The incidence of PHTVL/PHPV in Doberman and the results of breeding rules

Between 1967 and 1987, in the Netherlands 3,775 Dobermans were examined for hereditary eye diseases. In 238 of these dogs severe persistent hyperplastic tunica vasculosa lentis and primary vitreous (PHTVL/PHPV) was diagnosed. After a brief description of the clinical features the results of breeding over the recent years are discussed. The incidence (1978-1987) of severely affected dogs in the litter controls decreased from 5% to 1% in the individual controls from 19% to 8%. This is an encouraging downward tendency. Better results are to be expected once test mating and progeny-testing methods are accepted as breeding methods in dog breeding.