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PRA DNA Testing Clinics

Would your club be interested in holding a Mastiff PRA DNA Testing Clinic? OptiGen is offering a 20% group discount when 20 or more samples are submitted for testing at one time. If you want to put on a clinic please read and print the Checklist for PRA DNA Testing Clinics below. In addition the MCOA PRA Committee is offering a $20 refund for the first 250 Mastiffs whose OptiGen PRA DNA test certificate is faxed or mailed to PRA Committee Chair Carla Sanchez. Limit 2 refunds per household. Carla Sanchez - fax: (909) 676-6694
45935 Via Esparanza, Temecula, CA 92590

Checklist

The following is a checklist of things to think about if you or your club are interested in holding a Mastiff PRA DNA Testing Clinic:

1. Contact Carla Sanchez at CARLACHEZ@aol.com (or call (909) 676-1161) before setting up a clinic.
2. If twenty (20) or more tests are sent in at once, OptiGen (www.optigen.com) offers a 20% discount ($30 off per test). It is important to confirm that you will have 20 or more Mastiffs participating in order to get the discount. People can have blood pulled by their vet, refrigerated and bring it with them to add to the group sent in to OptiGen in order to get the OptiGen discount.
3. Good advertising of the clinic well in advance is key.
   • If you have a local Mastiff club use their communication source to get the word out, be it by club newsletter/journal, club meetings, club website or club email list.
   • Try making up flyers announcing the possibility of holding a clinic, stress the minimum requirement of twenty (20) dogs. You could post these flyers at vet offices, pet supply stores (Pet CO, PetsMart, etc.), feed stores. Any place you think might get the attention of Mastiffs owners.
   • You can pass the flyers out at the Mastiff ring during the dog shows.
   • You can use the Mastiff Mailing lists but be sure to list a location so you can target people in that area.
   • Advertise in a local newspaper.
4. Please keep in mind, neither the MCOA PRA Committee or the MCOA Board will be responsible for any costs including advertising, postage, printing or vet costs. Nor will we assume any responsibility for the 20% discount should a clinic fail to meet the minimum number as set by OptiGen.
5. Make sure the vet or vet tech is licensed.
6. Be sure the vet/vet tech brings a scanner to verify permanent ID for those Mastiffs that are microchipped.
7. Make sure the vet signs the paperwork after verifying any permanent ID, color, sex, and age.
8. Samples will have to be refrigerated until they can be shipped (no more than 5 days).
9. Be sure to follow shipping instructions, track the package, and follow up by calling OptiGen to be sure that it arrives in good order.
10. Ask people to bring prefilled forms to the clinic if at all possible.
11. Print more than enough forms for the number you expect at the clinic. Prefill as many fields as you can such as the vet's name and address.
12. Order CERF brochures free of charge from:
    Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF)
    1248 Lynn Hall
    Purdue University
    West Lafayette, IN 47907
    (765)-494-8179
    ltaylo11@vet.purdue.edu
13. Print the sample collection instructions and printable form from the OptiGen web site (http://www.optigen.com/opt_printform.taf and http://optigen.com/opt_page.taf?page=shipsample) and provide them to the vet well in advance of the clinic.
14. Be sure the vet knows to bring a sufficient quantity of (purple) topped vacutainer tubes 3ml size or larger, and supplies to draw blood and put it into the tubes.
15. If it is summer time please note the Warm Weather Shipping Instructions and be sure to bring 2 freezable ice packs and styrofoam container and follow instructions carefully!
16. Be sure to have the appropriate supplies for shipping - see OptiGen web site.
17. Read all of the instructions on the OptiGen web site carefully.
18. If you have 20 or more samples to send, contact MCOA Treasurer,  with a count of how many MCOA Rebates you need for the Clinic. This way the owners will have an instant rebate by making their checks out to OptiGen for $100.00 rather than $120.00. The MCOA Treasurer will send the MCOA rebate directly to OptiGen.

First PRA DNA Clinic

Summerfest Dog Shows
Ventura County Fairgrounds, California
Harbor Blvd and Figueroa Street
At the trailer of the show veterinarian, Dr. Bradley Patterson.
Clinic Friday July 6th from 10 AM to NOON
Clinic Saturday July 7th from 10 AM to NOON

For more information contact: Carla Sanchez at CARLACHEZ@aol.com
FedEx shipping paid for by the Pacific Southwest Mastiff Club (PSMC).
The first PRA DNA clinic went smoothly, if a bit hectic at points, collecting DNA from 26 Mastiffs. The blood reached OptiGen in good order. Thanks to all who helped out and participated!

PRA DNA Test Clinic - California 10/20/01

Saturday October 20, 2001
Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton, California
in conjuction with the
Redwood Empire Mastiff Club Specialty
On May 9, 2001 the researchers under the direction of Dr. Gregory Acland discovered the mutant gene which causes PRA in Mastiffs. At this time we are now able to identify carriers of the PRA gene with a simple blood test, that can be done even on young puppies. With a little work we can make PRA something of the distant past. It is the recommendation of the MCOA PRA committee that prior to breeding, both sire and dam be proven free of the dominant Mastiff PRA gene. If both the sire and the dam are proven free of the PRA gene all of their offspring produced together WILL NOT CARRY THE PRA GENE.
If registered before October 13th, 2001:

    Mastiff PRA DNA TEST  $150.00
   20/20 Clinic discount  -$30.00 (20%)
             MCOA REBATE  -$20.00*
        Blood Collection    $5.00
                Shipping     FREE
             Total Costs  $105.00*

If registered after October 13th, 2001:

    Mastiff PRA DNA TEST  $150.00
   20/20 Clinic discount  -$30.00 (20%)
             MCOA REBATE  -$20.00*
        Blood Collection   $15.00
                Shipping     FREE
             Total Costs  $115.00*

* Indicates MCOA REBATE. Only 2 rebates per household.
VISA / MASTERCARD accepted (only for the PRA DNA test). The blood test is offered by OptiGen (http://www.optigen.com). Frozen Semen can be tested contact OptiGen for more information. Blood may be drawn by your regular veterinarian and brought to the clinic (total transportation time not to exceed 6 days). Blood collection services provided by Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center
For More information please contact:
Carrie Del Bonta   (925) 969-9145
delbontac@aol.com

PRA DNA Test Clinic - Massachusettes 11/3/01

Optigen generously approved the concept of a nationwide clinic, with samples being sent in from across the country to arrive in the same time frame in order to reach the twenty dog minimum required for their discount. On November 3rd, 2001 in Holyoke, MA, sixteen Mastiffs were DNA tested for the PRA gene from Mastiffs Of New England, and the rest of the count as follows:

• 3 KY
• 12 OH
• 2 IN
• 1 FL
• 4 CA
• 2 WA

Forty Mastiffs in all were tested in this nationwide clinic!
A total of a dozen cystinuria samples were submitted to UPenn as well.
M.O.N.E. would like to thank all of the participants in the clinic, especially our own Sarah Waldorf for expertly drawing the blood from our dogs. We'd also like to thank Jan McNamee for arranging for testing of an additional sixteen dogs from the midwestern part of the country, and to Becky at Optigen for her close contact with us and support in making the clinic arrangements.