[Is the megaesophagus test valid for White Swiss Shepherds (Berger Blanc Suisse)?]

Gene tests play an important role for controlling monogenetic diseases because they reveal a genotype for each tested dog and thereby allow for the selection of animals with a lower genetic burden. For some complex inherited diseases and anomalies so called risk-tests are available and may support the selection of breeding animals. They analyze DNA-sequence variants which render a higher risk for carriers to develop a disease or anomaly. The usefulness of a risk-test for congenital idiopathic megaoesophagus (CIM-test) in German shepherds was analyzed in the closely related breed of White Swiss shepherds. The results showed clearly that the CIM-test in this breed is almost not informative, and a selection would probably not reduce the prevalence but only lower the genetic variability. Breeders and owners should be informed accordingly.