Why bother to run a test that does not detect the false allele?
If you want to prevent PRA this test will do the job. If you want to eliminate the mutated prcd gene from your lines over a span of two or three generations, this test will do the job–if you follow safe breeding practices, using Bs and Cs wisely so as to retain their other excellent qualities. You should test before breeding and always choose a Pattern A dog as one of the breeding pair. If you want to know beyond any conceivable doubt that your dogs are carriers or affecteds, this test will not do the job. Understandably, it’s difficult for owners to accept that the frequency of the false allele is unknown. It’s human nature to prefer certainty. But give your Bs and Cs two or three generations; you can breed certainty into your line by breeding them only to A dogs–and likely you’ll be ahead of those who decide to wait for the mutation-based test.
