EXERCISED INDUCED COLLAPSE or EIC
A GENETIC DISEASE MARKER
THAT HAS BEEN FOUND FOR BOUVIERS:
BHF would like to investigate it’s prevalence in our breed.
IF YOU HAVE HAD A GENETIC PROFILE (i.e. Embark, Wisdom, Royal Canin or other) COMPLETED ON YOUR BOUVIER AND YOU RECEIVED EIC RESULTS : N/N (normal), N/EIC (recessive gene carrier), EIC/EIC prone to the condition . This is the marker that is screened for in these genetic profiles. (There are only 2 other known genetic markers for Bouviers, see our article on Resources page).
PLEASE CONTACT US AT Bouvier.hf.secretary@gmail.com SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO RECORD THE FREQUENCY IN BOUVIERS (or send results to OFA).
Phenotype: Exercise-induced collapse (EIC) is characterized by muscle weakness, lack of coordination, and potentially life-threatening collapse after intense exercise in otherwise apparently healthy dogs.
Affected dogs tolerate mild to moderate activity but will display signs of EIC after 5-20 minutes of strenuous exercise. The severity of EIC varies. EIC episodes lasts from 5-25 minutes with a gradual return to normal with no apparent residual weakness or stiffness. It can be life threatening in a severe attack.
Mode of Inheritance: Autosomal recessive Alleles: N = Normal, EIC = Exercise-induced collapse.
Explanation of Results:
Dogs with N/N genotype will not have exercise-induced collapse and cannot transmit this EIC variant to their offspring.
Dogs with N/EIC genotype will not have exercise-induced collapse, but are carriers. They will transmit this EIC variant to 50% of their offspring (carriers). Matings between two carriers are predicted to produce 25% exercise-induced collapse-affected puppies.(N/EIC X N/EIC= 25% unaffected, 50% carriers and 25% EIC affected puppies)
Dogs with EIC/EIC genotype will be prone to exercise-induced collapse, a serious but usually manageable neuromuscular disorder.
Note that being a carrier does not exclude the dog from the breeding pool but that the EIC status of the mate should be known.
Owner knowledge of EIC is especially important for performance dogs. The strenuous exercise that can be involved in sports such as carting, agility, herding and fast cat could lead to an exercise induced collapse in affected dogs.
If you would like to test your dog for the EIC genetic marker you can do a full genetic profile with one of the above companies ($85-$120) or you can request an EIC test swab kit from bouvier.hf.secretary@gmail.com. We have arranged for the genetic lab at the University of Missouri to provide EIC tests for $35 for a limited time. This test is for the EIC genetic marker only.