Progressive Retinal Atrophy, rod-cone dysplasia 3 (Cardigan Welsh Corgi)(PRA-rcd3)
Rod-cone dysplasia 3 · rcd3-PRA · Progressive retinal atrophy rcd3 · Cardigan Welsh Corgi PRA · Stäbchen-Zapfen-Dysplasie 3 · PDE6A-PRA · Early-onset progressive retinal atrophy rcd3 · Progressive Retinaatrophie, Rod-cone dysplasia 3 (Cardigan Welsh Corgi)
What it is
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (rcd3) is an inherited eye disease affecting Cardigan Welsh Corgis, where the light-sensitive cells of the retina (the back part of the eye that processes images) fail to develop properly and gradually die off. This progressive degeneration disrupts the eye's ability to send visual signals to the brain, ultimately resulting in complete blindness.
How it presents
Owners typically notice signs of night blindness, such as bumping into objects in the dark, in puppies as young as six weeks of age. As daytime vision also deteriorates, most affected dogs become completely blind by one to two years of age.
Treatment
There is no cure to stop this painless condition, but supportive care and veterinary monitoring over the dog's lifetime typically cost between 300 and 1500 EUR. Management focuses on helping the dog adapt to vision loss and maintaining a safe, consistent home environment.
How it's tested
Affected breeds
Treatment cost
Estimated range of typical treatment cost. Actual cost depends on severity, clinic and region.