Progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA)*

The Progressive Retinal Atrophy as an inherited form leads to a degeneration of the retina and results in blindness. The Retina which is composed of photoreceptor cells as well as nerve cells covers the back inside wall of the eye and is responsible for image formation. The photoreceptor cells can be divided into rods or cones depending on their function. The rod cells are specialised for the mesopic vision and contrast sensitivity. The con cells are responsible for color vision. The prcd-PRA causes initially a loss of function of the rod cells accompanied by night blindness. At later stages the cone cells become affected leading to a complete blindness of the dog. Age of onset of clinical symptoms is typically in early adolescence or early adulthood. However, the onset of the disease may vary among different dog breeds.