Research

Each dog's blood should be put into a separate vial and labeled with the
dog's name or number and breed. Please tape over the label on each tube
with transparent tape. Please also tape the top of each tube with adhesive
tape, to prevent it loosening during transportation.

Wrap each tube generously with paper towel, so that if a tube leaks or
breaks the blood will be absorbed. Then place each wrapped tube
individually into a zip lock bag with an additional label bearing the dog's
name or number and breed, seal this bag and put it into a second ziplock
bag and seal this bag also.

If more than one dog has been collected, then place all the individually
bagged vials together into another (single) plastic bag and seal this final
bag also.

The samples should then be refrigerated immediately.

When shipped, the collection of bagged tubes need to be in a solid, rigid
container (Styrofoam or cardboard is satisfactory) with 1 or 2 frozen
icepacks (NOT ice or dry ice!), and all dead space filled with bubble wrap,
styrofoam peanuts or any other filler material.

The research project for Cerebellar Abiotrophy (CA) was approved by the AKC Canine Health Foundation in January 2005. If successful, this research could find the defective autosomal recessive gene causing CA, and provide a test for carriers for use before breeding, in order to prevent the birth of future CA affected Scottish Terriers.

The Scottish Terrier Club of America Health Trust Fund is helping to fund this research project, which is being conducted by Dr. Natasha Olby, at the veterinary college at North Carolina State University. Dr. Olby's research includes four breeds with this condition who present with a similar disease process; The American Staffordshire Terrier, Gordon Setter, Old English Sheepdog, and Scottish Terrier. Blood samples for DNA extraction have already been collected on the American Staffordshire Terrier and Old English Sheepdog families.

Dr. Olby has now begun the blood collection for DNA from the affected Scottish Terriers and their immediate families.

Once you've been contacted, if you know of other Scottish Terrier owners with CA affected dogs; their parents, full-siblings, full-siblings to the parents, or grandparents who live close by, you may want to have blood drawn and shipped together to save on costs.

Dr. Olby is the primary researcher for Scottish Terrier CA and Dr. Bell remains available to any Scottie owner or breeder for questions or concerns with their dog.

If you have questions, please contact:

Owners of affected Scottish Terriers will be contacted directly by Dr. Olby
or her associate Pragna Mehta, to coordinate having a blood sample sent
to their research laboratory. Since there are specific requirements for the
blood collection and shipment, please do not have your veterinarian collect
or send the blood until you have been in touch with them.