Warning biewer owners/buyers!!!!
 

WARNING

There is NO "state of the art" DNA test to determine whether the Biewer/ Biewer ala Pom Pon/ Biewer Yorkshire Terrier/ Biewer Yorkie/ Biewer Terrier is a carrier of ANY life threatening/ life altering diseases.

There are approximately 25 diseases being ID'd via DNA at this time. However they are very breed specific- In other words if you have your Biewer tested for one of these diseases or all of them at $50.00 per test, they will test clear for this disease because there is NO MARKERS to identified in the Biewer breed.

If you are given a certificate stating they are disease free- BEWARE!!!!!

WOW ~ This is interesting and scarey :eek: bc we as buyers could shell out an arm and a leg for Biewer and they could wind up costing us another arm and leg in Vet bills :(

You are so right. Testing clear does not mean that they are not carriers. There are certain diseases that have Markers that reveal a dog is a non carrier.

So is this is bogus?

Biewer Club is proud to announce the introduction of a new state-of-the-art testing procedure that tests their registered dogs to determine whether they are carriers of various life-altering/life-threatening canine diseases. Through this test, this biewer club's breeders are furthering their education in perfecting their mating pairs and in turn, are helping to create the healthiest, best quality Puppies possible! Breed club is proud to be the FIRST AND ONLY Biewer organization to step into this new scientific realm.

Oh, brother.

Which Biewer's Club, as there are 2. YTCA members have opened communications with a couple of members from 2 different national clubs.....might be a question to bring up.

There is NO one test- I have contacted several reputable laboratories about "a test" for the Biewers- I was told there is no test for this breed- each lab has a list of breeds and the tests they can do for their specific diseases- each test cost approx $50.00- A Biewer tested for those diseases will always test clear- Hope this answers your question

Go to each clubs home page- the information is there- then I refer you to the DNA Services page for a list of diseases they are testing for-

[QUOTE=IRMaxine;2733397]There is NO one test- I have contacted several reputable laboratories about "a test" for the Biewers- I was told there is no test for this breed- each lab has a list of breeds and the tests they can do for their specific diseases- each test cost approx $50.00- A Biewer tested for those diseases will always test clear- Hope this answers your question[/Q

Can you explain always test clear?

I do know that per conversations they do extensive testing, but since some of the diseases that affect Biewers also affect Yorkies. You would think that if DNA Markers have been found for identifying if a dog is a Shunt Carrier, the same test could be used for other breeds too.

No marker has been identified for a shunt carrier and that information comes directly from Dr Center.

Btw there are actually 3 active biewer clubs and two which are inactive.

I've gone over them before, but thought maybe you knew a bit more. My interest is not with the Biewer but, with DNA Markers.

I know that there is no DNA Marker to identify if a dog is a Shunt Carrier.

We (YTCA) members spoke to members of 2 different Biewer National Clubs, and asked why they were seperate. There was no divinative answer, however, it appears their breeding philosphies are different.

You are absolutely correct!!!!

Well at least I remember that much and its nice to know that I don't have total CRAFTS disease......it's been over 3 months since our conversation with these members and they were very open and informative.

Most of these people want to their dogs to be recognized as Biewer or Biewer Terriers......a breed on to itself. They are actively documenting and hope that one day they will be recognized by the AKC.

We made some calls today after reading this and learned the same that there is no such test.

Wonder how many people really paid money for this .... great scam though as we always want to do the best for our babies.

very interesting!

So this is posted on their website and is Totally Untrue????

Health issues covered in your DNA Parentage Profiling

Testing to make sure we never have a problem with these health issues in the Biewer Terrier. Once again we are able to take advantage of what science has to offer and put together the best, healthiest breeding program possible.

Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis ~ (NCL) is a hereditary, progressive, disease in dogs and humans, which commonly leads to blindness and other neurologic problems and can lead to premature death.

Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy ~ Globoid cell leukodystrophy or Krabbe disease is a severe, autosomal recessive disorder resulting from a deficiency of galactocerebrosidase (GALC) activity whereby the white matter is degenerated.

Cystinuria ~ is an inherited disorder caused by a defective transport of the amino acid cystine in the kidney tubules.

Phosphofructokinase Deficiency ~ Canine (PFK) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease which prevents the metabolism of glucose into available energy resulting in exercise intolerance and muscle disease in Cocker Spaniels. PFK deficiency also destroys red blood cells in affected dogs, leading to anemia.

Cone Degeneration ~ This condition is known by many names; day blindness, hemeralopia and cone degeneration - to name a few. These names all describe the same condition, a hereditary visual problem related to intense light.


Retinal Dystrophy ~ During inherited retinal dystrophy in Irish Setter dogs, decreased activity of cGMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) results in high cGMP levels and retinal degeneration (1-3). This defect could be in PDE itself, or in its interactions with other proteins of the rod outer segment.

Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) ~ SCID is the most severe of the inherited immunodeficiency disorders. As the name implies, there is defective development of all components of the immune system. Pups are affected at a very young age, and are susceptible to a variety of infections. How is severe combined immunodeficiency inherited? This is an X-linked recessive trait. This means only males are clinically affected. However females can carry the trait and there is a 50% chance they will pass it to their male offspring.

Congenital Hypothyroidism / Goiter ~ Hypothyroidism is a problem which afflicts many breeds of dog, but far and away most canine hypothyroidism is adult-onset and is an immune-mediated disorder associated with production of anti-thyroglobulin antibodies.

Congenital hypothyroidism is quite different. "Congenital" indicates that the hypothyroidism is present at or soon after birth rather than developing years later. Congenital hypothyroidism occurs in different forms in different breeds caused by various abnormalities of the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, or the thyroid glands itself.

Myotonia Congenita ~ is an inherited condition characterized by delayed relaxation of skeletal muscle after voluntary contraction without associated symptoms of weakness or muscular dystrophy.

GM1 Gangliosidosis ~ Ganglioside storage diseases are defects of lysosomal hydrolase enzymes that result in accumulation of gangliosides (glycosphingolipids that are major constituents of plasma membranes in a variety of cells, especially neurons) and glycolipid substrates of these hydrolases within lysosomes of most neurons throughout the nervous system, including brain, spinal cord, and autonomic ganglia.

Hemophilia B ~ (factor IX deficiency, Christmas disease) Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder of varying severity that is due to a deficiency in specific clotting factors.

Canine Leucocyte Adhesion Deficiency (CLAD) ~ is a fatal immunodeficiency disease found in Irish Setters.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) ~ The cells of the retina receive light stimuli from the external environment and transmit the information to the brain where it is interpreted to become vision. In progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), deterioration of the retinal cells causes blindness.

Narcolepsy ~ is an uncommon disorder that results in abnormal sleep tendencies (e.g. sudden onset of sleep), sleep paralysis, and cataplexy. One of the manifestations of narcolepsy is cataplexy which is characterized by a rapid onset of sleep, resulting in flaccid paralysis that lasts for a few seconds to a few minutes.

Muscular Dystrophy ~ The most common form of muscular dystrophy in dogs and humans is caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene.

Mucopolysaccharidosis type VII ~ is a lysosomal storage disease in which there is a buildup (storage) of mucopolysaccharides (glycosaminoglycans), due to the lack of the lysosomal enzyme acid hydrolase beta-glucuronidase

Thrombopathia ~ means a disorder of small blood cells called platelets or thrombocytes. Platelets play an important role at several stages of the body's response to any injury that causes bleeding. One function of platelets is to aggregate or "clump" at the site of blood vessel injury to form an initial plug. Platelets also facilitate blood clotting, in conjunction with the clotting factors, and release substances active in inflammation and tissue repair.

Thrombasthenic ~ In thrombasthenic thrombopathia, there is a reduction or absence of certain platelet membrane proteins that are necessary for normal platelet function.

Neonatal Encephalopathy (NEWS) ~ Neonatal encephalopathy with seizures (NEWS) is a previously undescribed autosomal recessive disease of standard poodle puppies. Affected puppies are small and weak at birth. Many die in their first week of life. Those surviving past 1 week develop ataxia, a whole-body tremor, and, by 4 to 6 weeks of age, severe generalized clonic-tonic seizures. None have survived to 7 weeks of age.

Glycogen Storage Disease Ia ~ also known as glycogenoses, is a rare inherited disorder with various types, all characterized by deficient or defective activity of the enzymes responsible for metabolizing glycogen in the body.

L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria ~ L-2-HGA affects the central nervous system, with clinical signs usually apparent between 6 months and one year (although they can appear later). Symptoms include epileptic seizures, "wobbly" gait, tremors, muscle stiffness as a result of exercise or excitement and altered behavior.

Multidrug Resistance in Cancer ~ Dogs with mutant MDR1 gene cannot remove some drugs out of the brain as normal dogs would, which may result in abnormal neurological signs.

Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Phosphatase 1 Deficiency ~ The disease is characterised by exercise intolerance and post-exercise collapse. There may also be neurological symptoms. Treatment of affected dogs with a high-fat, ketogenic, diet has been suggested

Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency ~ (PK) is an enzyme critical to the anaerobic glycolytic pathway of energy production in the erythrocyte. If erythrocytes are deficient in PK they are unable to sustain normal cell metabolism and hence are destroyed prematurely. This deficiency manifests as an hemolytic anemia of variable severity with a strong regenerative response.

Canine Multifocal Retinopathy ~ (CMR) is a recently identified recessively inherited eye disease known so far to affect the Mastiffs (English, Bullmastiff, French mastiff or Dogue de Bordeaux), Great Pyrenees and Coton de Tulear.


So just to be clear, this all can't be done for a $50 DNA fee?

Now are you getting this picture??
1. Each of these diseases listed is for a specific breed of dog.
2. Each of these tests costs at least $50.00- that is a cost of $1250.00 per
dog or puppy- Do you think anyone is paying that kind of money for tests?
3. There is NOT one test that covers all the diseases-or a combination of 2 or
3 disease in one test-
4.There is a list of breeds of dogs that are susceptible to which disease-such
as Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis is prevailent in American Bulldogs-
If you test your Biewer for this disease it will show the Biewer does not
have this disease - But they will never have this disease because it is not
prevailent to it- Very misleading
5.There are NO DNA markers identified for the Biewer for ANY Diseases or
to identify them as carriers of a disease-

But, maybe they are paying that kind of money for these tests, whether they are relevant or not. Judging from what it costs to buy a Biewer.

As you said, very misleading to the unsuspecting public.

Why would you want to test for something that is not relevant to the breed?

I wouldn't, as I'd only be fooling myself as well as giving prospective new families a false sense of secuirty. But, as you and I said, in a round about way, the information is misleading.

Thank you Mardelin!!! Your questions are helping people that do not understand what is going on with this testing- And it is the new families we want to help-
So they are not throwing away their money and think they are getting a valid test-

I have no real interest in the Biewer, being the Yorkie pureist that I am. However, because their physical makeup is closely related to the Yorkie, testing is a great interest to me.

Please bump up

:thumbup:

Monday Morning Bump!!

Bumping up behind you.

i've been watching this thread and reading up. I'm really surprised others haven't posted on it yet about the information that was given. i'm really interested to hear what everyone has to say about this.

I doubt there is one blood test for 25 dog diseases that would cost less than $100. And some of these tests mentioned aren't even for Toy dogs--so wouldn't you expect a negative finding.

A lot of diseases are breed specific however, we do not know if other breeds may carry the specific mutation that we test for. When we test for a disease on our panel, we are only testing for the specific mutation that we have in the panel. This usually has been described from a single breed and perhaps has been seen in other breeds.

When the report indicates the animal does not carry the mutation, then it is clear for that possible mutation. There can be other mutations that cause the same disease that we do not know or cannot test for. In humans, there are about 1,000 mutations for cystic fibrosis. In dogs, there are several diseases where there is more than 1 known mutation. It is not possible in any organism to test for all possible disease causing mutations, just the ones we know and can be readily tested for.

As to breed specificity, most are mainly or even only found in one or a few other related breeds, but we have seen more than one case where a breed not known to carry a particular disease mutation is, in fact, positive for it. It is rare in the breed so that is why it is not known for the breed.

We cannot say a dog is not a carrier for a disease because we did a test for the disease and it is negative, we can only say it is negative for the known mutation for that disease that we test for. Who's to say that the mutation is different in every breed?

First of all, the health testing is part of the parentage profiling that the BTCA requires on all breeding dogs. Members pay $45.00 for this DNA profiling. Not much difference in what you pay for the DNA kit through AKC.

Nothing is 100% but we will continue to use all tools available to us in our breeding programs to develop the healthiest foundation possible. If we can stop just one problem then it has all been worth it.

Exactly, then why are the listed as being performed?