Aussie Genetics Fact Sheet: Australian Shepherd Genetic Disease Prevalence by C.A. Sharp Breed statistics can be hard to come by due to a reluctance on the part of breeders to share the information. CERF's statistics should reflect incidence for eye disease since cooperating vets are supposed to send all the forms, rather than leaving it to the owner as with OFA. For other diseases there is very little available because they aren't recorded in any major database or registry. In terms, this author feels the most common problems in order of frequency: Cataracts - most common form dominant with incomplete penetrance, other types unknown Epilepsy - unknown Dental Faults - polygenic Autoimmune Disease - genetic predisposition Hip Dysplasia - polygenic with environmental influcence Iris coloboma - unknown but almost always seen in merles Allergies - polygenic (?) with environmental influence Cancer - various, not all hereditary Persistent Pupilary Membrane - unknown Distichaisis - unknown Retained Testicles - polygenic Collie Eye Anomaly - autosomal recessive The following are less common but occur often enough to cause concern: Corneal Dystrophy - unknown Elbow Dysplasia - polygenic Hemophilia A & B - X-linked Muscular Dystrophy - X-linked Osteochondritis Desicans - unknown, body morph/growth rate may predispose Patellar Luxation - unknown Patent Ductus Arteriiosus - possibly polygenic Pelger-Huet Anomaly - incomplete dominant Porto-systemic (Liver) Shunt - unknown Progressive Retinal Atrophy - autosomal recessive (possibly not occurring at all, but mis-diagnosed in cases with retinal damage secondary to trauma) Rage Syndrome - unknown vonWillebrand's Disease - unknown in Aussies