ENTROPION
Entropion is primarily an inherited condition. The upper or lower eyelid
turns inward, rubbing against the eye due to an excess of eyelid tissue, or
a small eye, or both. Most affected dogs exhibit eye irritation.
Frequently, corneal scratches can result. Occasionally the condition is
self-correcting as the puppy grows, but in the vast majority of affect dogs,
surgery is necessary to turn the eyelid away from the surface of the eye.
PROGRESSIVE RETINAL ATROPHY (PRA) rcd1
PRA, a form of hereditary blindness, was once a serious problem in Irish
setters. A DNA test, however, is now available through Optigen to determine
which Irish setters are PRA carriers and which are not. In Irish setters,
PRA is a simple recessive and can therefore be eliminated from breeding
programs by breeding known non-carriers to known non-carriers.
PROGRESSIVE RETINAL ATROPHY (PRA) rcd4
In 2011, a recessive mutation that is associated with the
development of Late Onset PRA was discovered in the Irish Setter.
Currently, the only DNA test availabe is located in the United Kingdom.
Test kits may be ordered for the U.K. for testing the Irish Setter in the
United States. Late onset PRA can present itself in dogs as young as 4
years old and as old as 10 years old.