Golden retiever - Ichthyosis

[buckbull]

I am considering buying a golden retriever. Medical records of both dam and sire look great however both have Ichthyosis which is a skin condition. In layman's terms it sounds like dandruff, can be mild or extreme. It is a recessive gene but both parents have that gene any pups they have will have this trait.

Was wondering if this trait is a big deal, should I pass on the pup? For guys with dogs that deal with this, what is involved for treatment? What seems to work best for you?

 

[Rack Daniels]

We have a golden but I don’t believe this was ever a concern with the breeders we chose. Its cool to hear these folks were completely transparent in that regard, but it would likely make me consider finding a different litter to choose from….

 

[MTelkHuntress]

I read up on that while I was searching for a breeder. From my understanding, its completely avoidable and it's odd they would still breed parents that both have that gene. I would also consider looking for a different litter.

 

[seeth07]

I read up on that while I was searching for a breeder. From my understanding, its completely avoidable and it's odd they would still breed parents that both have that gene. I would also consider looking for a different litter.

Yes it is completely avoidable. It is one of the few conditions that we look into when choosing a stud for our breeding. There are certain conditions that are just "carried" traits meaning the dog has the condition in their genes but does not have any of the effects. As long as you don't breed where both have the "carried" trait, there is extremely low risk in any of the puppies having the trait with the conditions. The breeder absolutely could of avoided this by not breeding these specific two adults.