The Petersen-Jones Laboratory used their findings to develop a DNA-based test to detect PRA Type 1 in papillon dogs with additional support from the Papillon Club of America and the cooperation of papillon owners and breeders.
For the first time, papillon dogs can be screened to determine if a dog is affected, unaffected or a carrier of the gene mutation. Because dogs must inherit the mutated gene from both parents in order to be affected, the knowledge allows breeders to safely breed PRA1-carrier dogs with genetically normal dogs. This prevents passing on the disease without restricting the available gene pool, which otherwise could result in breeding away good traits or causing the emergence of a genetic problem for which there is no test.
Papillon cataract information form Papillon cataract atrophy in PubMed