With just such recently developed testing, much earlier detection is now available, detecting retinal changes in puppies under two months of age. This breakthrough in testing should prove to be instrumental in early identification of affected dogs, thus enabling the owner to remove them from their breeding program and realization of the inheritance potential of related dogs.

Early-onset PRA: Develops very early and results in total blindness by 1 year of age.
Late-onset PRA: Does not become clinically evident until the dog is about 3 years of age.

When dogs are affected with a type of PRA known as photoreceptor dysplasia, vision may remain relatively normal for many months to sometimes years, with young dogs vision being only subltly affected.

Research is currently underway to discover the marker gene for PRA in the Akita. This study is headed by Dr. Gus Aquirre and Dr. Greg Acland of the Canine Genetics & Reproduction Department of the James A. Baker Institute for Animal Health within Cornell University.

If your Akita suffers from PRA, you are strongly encouraged to participate in this study's research and to register your Akita with CERF., you can be instrumental in eliminating this blinding disease from Akita breed, through the elimination of breeding dogs which carry the PRA gene.