Early Onset Adult Deafness (EOAD) in Rhodesian Ridgebacks
What is EOAD?
- EOAD is an inherited deafness among purebred Rhodesian Ridgebacks
How is the inheritance of EOAD?
- EOAD seems to be autosomal recessive ( seems to be means: the testing is still in the phase of research )
What means autosomal recessive?
- Autosomal recessive is one of several ways that a trait, disorder, or disease can be passed down through families. An autosomal recessive disorder means two copies ( one from each parent ) of an abnormal gene must be present in order for the disease or trait to develop.
At what age does the deafness appear?
- Affected dogs appear to show normal hearing early in post-natal development, puppies at the age of 8 weeks can hear. But ultimately these dogs lose their hearing, with complete loss, by 1 year of age. Affected males exhibit an earlier onset deafness than affected females.
Can I test my RR on EOAD?
- YES. Dr. Neff´s research lab in UC Davis ( USA ) offers a test with a buccal swab.
How can I order the test?
- Go to the website: www.projectdog.org
- Than go to Dicoverytesting
- Enter the passcode for the Ridgeback EOAD testing: liondog
- Click to: Test your own dog now
- The buccal swabs will be send to you by post
How long do I have to wait for the result?
- After you have sent the buccal swab back to the research lab in the USA you will receive an email. As the testing of EOAD is still in the phase of research the period of waiting for the result can be between 4 weeks to 3 month.
What can be the results?
- In this research phase the results will be :
- - highly likely to be affected
- - highly likely to be a carrier
- - highly likely to be clear
What does it mean if my dog is tested affected?
- If your dog is tested “highly likely to be affected”, you dog got the abnormal gene for the EOAD illness from both parents – and he is highly likely deaf or will be deaf when he comes to the age of 1 year.
What does it mean if my dog is tested carrier?
- If your dog is tested “highly likely to be a carrier”, you dog got the abnormal gene for the EOAD illness from one parent – and he is not or will not be deaf. But he carries the gene for EOAD.
What does it mean if my dog is tested clear?
- If your dog is tested “highly likely to be clear”, your dog has no abnormal gene for the EOAD illness. He is not or will not be deaf and has no gene for EOAD.
What does the result mean for breeding?
- If you dog is tested “affected”, the dog is deaf and should not be bred.
- If your dog is tested “carrier”, the dog carries the gene and should only be bred to a clear tested dog.
- If your dog is tested “clear”, the dog is free from genes for EOAD and can be bred to “carrier” dogs and “clear” dogs
The research lab around Dr. Neff has indicated that the gene responsible for the early adult onset deafness in the Ridgeback is highly likely to be responsible for a similar deafness in humans. Specifically, human genetics literature suggests that this human deafness affects infants before they learn how to speak, thus sentencing these children to a lifetime of challenges in communicating. It is hoped that a successful conclusion of this research will enable Rhodesian Ridgeback breeders to improve the health of future generations of dogs, and beyond this, have important implications for improving human health as well. Dr. Neff and his team have expressed deep appreciation for the long term commitment and patience by the Ridgeback community, and for the continued support of this important research.
To support the research of the EOAD illness:
- Test your dog
If you have questions about EOAD, don't hesitate to contact us:
Melanie Nowak - kevu@ekevu-ridgeback.de
Stinne Elgaard - akizuri@gmail.com