Testing for GSD IV
In order to avoid getting affected kittens, and to eventually eliminate the GBE1 mutation from the Norwegian Forest Cat breed, we need to DNA test all breeding cats. By DNA testing we can also find the healthy carriers that could pass on the disease to their offspring if they are bred to another carrier.
Of course a cat must be tested only once in his life and you don't need to test descendants from healthy (homozygous normal) parents if you are definitely sure of the pedigree.
How do I test my cats?
The DNA sample is taken by your veterinary, with special cytobrushes and collected in a tube with ethanol (test kits can usually be ordered from the labs free of charge). The veterinary should fill in the sampling form with info on owner and the identification of the animal. The form and the sample are then sent to the laboratory. You also have to make a bank transfer for the payment. Then you will receive the results in a few weeks.
Making the result public on PawPeds
Genindexe has a form where you can fill in if you want them to send a copy directly to the public registry or not. This allows us to get a bit more reliable statistics (read more about why reliable statistics are important). The Swedish breedclub Skogkattslingan also has an agreement with Laboklin with a special form and price, where you also can agree to the lab sending a copy of the result to the registrar of the health programme. The other labs, as far as we know, do not have this option. You then have to send in a copy of the result to the registrar yourself.
The result of the tests sent in to the registrar by the lab will be made public no earlier than approximately 60 days after the owner received it. The reason for this delay is to give the owner time to inform kitten buyers and other people with related cats about the result before they get the info from other parties who saw it in the public database.
Some labs performing the GSD IV test:
- Antagene (France), www.antagene.com
- Genindexe (France), www.genindexe.com
To order test kits, email contact@genindexe.com. For more info you could also contact Li Sellgren, see Contacts. - Laboklin (Germany), www.labogen.com
The breed club Skogkattslingan has an agreement with Laboklin, so that their members can order a test kit with instructions and a specific form from the club shop:
Gun Nilsson
Björkbackavägen 8
746 51 Bålsta
Sweden
Tel: 0171-555 76 (internationally: +46 171 555 76)
Email: shop@skogkattslingan.com
In this form you can sign an agreement for the lab to send the result to the registrar of the health programme, so that the result will be made public in the PawPeds database. For members of the club the test costs 400 SEK. - PennGen (USA), link to their test form
Help!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the contact persons for the health programme!