Description
What is Exercise Induced Collapse?
Dogs affected by Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC) will often begin to exhibit leg weakness followed by a complete collapse after just 5 to 15 minutes of strenuous activity. The severity and duration of these spells can vary depending on the environment. EIC is a big problem, particularly with hunting and field trial dogs, where long periods of excitement and exercise are common. In extreme cases, dogs affected by EIC can die.
EIC and Breeding
It is estimated that at least 25% of all Retrievers taking part in field trials today have at least one copy of the EIC mutation. It is a recessive disorder; carriers (those having 1 copy of the mutation) do not show symptoms. However, if these dogs are used for breeding, they will pass on the mutation 50% of the time. If a carrier-to-carrier mating occurs, it is expected that 25% of the offspring will be “EIC affected” (those having 2 copies of the mutation).
Understanding Results
There are 3 possible genotypes reported for Exercise-Induced Collapse (EIC):
- CLEAR: those having 2 copies of the normal allele and appear to be normal
- CARRIER: those having 1 copy of the normal allele and 1 copy of the mutation but appear to be normal
- AFFECTED: those having 2 copies of the mutation are likely to show clinical signs of EIC
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