Genetic Action Plans Overview
MDBA Genetic Action Plan (GAP):
Most breeders work to improve the health of their dogs. However, not everyone knows what a genetic action plan is or what is needed for optimal results for a breed.
When developing a genetic action plan to reduce the frequency of diseases, guesswork and assumptions must be eliminated.
What is an MDBA Genetic Action Plan?
A genetic action plan is a team effort among breeders and owners to enhance the genetic health of the breed they work with and live with.
The main objective is proactively enhancing the dogs’ health by decreasing the frequency of illnesses, as evidenced by verified statistics.
When do we start a Genetic Action Plan?
It is essential to prioritise health strategies in a breed based on the severity of the issue. For example, if only a small number of dogs are affected by a genetic disease, it might be more effective to address the problem within the affected dogs and their relatives rather than consider a large-scale health program for the entire breed. The MDBA may sometimes need to introduce mandatory testing for all breeding dogs in the breed’s gene pool to determine if a breed-wide genetic action plan is needed.
Designing a Genetic Action Plan.
Geneticists who have worked with dog health programmes for decades have conducted numerous studies, and the MDBA has gained a significant understanding and experience in conducting our health programs and identifying the key ingredients that contribute to a successful genetic action plan, as well as those that are ineffective or detrimental to the desired results.
Information.
Sometimes, those eager to promote dog health may want to impose strict breeding regulations sooner, but a good genetic action plan needs to be based on information and education. Investing more time and effort can usually achieve our desired outcomes beyond quicker results.
Identification
It is necessary to ensure that only dogs with a microchip or a tattoo are included.
Registering both good and bad results
Any health programme should include both the good and the bad results. It is often thought that we only need to know the good results, as those with bad results won’t be used for breeding, but we do need to know to calculate the frequency of affected dogs. If we don’t follow the frequencies, we might waste a lot of money, time, and resources testing and selecting without any gain.
We need to determine the best strategies without damaging the breed irreparably.
Reliable Results
To obtain accurate, or at the very least, reasonably accurate data regarding the frequency of affected dogs, we need to consider a method for receiving dogs’ test results directly from the veterinarians or laboratories that conduct the tests.
If a radiograph is taken, it is preferable for the X-rays to be sent to one place to ensure they are being read the same way. The results can then isolate dogs in the immediate gene pool rather than those from worldwide, which are not registered in the MDBA registry. For this reason, the MDBA has partnered with a Radiology company, and we highly encourage breeders to have their veterinarians send the images directly to the MDBA.
Being supportive
When breeders and owners work with a health program, especially a genetic action plan, it is important to support each other to ensure smooth and pleasant operations. It is unfair to blame a colleague who gets unfavourable results even when they’re putting in the same effort as everyone else to benefit the breed’s health.
Even if some are not supportive, breeders need to support their colleagues. We all have to start somewhere to make it all happen, and the best place to start is with yourself.
Unfortunately, the dog world does not encourage cooperation; rather, it encourages competition between breeders of the same breed. We must work against this problem for the true benefit of the dogs and the breed.