Specialty Collection of DNA for HEALTH

The BTCA Genetics and Health Committee will be collecting DNA for HEALTH at the Specialty in Texas. The Board of Directors has agreed to cover the costs for this CHIC DNA collection. Since this is a first time BTCA CHIC collection, OFA is underwriting half the blood processing costs, and the BTCA will cover the other half of the processing cost as well as supplies.

If you have already submitted blood to the University of Missouri or to the CHIC databank you should be sure the Health information is up-to-date. There is no need to resample a dog. In addition, if, you have a dog that is affected with either epilepsy or CECS, or a parent, offspring, sibling or littermate of an affected dog, an extra tube of blood can be collected and you may send it to Dr. Gary Johnson's laboratory.

From the CHIC DNA Guidelines:
Blood is the gold standard for genetic material; the yield of DNA is sufficient for all research methods, including technologies on the horizon. Moreover, the stability and purity of the DNA is of the highest caliber, which offers many benefits. However, cheek swab derived DNA remains a viable option for DNA banking. The yield and purity of this DNA is inferior to that obtained from blood, but the material is suitable for most genetic approaches. The greatest benefit of cheek swabs is reduced collection and processing costs as well as noninvasive collection. To offset the lower yield, owners are asked to submit multiple cheek swabs from each dog.

The blood collection times will be in the evening when it is cooler following the end of other activities for that day. There will be collections at the site one evening for those who are staying there and at the host hotel on a different evening.

We are asking for pre-registration so that we will have enough supplies on hand, walk-ins will be accommodated if we do not fill the slots.

2008 BTCA Specialty DNA Draw

We will offer blood collection or cheek swabs, but we strongly recommend that you allow blood collection. In addition we strongly suggest that dogs have been microchipped, and have parentage DNA on file with the AKC. Microchipping and Parentage DNA collection will be available at the Specialty as well.

Each sample must be accompanied by a brief health history, and a 3 generation pedigree which should include the dog's registration number and the registration number of its sire and dam.

You will find the application form at http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/dnaapp.pdf

The health survey form is at http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/CHIC DNA Bank health survey.pdf

These forms will be included in the Specialty packet.

If you are a veterinarian or veterinary technician with experience and are willing to help with the blood collections please email, or call, Laura Golden, DVM at whirlwindbt@comcast.net or 1-239-481-5929.