# EIC



## bcumms (Jun 8, 2008)

My dog recently suffered from a bad episode of what I believe was EIC (Exercise Induced Collapse). EIC is showing up more and more in "field-bred" labs. Hopefully this information will help someone who is affected by this genetic disorder.

"Labs affected by EIC can show episodes of collapse when submitted to activities that both excite and exercise the dogs to the point they start to lose control of their legs and then collapse. At the onset of an EIC episode a lab will often times show symptoms of weakness or wobbliness followed by loss of the ability to control the hind legs, and if not stopped from their current activity they can lose control of all four legs and fully collapse. It can take 10-30 minutes for the dog to regain control once an episode has occurred and the dog is otherwise unharmed from the event."

See: 
http://www.working-retriever.com/library/taylor.html
http://www.cvm.umn.edu/VBS/Faculty_Biographies/Mickelson/lab/eic/home.html
http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/...character_ben&page=sd_col_Character_EIC_part1

Please pass this information along. Thank you.

-Brian


----------



## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

I'm sorry for you and your dog. Whether it's EIC or diabetes or whatever, passing out is not cool. 
Here's another aspect to consider: every canine has recessive alleles (and to my knowledge, every living creature). No matter how hard we try, we cannot get rid of the genetic code. Doing so would make the animal into another species. The more people test and try to avoid one specific recessive allele, the more likely it is that another one will come out from hiding. Some people are having their dogs tested for hips, eyes, elbows, CNM, thyroid, EIC, and who knows what else. You'll see some individuals spouting off that a dog should not be bred without testing for all of these things. The problem is that once you've decided as a breeder to avoid specific alleles, the more likely another allele is going to show itself. If the allele that shows is a white spot on the chest (as in some Labradors), that's something the dog can live with. If the allele is a painful disease, well you can see where I'm going with this. 
I'm not here to try to convince people not to have their dogs tested for whatever it is they want to test for. I do want people to be aware of how the genetic code works. Bad hips and eyes were pretty prevalent in the Labrador as a breed. Many people have dedicated themselves to eliminating or reducing the frequency of hip/eye problems. Now we can only expect that other recessive alleles will take the place of those eliminated.


----------

