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S.I.G.H.T. Registry (Sealyham Terriers) |
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Sealyham SIGHT Registry
Meet Annie, one of six Sealys rescued in February 2006 from a true "puppy mill" in Arkansas. Three breeding pairs had been brought into the U.S. from Eastern Europe and after the owner was unsuccessful in obtaining papers of any kind from the broker who brought them in, advertised them for sale on a website. ASTC president Sharon Yard contacted Carl and Marianne Metzelthin of Brookline, MO who were able to talk to the owner of the dogs and arrange for their purchase. They were living in dire circumstances -- being kept outdoors in tiny wire cages with no floors or roofs. When it rained, it poured down the roof directly on them -- in winter and summer. Annie was completely covered with sores caused by a staph infection and spent the first two months after she was rescued under the care of a kind veterinarian, who didn't charge us anything for her care. She then went to a foster home with Jennifer and John Strawn, where she has completely recovered physically and emotionally and has found her "forever" home with the Strawns. She visited all of us during the Montgomery weekend and we were all gladdened by her great personality and love for everybody. Sealys are so adaptable!If you'd
like to see your favorite Sealyham featured here, email the photo to George
at gdc@conknet.com |
| How to register your dog (CLICK FOR INSTRUCTIONS) Genetic Pedigree and KinReport examples: (UNDER CONSTRUCTION...AVAILABLE MARCH 10) Article on Sealys and Lens Luxation in Just Terriers Magazine, Fall 2005 Read a recently published article by SIGHT registry director George Packard. The article discusses the disease and efforts to control its spread in the breed. "Lily's Story: the Push to Control Lens Luxation in Sealyham Terriers" (Acrobat PDF)
SIGHT REGISTRATION POLICY Eye exams are optional for registration (however, we strongly recommend eye exams every 1-2 years, particularly for Sealys who may be closely related to dogs affected with lens luxation). Help us reduce the threat of lens luxation in the breed. Register your dog whether it is old, young, a pet, a champion, neutered or spayed!! Simply fill out the SIGHT application form, enclose your dog’s pedigree (if available) and a check for $10, and put the envelope in the mail. When you are able to get an eye exam for your dog, you can update your registration by sending us a copy of the eye exam.: YOUR DOG & THE RISK OF LENS LUXATION As we gather more information on dogs in the SIGHT registry, we are finding that the risk for lens luxation in the breed may be higher than our initial estimates. Therefore, we urge all Sealy owners to stay alert to the possible symptoms of the onset of lens luxation. The disease tends to appear most frequently in dogs 3-4 years old and older. If you suspect lens luxation, you may only have a matter of a few days to get a diagnosis and treatment to save the eye.
THE SEALYHAM SIGHT REGISTRY AND LENS LUXATION Lens Luxation is an inherited eye disease in Sealyham Terriers. Researchers believe that it may be an autosomal recessive trait involving a single gene. If a litter includes an affected puppy, we can assume that both the dam and stud are carrying the defective gene(s). We can also assume that all offspring of an affected parent are carriers. As this registry grows, the information will be used for research and to help our breeders reduce the prevalence of lens luxation in Sealyham Terriers. It is important to have your dog examined by your veterinarian or an ACVO ophthalmologist for lens luxation/glaucoma every 1-2 years, especially if it is related to an affected dog. Lens luxation may occur at any time in a dog's life. We recommend the CERF exam (Canine Eye Registration Foundation). CERF is a comprehensive eye exam that can be scheduled without a referral and normally costs between $20 and $40. For the closest CERF exam site, visit the ACVO Clinic List on the CERF website. (Click your browser's Back button to return here.) The goal of our SIGHT registry is to include all Sealyham Terriers, even if you are not aware that your dog is related to an affected dog. The SIGHT registry will send periodic reminders for exam updates, and will notify owners if new information shows a relationship to an affected dog. Why should
I register my dog with SIGHT? February 1, 2003 Sealyham Eye Registry Established at GDC The American Sealyham Terrier Club (ASTC) has recently created a special eye registry at GDC as part of its ongoing work to reduce the prevalence of lens luxation in the breed. The club has also funded research on a DNA marker test for the disease through the Canine Health Foundation (CHF). The registry will be know as SIGHT (Sealyham Terrier Eye Genetic Health Tracking). According to Sharon Yard, ASTC president, the club sees the registry as serving several extremely important goals. "As this registry grows, breeders will be able to use it to choose the lowest risk mate for any particular breeding. It will take time and a lot of work to build the SIGHT registry to the point where it can be useful. We need to have a significant number of dogs registered from a wide range of close family groups," said Yard. The registry will also work closely with the researchers at the Univerity of Missouri who are working on the DNA marker tests. The SIGHT registry includes a blood sample submission form in the application, and urges all owners of affected or carrier dogs to submit samples. Participating in the SIGHT registry will encourage all Sealyham owners to have their dogs' eye examined regularly. If lens luxation is diagnosed in the early stages, surgery can save the dog's eyes. "S.I.G.H.T. is an open registry, and its usefulness to breeders will depend on full participation from each and every one of us, in honesty and openness," said Yard. END
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