crd1 is a progressive eye disorder that typically causes retinal cell degradation and thinning of the retina, often visible at 3 to 6 months of age. Typically, clinical signs of this fast-progressing disease will appear in puppyhood and vision will be severely affected by one year of age, leading to blindness in the juvenile dog.

Early on, affected dogs should not be exposed to bright light as it can be irritating or even painful. The diagnosis of crd1 can be confirmed by performing a fundic exam to evaluate the retina. Treatment is supportive.

There are many responsibilities to consider when breeding dogs. Regardless of test results it is important that your dog is in good general health and that you are in a position to care for the puppies if new responsible owners are not found. For first time or novice breeders, advice can be found at most kennel club websites.

This disease is autosomal recessive meaning that two copies of the mutation are needed for disease signs to be shown. A carrier dog with one copy of the CRD1 mutation can be safely bred with a clear dog with no copies of the CRD1 mutation. About half of the puppies will have one copy (carriers) and half will have no copies of the CRD1 mutation. A dog with two copies of the CRD1 mutation can be safely bred with a clear dog. The resulting puppies will all be carriers. Puppies in a litter which is expected to contain carriers should be tested prior to breeding. Carrier to carrier matings are not advised as the resulting litter may contain affected puppies. Please note: It is possible that disease signs similar to the ones caused by the CRD1 mutation could develop due to a different genetic or clinical cause.