| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 29, 2013 . |
CONTACT: Office of Frivolous Approvals 742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield, ST 86753-09E9 Phone: (573) 442-0418; Fax: (573)875-5073 |
OFA BOARD APPROVES “CARFAX” – A NEW HEALTH CERTIFICATION FOR PUREBREDS
Following research showing mixed-bred dogs are 1.7 times as likely to be hit by cars than purebreds. And something about ligaments too.
After committing over $9,000 in new canine health research funding, the OFA (Office of Frivolous Approvals) is proud to announce a new service aimed at helping purebred dogs reign supreme over mongrels in all disease categories. A new 10-year study of over 27,000 dogs with a documented inherited disorders, slated to be published this Saturday, shows that mud-blood dogs are 1.3 times as likely to present with a CCL rupture and 1.7 times as likely to be hit by a car compared to inherently superior purebred dogs. These were the only two categories where Purebreds were under-represented compared to inferior unimproved mongrels.
OFA, in conjunction with the AKC (and taking inspiration from PeTA) is pleased to announce the CARFAX (Canine Accident Reporting Form And Exchange) certification program which aims to squash this discrepancy once and for all. We’ll help you get your well-bred dog run over and document it with a board-certified veterinarian technician. You can proudly send other breeders and puppy buyers to our site to prove that your dog is not the one holding all purebreds back from total dominance over mixed breds in the area of maximum disease expression.
Following a century of eugenics and breed improvement within the closed registry system, the study has documented that Purebreds stand atop the podium of disease for all but one of 24 inherited disorders judged by the researchers at UC-Davis. For 10 of the 24 diseases, purebred dogs were the undisputed champions:
10 disorders were more prevalent in purebred dogs, compared with those found in mixed-breed dogs. Aortic stenosis and dilated cardiomyopathy in the cardiac category, hypothyroidism in the endocrine category, elbow dysplasia and IVDD in the orthopedic category, and atopy or allergic dermatitis, bloat, cataracts, total epilepsy, and portosystemic shunt were all diagnosed in a greater proportion of purebred dogs than mixed-breed dogs (P < 0.05). The OR for these disorders ranged from 1.27 (cataracts) to 3.45 (dilated cardiomyopathy) for purebred dogs, relative to mixed-breed dogs, indicating a greater probability of the condition in purebred dogs.
In a true display of comradery through elitism, breeds from every Show Group participated in the victory over lowborn mongrels in almost half of the competitions:
Ten genetic disorders had a significantly greater probability of being found in purebred dogs.
- For aortic stenosis, the top 5 breeds affected on the basis of the percentage of dogs of that breed affected and mixed breeds were Newfoundland (6.80%), Boxer (4.49%), Bull Terrier (4.10%), Irish Terrier (3.13%), Bouvier des Flandres (2.38%), and mixed breed (0.15%);
- for dilated cardiomyopathy, breeds included Doberman Pinscher (7.32%), Great Dane (7.30%), Neapolitan Mastiff (6.52%), Irish Wolfhound (6.08%), Saluki (5.88%), and mixed breed (0.16%).
- Breeds affected with elbow dysplasia included Bernese Mountain Dog (13.91%), Newfoundland (10.28%), Mastiff (6.55%), Rottweiler (6.31%), Anatolian Shepherd Dog (5.41%), and mixed breed (0.90%);
- for IVDD, Dachshund (34.92%), French Bulldog (27.06%), Pekingese (20.59%), Pembroke Welsh Corgi (15.11%), Doberman Pinscher (12.70%), and mixed breed (4.43%);
- for hypothyroidism, Giant Schnauzer (11.45%), Irish Setter (7.69%), Keeshond (6.63%), Bouvier des Flandres (6.55%), Doberman Pinscher (6.30%), and mixed breed (1.54%); for atopy or allergic dermatitis, West Highland White Terrier (8.58%), Coonhound (8.33%), Wirehaired Fox Terrier (8.16%), Cairn Terrier (6.91%), Tibetan Terrier (5.86%), and mixed breed (1.08%);
- for bloat, Saint Bernard (3.76%), Irish Setter (3.42%), Blood hound (3.39%), Great Dane (2.80%), Irish Wolfhound (2.70%), and mixed breed (0.20%);
- for cataracts, Silky Terrier (22.76%), Miniature Poodle (21.49%), Brussels Griffon (20.51%), Boston Terrier (19.61%), Tibetan Terrier (18.92%), and mixed breed (4.04%);
- for epilepsy (total), Catahoula Leopard Dog (3.90%), Beagle (3.57%), Schipperke (3.42%), Papillon (3.40%), Standard Poodle (3.19%), and mixed breed (0.91%);
- and for portosystemic shunt, Yorkshire Terrier (10.86%), Norwich Terrier (7.41%), Pug (5.88%), Maltese (5.87%), Havanese (4.35%), and mixed breed (0.35%).
No single breed dominated the listings. Labrador Retrievers and mixed-breed dogs were more frequently evaluated at the veterinary medical teaching hospital; therefore, those dogs typically had a greater prevalence of every disorder. However, the most frequent breeds affected by each disorder changed when adjusted for absolute numbers of dogs of that breed evaluated at the clinic. Although some breeds appeared multiple times in different disorders, no breed dominated by the percentage of breed affected.
Unfortunately, despite our current menu of health tests and the expert level inbreeding and popular sire use the Fancy has adroitly used since the Victorian era, no improvement has been made over accidental backyard bred miscegenated mutts in the following events:
Of the 24 disorders assessed, 13 had no significant difference in the mean proportion of purebred and mixed-breed dogs with the disorder when matched for age, sex, and body weight. Disorders without a significant predisposition included all the neoplasms (hemangiosarcoma, lymphoma, mast cell tumor, and osteosarcoma), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, mitral valve dysplasia, patent ductus arteriosus, and ventricular septal defect in the cardiac category; hip dysplasia and patellar luxation in the orthopedic category; hypoadrenocorticism and hyperadrenocorticism in the endocrine category; and lens luxation in the other category.
The final category is one which scientists have yet to prove conclusively is an inherited disorder: being hit by a car. But since the scientists disclosed in the study that “Mode of inheritance was not a factor in the selection of the conditions under study” we’re just going to go ahead and call car strikes an inherited genetic disorder, bringing the number to 25. Don’t worry, when we declare mixed bred dogs “pure” they become so, it works the same way with diseases. What we say goes.
Remember, we’re the people who will COUNT YOUR DOG’S TEETH for $15 and give you a certificate if they have the right number.
While there are many theories why our elite purebreds are not being run over in the same rate as untouchable dogs, the current theory is PeTA’s “Better Tread than Bred” campaign which disproportionately services mutts. PeTA (Pet Enjoyment Tantamount to Auschwitz) is solving the “overpopulation” problem by taking dogs (mostly mongrels) and cats from their Virgina shelter and running them over with their VeganVan™, breaking their pelvis and naughty parts, thus preventing these racially inferior beings from procreating indiscriminately and producing over 67,000 new dogs and cats.
To combat this unfair advantage we’ve partnered with the AKC (Animal Killing Club) to establish a new ribbon-awarding performance event which will be funded by donations from the Trial Lawyers Association of America: Canine Recrational Accidents Suppressing Heterosis, also known as CRASH. We’ve arranged to provide a board-certified veterinary technician to drive around in an ambulance at all 2-day dog shows where entrants can allow their pedigreed pooches to chase said ambulances–no training necessary–be run over, and get certified on the spot as meeting all the qualifications to document a genetic propensity to being struck by a vehicle in superior rates to mongrels which will not be invited to participate. Any dogs also suffering a CCL rupture during their vehicle strike will be awarded a fancy acrylic ribbon in addition to their framed certification. There will be a $54 filing fee and if your dog fails to be run over by the ambulance you will not be forced to file any documentation of such until your pedigreed perfection passes the test.
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Founded in 2013, the OFA is a not-for-profit foundation with the mission to promote the “health” and welfare of companion animals through a an obsession with rare genetic diseases by fetishizing tests which are not correlated with disease expression and don’t reflect the actual incidence and severity of diseases which really harm dogs.
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Quotes taken from:
Prevalence of inherited disorders among mixed-breed and purebred dogs: 27,254 cases (1995-2010).
Bellumori TP, Famula TR, Bannasch DL, Belanger JM, Oberbauer AM.
Department of Animal Science, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616.
Note: While the interpretation here is satire, the actual findings in the linked study are presented in an honest and accurate manner and reflect the actual published data.
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Clearly I’m in the wrong business. Why didn’t I think of buying a parking lot, software company or even better, a registry for various phenotypical canine defects with unknown modes of inheritance or incidence or a DNA lab that tests for obscure and often unrelated mutations? And now OFA has joined the DNA testing scalpers. For a small fee they’ll register the results for you too!
Christopher, you should look at the latest non-sense with the PRCD test offered through University of Missouri. The language is so squishy it will give you motion sickness.
Here is an example of what Christopher is talking about.
http://www.offa.org/dnatesting/rcd4.html
I’ve owned Australian Cattle Dogs for over 25 years. Cornell developed the DNA PRCD test offered by Optigen. Of all the dogs used as their samples (250), TWO dogs did not fit in their DNA model or pedigree data, yet still exhibited symptoms of retinal atrophy.
So now you too can pay OFA and the University of Missouri for yet another test for a rare mutation of yet unsubstantiated relation to any disorder. They found this mutation but note they fail to provide any data to substantiate a link. Look at the language for red and white setters! ” This mutation has not yet been seen in Irish Red & White Setters, but since they share the prcd1 form of PRA with Irish Setters, it is reasonable to suspect that they may have this form of PRA as well.”
“Reasonable” to “suspect”. Well that should alleviate all my guilt. Make checks payable to OFA.
You’re an evil, evil man, Christopher.
Jess recently posted..The Afghan Hound as Symbol of Conspicuous Consumption
I love when the Fancy Fascists mention this study. They haven’t read it, just the press release!!!!!
These people would make good serfs from the Middle Ages.
retrieverman recently posted..Who needs ponies?
Please see the ‘discussion’ on my Desertwindhounds FB page. There is NOT ENOUGH DATA to show that mixed breeds have lower rates of inherited disease.
That one is not as amusing as “but no one health tests mutts!” Um, no one is checking the rate of ‘health tests,’ just diseases.
Jess recently posted..The Afghan Hound as Symbol of Conspicuous Consumption
The recent UC Davis study linked here is a glowing endorsement of random bred mutts being vastly healthier than pure breds, over a decade and tens of thousands of dogs. A point they don’t highlight is also just how amazing this is given how much more popular mutts are than purebreds. If they are so much more prevalent, it’s almost unthinkable that they would have such fractional representation in disease expressions.
Butbutbut Chrissssstopherrrrrrr, those *mutt people* don’t take their dogs to the vet like the good little purebred people dooooooo. So obviously, if you’re only loooooking as siiiiiick dogs, the data is skewwwwwed.
Jess recently posted..The Afghan Hound as Symbol of Conspicuous Consumption
Well if my mutt ever gets sick, I will be taking her to the vet. I don’t see why I should if she isn’t sick… Unless my vet is upselling me.
Very funny couple of posts!
I like your Mark Twain approach. You are a good writer, so it works. I hope you will be able to do more posts like this.
Kate Williams recently posted..What is the Common Dog?
Lately I’ve been hearing more about how mutts are the superior ones.
They can do anything a purebred can do and twice as healthy! As well as only the pet mommies with mutts are the humane ones,adopt don’t shop.
DCM for the dobe 7.32%??? Um, wait, is that the actual rate of disease, or are dobes 7.32% MORE likely to have DCM than mongrels, given that above the list it says: “Ten genetic disorders had a significantly greater probability of being found in purebred dogs.” ?
Given that the numbers of DCM in dobes I’ve been shown lately come to half of the dogs in the breed or more, 7.32% sounds small whichever factor it is supposed to represent. What am I missing?
Well, you have to consider that the first sign of DCM most Dobe owners see is their dog, deceased at a young age. It’s actually not a disease that many people catch early enough to have “treated” at a Vet. That sort of treatment almost always requires a more chronic form of the disease that presents obvious symptoms.
This study didn’t really look at, IMO, more interesting measures. Namely the age at and cause of death of a large number of dogs tracked since birth. If we are to believe that upwards of 50% of Dobes die of DCM, the fact that most of those dogs never see a vet first is rather troubling, instead of encouraging for the breed.
These are vet school records. DCM is not a ‘specialist’ disease, actually, your regular GP can diagnose and ‘treat’ it. You are not necessarily going to get a referral to a vet university for it. In that way, the rates of disease in this study do not necessarily reflect the larger population. (DCM is one of the first differentials in death under anesthesia or sudden death in large dogs, which should tell you something.) I don’t know the percentage of dogs who drop dead of an arrhythmia versus those that are diagnosed first. Sudden death does not always equal necropsy, and necropsy does not always equal having pathology done. Personally, I think that primary DCM in one of my own breeds is under-reported, due to the issues in the previous sentence.
Jess recently posted..Tazi, a Journey with the Afghan Hounds
Whether they admit it or not Dobies are one of the breeds used in the standard Xoloitzquintle to turn it from a coarse Mexican Mutt into the sleek refined look it has today.. Wonder how that plays out? Well, keep it in mind…..
Kate Williams recently posted..What is the Common Dog?
These items were posted on Rman’s FB page.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20202106
Results from the Abstract: DCM prevalence in various age groups was as follows: age group 1 (1 to <2 years) 3.3%, age group 2 (2 to <4 years) 9.9%, age group 3 (4 to <6 years) 12.5%, age group 4 (6 to 8 years) 44.1%. The cumulative prevalence of Doberman Pinscher cardiomyopathy was 58.2%. There was an equal sex distribution, but male dogs showed earlier echocardiographic changes than did female dogs, which had significantly more VPCs.
This is a long video, but just before 20 seconds they speak of percentage of affected dobermans at different age groups. Just before 30 seconds they speak of the suspected mode of inheritance, but these folks don’t have enough confidence in the data to feel they can predict which dogs will be affected in their lifetimes.
From what I gathered after watching this, the majority of dobes develop DCM later in life, most assuredly after breeding dogs have put out a few litters. I also got the impression that a lot of breeders screen early in life, once and that’s the end of that, yet the disease continues, AND that in fact the heart screening cannot always pick up the disease in dogs early in life because for most, the disease develops later.
If so, that’s a tough battle.
DANG! Did it again! Sorry. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL4wuv26068
I cannot watch the video, limited bandwidth.
Typically heart screening involves either an echocardiogram, twenty-four hour ECG (Holter monitor), or both. Neither are predictive in regards to what dogs will develop disease, *except* in the case of a dog with occult DCM, which usually shows arrhythmia. This has shown to be predictive in Dobes, and I think Boxers, which have their own hereditary arrhythmia, IIRC.
There is plenty of literature on this subject, I have a bunch of it on my hard drive.
This is one of the reasons why the OFA database is shit for real data aggregation in regards to disease rates. If the dog is clear at five, but develops disease at seven, and the owner doesn’t update the database, it skews the data. Same with hip x-rays; the extended leg x-ray has been shown NOT to be predictive of degenerative joint disease. A single x-ray when the dog is two or four tells us nothing about it’s future hip conformation.
The very idea of a certificate or title for ‘health tests’ has skewed what dog breeders regard as ‘health.’
Jess recently posted..Tazi, a Journey with the Afghan Hounds
“Typically heart screening involves either an echocardiogram, twenty-four hour ECG (Holter monitor), or both. Neither are predictive in regards to what dogs will develop disease, *except* in the case of a dog with occult DCM, which usually shows arrhythmia. This has shown to be predictive in Dobes, and I think Boxers, which have their own hereditary arrhythmia, IIRC.”
I’m sorry you couldn’t watch it, but your quote above is pretty much what was said. The 24 ECG, and occult DCM plus another type. The screening cannot “predict”, as in, give you any idea about whether a dog WILL get the disease. It’s just that apparently you have to screen the dog year after year, or at least before breeding, to see if the dog has developed it at that time; to at least be able to say the dog was healthy at the time of breeding.
Not good.
Actually, doing 24 hour ECG yearly is not such a big deal. You can buy or rent the Holter, you apply it yourself and upload the data, and it costs $30 for a tech to read it. IIRC it’s $60 to have the cardiologist look at it. There are many Dobe breeders that own their own Holter or share one with other breeders.
Jess recently posted..Tazi, a Journey with the Afghan Hounds
Doing it may not be the big deal, but it’s sad that it HAS to be done for pretty much every dobe in the first place, every year.
That’s part of the problem. The acceptance that this HAS to be done.
Jess recently posted..Tazi, a Journey with the Afghan Hounds
Can anyone provide good links/references re hip and elbow screening having poor predictive power for clinical manifestation of disease? Hip and elbow screening are treated almost religiously in the circles from which I got my grounding in dog breeding (Australia, breeding Labradors), and posting of sire and dam’s elbow scores on litter announcements is almost obligatory. I’ve swum against a few streams in my life, but I’d rather have evidence in hand if I’m to swim against this one.
Look on the PennHIP site. They provide links to the studies.
That study kind of feels like “na na nana na, OFA–our method is better than yours!” What I don’t like about PennHip is that there is no publicly available database. However, I do understand that people in some breeds feel it’s a better tool than OFA.
It is a better tool than OFA. OFA shares a lot in common with conformation dog showing, as it’s subjective nonsense that shallow people can shop till they get the results they want, and the certificate you get at the end is not actually correlated with quality.
An interesting article on OFA style x-rays by a veterinary radiologist, questioning whether they are best practice or not:
http://www.animalinsides.com/learn/general-imaging/272-ofa.html
Jess recently posted..Tazi, a Journey with the Afghan Hounds
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.237.5.532
Do a search on pubmed. You will find studies from all over the world, including studies into the genetics behind hip dyplasia (complicated) and which screening methods are most predictive (it ain’t the hip extended view OFA uses.) IIRC, the hip screening used in Europe is based on the distraction index, hip laxity, and they have better success in the reduction of dysplasia rates.
Jess recently posted..Tazi, a Journey with the Afghan Hounds
I’ve read a few Penn Hip vs OFA comparisons, and agree, the evidence is that Penn Hip is more objective. But that leaves some important questions hanging:
1. How well would the clinical manifestation of arthritis correlate to the radiographic prediction — if the x ray technique was objective and unbiased?
2. Given that the genetics of skeletal stuff is poorly worked out, how good are the sire and dam’s radiographic scores (assuming they can be accurate) at predicting the incidence of osteoarthritis in the next generation?
3. What about elbows?
4. How does environment play into the mix?
I’d be happy to do single test genetic testing if they covered osteoarthritis, epilepsy, or cancer, and gave reliable predictions!
The vet I’ve used for years is qualified to do both PennHIP and OFA evaluations. H always recommends the PennHIP “if you’re serious”. With OFA, the results can be different for the same set of radiographs, it depends on who reads them. Because PennHIP is based objective measurements, the results are the same, no matter who reads them. It may cost me a little more, but I’ll always do the PennHIP.
Here’s the KC’s spin on this study. http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/4978
Now that’s both depressing and hilarious.