Suppose the genetic test shows my dog is a carrier. Does that mean the end of his/her breeding career?
If epilepsy is a recessive trait or a polygenic (2 or more genes controlling) trait, then carriers can be bred to DNA-tested normal dogs without producing offspring that will develop clinical signs of epilepsy. However, such a breeding will produce some puppies who are clear, and some who are carriers. Therefore, it is critical that the offspring from such a breeding also be DNA tested before they are bred. The key is to know the genetic status of BOTH dogs involved in any breeding. Selection of a carrier in a breeding program should be done very carefully and the breeder ethically must share this information with the buyers of the puppies from that breeding.
