Southern Miniature
Bull Terrier Club
Primary Lens Luxation (PLL)
The SMBTC strongly recommends it’s members DNA test their Miniature Bull Terrier for PLL – a test kit can be obtained from the Animal Health Trust at:
swab.request@aht.org.uk. If you do not have access to email please telephone 01638 555621 or fax 01638 555666.
“The DNA test can be used to determine a dog’s genotype with respect to this mutation. Dogs will be identified as CLEAR (has two normal copies of the gene), CARRIER (has one normal copy and one mutated copy) and AFFECTED (has two copies of the mutation). Breeders will be given an estimate of each dog’s risk of developing PLL depending on their genotype and will be able to make sensible breeding decisions that minimise the risk of producing dogs that will become affected by this serious and debilitating condition. We would like to sincerely thank all the many owners and breeders, from all over the world, who have contributed DNA and information from their dogs to this project. This discovery would not have been possible without them. We would also like to thank everybody who has made a financial donation to support the research." AHT.
Primary Lens Luxation – a guide to your DNA test result.
a) The Mini can either be affected by PLL - will develop the disease, usually between the ages of 3 – 7 and should have regular eye tests with a BVA approved eye testing centre (See list of BVA approved examiners.) If caught in the early stages when the lens is “wobbling” it is possible to treat with drops called Xalatan, which may prolong the life of the eye and the need for surgery, but of course, this is only possible if you regularly eye test your dogs. The cost of an eye test is about £20 - £25 through a BVA approved centre.
b) or, a carrier of PLL – Is very unlikely to develop the condition themselves, but could pass it on to their puppies if bred from. There is a tiny percentage of carriers which will go on to develop clinical signs of PLL although this is currently being calculated at approximately 2%. The Southern Miniature Bull Terrier Club recommends that all carriers still undergo routine 6 monthly eye tests in order to catch the problem early and hopefully treat.
c) or, clear from PLL – will never suffer from or pass on the condition.
DESCRIPTION; Primary Lens Luxation is a condition where the lens is partially or fully dislocated from the threads that hold it in position within the eye. These tiny threads, sometimes called ligaments are known as “zonules” and they can weaken and break which is what causes the condition. It depends on how many and how quickly these break that determines the speed of onset of this condition. Using normal ophthalmic instruments (such as your own vet may possess) it is difficult to even see these small threads. What the experienced ophthalmologist should also be looking for is a wobble in the lens as the dog moves his head around. This indicates that the zonules are becoming weak. If the zonules are weakened and causing the lens to wobble, this is called a subluxated lens (partial dislocation), whereas if the lens is completely detached from the zonules it is referred to as a luxated lens.
The lens can either luxate forward or backwards. Forward is called anterior luxation. Backwards is called posterior luxation. The lens can also detach at an angle which can cause bruising of the cornea (oedema of the cornea). It is more usual for the lens to fall forwards and this shows as a greenish, bluish tint to the eye – this is because the pupil cannot contract and is fully open, covering the normal iris and this colour is actually a reflection and looks something like when you see an animal’s eyes at night when a light is shone at them.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THEREFORE TO CHECK YOUR MINIS’ EYES REGULARLY YOURSELF, AS PLL CAN OCCUR IN BETWEEN EYE CHECKS. IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT YOU SHOULD GO IMMEDIATELY TO YOUR NEAREST OPHTHALMOLOGIST. The Animal Health Trust in Newmarket (see links page) is also a centre the SMBTC recommend as they have expertise in this condition and are fairly central for the South.
SPEED IS OF THE UTMOST ESSENCE AS IT ONLY TAKES 6 HOURS FOR YOUR DOG’S EYE TO BUILD UP ENOUGH PRESSURE (GLAUCOMA) TO DO PERMANENT DAMAGE TO THE EYE.
The charity fighting disease
and injury in animals
BVA/KENNEL CLUB EYE SCHEME
For further details contact the BVA, 7 Mansfield Street, London W1G 9NQ, telephone 020 7908 6380
Panel of Examiners as at 1 July 2008 ~ Chief Panellist: Professor Sheila Crispin
England | ||
Professor P G C BEDFORD BVetMed PhD DVOphthal FRCVS DipECVO Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA Telephone 01707 666333 (see part time clinics) | N J BURDEN BVSc CertVOphthal MRCVS The Hale Veterinary Group, 19 Langley Road Chippenham, Wiltshire SN15 1BS Telephone 01249 653561 | J CARTER BVetMed DVOphthal MRCVS Exeter Veterinary Ophthalmology Referrals c/o Raddenstiles Veterinary Surgeons Liverton Business Park, Salterton Road, Exmouth, Devon EX8 2NR Telephone 01395 264747 |
Mrs B COTTRELL MA VetMB CertVOphthal MRCVS 109 North End, Meldruth, Royston Hertfordshire SG8 6NX Telephone 01763 261674 | Professor S M CRISPIN MA VetMB BSc PhD DVA DVOphthal DipECVO FRCVS Cold Harbour Farm, Underbarrow, Kendal, Cumbria LA8 8HD Telephone 020 7908 6380 | S R ELLIS BVSc CertVOphthal MRCVS Riverbank Veterinary Centre 16/22 Watery Lane, Preston, Lancashire PR2 2NN Telephone 01772 726745 (See part time clinics) |
P J EVANS MA VetMB CertVOphthal MRCVS Eye Veterinary Clinic, Marlbrook Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 0PH Telephone 01568 616616 (See part time clinics) | Miss H J FEATHERSTONE BVetMed DVOphthal DipECVO MRCVS Willows Referral Service 78 Tanworth Lane, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands B90 4DF Telephone 0121 7451354 | K J FRASER BVMS CertVOphthal MRCVS 37 Caldecott Road, Abingdon Oxfordshire OX14 5EZ Telephone 01235 528177 (see part time clinics) |
J V GOODYEAR BVMS CertVOphthal MRCVS Glenthorne Veterinary Group 25 Ashby Road, Burton-on-Trent, Staffs, DE15 0LG Telephone 01283 519090 | Dr D J GOULD BSc (Hons) BVM&S PhD DVOphthal DipECVO MRCVS Davies Veterinary Specialists Manor Farm Business Park Higham Gobion, Hertfordshire, SG5 3HR Telephone 01582 883950 | D HABIN BVMS DVOphthal MRCVS Calder Vet Group, 159 Centre Huddersfield Road, Mirfield West Yorkshire WF14 9DQ Telephone 01924 492155 |
Miss C L HEINRICH DVOphthal DipECVO MRCVS Willows Referral Service 78 Tanworth Lane, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands B90 4DF Telephone 0121 7451354 | M P C LAWTON BVetMed CertVOphthal CertLAS CBiol MIBiol DZooMed (Reptilian) FRCVS 12 Fitzilian Avenue, Harold Wood Romford, Essex RM3 0QS Telephone 01708 384444 | P McPHERSON BVMS CertVOphthal MRCVS Minster Veterinary Centre Orchard Lodge, Newark Road Southwell, Nottinghamshire NG25 0ES Telephone 01636 812133 |
I K MASON MA VetMB CertVOphthal MRCVS Seadown Veterinary Hospital Frost Lane, Hythe, Hants SO45 3NG Telephone 02380 842237 | J R B MOULD BA BVSc DVOphthal MRCVS Eye Veterinary Clinic, Marlbrook, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 0PH Telephone 01568 616616 | Mrs L J NEWMAN BVMS CertVOphthal MRCVS Pearl Veterinary Group Longbow Business Park, Harlescott, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY1 3AS Telephone 01743 465554 |
R PONTEFRACT BVMS CertVOphthal MRCVS 43 Empingham Road, Stamford Lincolnshire PE9 2RJ Telephone 01780 764333 | P W RENWICK MA VetMB DVOphthal MRCVS Willows Referral Service, 78 Tanworth Lane Shirley, Solihull, W. Midlands B90 4DF Telephone 0121 7451354 | Ms K SMITH BVetMed CertVOphthal DipECVO MRCVS Davies Veterinary Specialists Manor Farm Business Park Higham Gobion, Hertfordshire, SG5 3HR Telephone 01582 883950 |
Ms S TURNER MA VetMB DVOphthal MRCVS The Mandeville Veterinary Hospital 15 Mandeville Road, Northolt Middlesex UB5 5HD Telephone 020 8845 5677 (See part time clinics) | C G B WARREN BA VetMB CertVOphthal MRCVS Westmoor Veterinary Centre, Brook Lane Tavistock, Devon. PL19 9BA Telephone 01822 612561 | J J YELLOWLEY BVSc CertVOphthal MRCVS Rosemount Veterinary Hospital 24 Old Woking Road, West Byfleet, Surrey KT14 6HP Telephone 01932 341058 |
Scotland | ||
M G DAVIDSON BVMS CertVOphthal MRCVS 19 Hillhouse Road, Edinburgh EH4 3QP Telephone 0131 3320458 (see part time clinics) | A T McKENZIE BVMS CertVOphthal MRCVS McKenzie, Bryson & Marshall MsRCVS 21 Hill Street, Kilmarnock Ayrshire KA3 1HA Telephone 01563 522701 | A E WALL BVMS CertVOphthal MSc MRCVS Fish Vet Group, 22 Carsegate Road Inverness IV3 8EX Telephone 01463 717774 (See part time clinics) |
Wales | ||
H CORMIE BVMS CertVOphthal MRCVS Cormie Referrals, Tri-ar-Ddeg 13 The Elms, Oakdale Blackwood, Gwent NP12 0EP Telephone 07813 197222 | Mrs G E HUBBARD BVetMed CertVOphthal MRCVS Cibyn Veterinary Clinic, Llanberis Road Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 2BD Telephone 01286 673026 | |
Northern Ireland | ||
I MILLAR BVMS CertVOphthal MRCVS Earlswood Veterinary Hospital 193 Belmont Road, Belfast BT4 2AE Telephone 02890 471361 | ||
Eire | ||
Dr T D GRIMES BVetMed DVR DVOphthal MRCVS DipECVO Dept. of S A Clinical Studies Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4 Eire Telephone 003531 7166022 | ||
PART TIME CLINICS | ||
England | ||
Professor P G C BEDFORD Cayton Veterinary Surgery 60,Hatfield Road, Smallford, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL4 0HL 01727 852667 | Professor S M CRISPIN Hampton Veterinary Centre Hampton Heath, Malpas, Cheshire SY14 8JQ Telephone 01948 820345 | Professor S M CRISPIN Oakhill Veterinary Centre Lake Rd, Windermere Cumbria LA23 2EQ 01539 488555 |
S R ELLIS Paragon Veterinary Group Townhead Road, Dalston Carlisle, Cumbria. CA5 7PZ Telephone 01228 710208 | S R ELLIS Castle Veterinary Surgeons Montalbo Road, Barnard Castle Co.Durham DL12 8ED Telephone 01833 637700 | S R ELLIS Willows Veterinary Group Holly House, Mobberley Road Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 8HT Telephone 01565 632253 |
S R ELLIS Fairmoor Veterinary Centre Fairmoor, Morpeth Northumberland NE61 3JN Telephone 01670 505321 | P J EVANS Lansdown Referral Services The Clock House Veterinary Hospital, Wallbridge Stroud Gloucestershire GL5 3RD Telephone 01453 752555 | P J EVANS Zetland Veterinary Group The Veterinary Hospital 32 Zetland Road Redland, Bristol BS6 7AB Telephone 0117 9445111 |
K J FRASER Crossroads Veterinary Centre 54 West Wycombe Road High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP11 2LP Telephone 01494 459095 | J MOULD Alphavet Veterinary Centre 139 Commercial Street Pontymister, Risca, Gwent, NP11 6EE 01633 619971 | S TURNER Stone Lion Veterinary Centre 41 High Street Wimbledon Common London SW19 5AU Telephone 020 8946 4228 |
S TURNER Brown & Nuttall Veterinary Surgeons Chimneys, Hailsham Road, Heathfield East Sussex TN21 8AD Telephone 01435 864422 | ||
Scotland | ||
M G DAVIDSON Ardene House Veterinary Practice Skene Road Kingswells Aberdeen AB15 8PJ Telephone 01224 740700 | A E WALL Insches Veterinary Centre 5 Insches Holding Inverness. IV1 2FF Telephone 01463 711777 | A E WALL Cumming and Argyle MsRCVS Norgate House, Rogart Sutherland IV28 3VA Telephone 01408 641352 |
Wales | ||
H CORMIE Fair Lane Veterinary Clinic Fair Lane, Carmarthen Carmarthenshire, SA31 1RX Telephone 07813 197222 | H CORMIE St James Veterinary Group 35-37 Lewis Road, Neath, SA11 1DJ Telephone 07813 197222 | H CORMIE Fields Veterinary Group 214 Stow Hill, Newport, Gwent, NP20 4HB Telephone 07813 197222 |
