Deafness Somewhat rare. This condition is possibly linked to Papillons which carry a Piebald gene. The genes
affect the amount and distribution of white areas on the body. Deafness can be described as (1) congenital or late
onset, (2) hereditary or acquired, and (3) conductive or sensor neural. Congenital deafness is affected by a
Piebald gene. That makes the mismark or almost all white Papillon being a suspect of higher incidence because it
is an extension of the piebald gene. The mechanism of inheritance is not known, and not only mismarks have been
affected by deafness. Unilateral (one ear) and bilateral (both ears) deafness has been diagnosed in Papillons. Not
enough Papillons are routinely tested to compile reliable statistics about deafness.
Behavioral deafness detection with young puppies in the home is difficult, as the deaf young cue off the behavior
of their littermates. Often deafness is not noticed until the puppies are separated from their littermates. A puppy
that does not awaken in response to a loud noise is almost certainly bilaterally deaf, but the unilaterally deaf
cannot be detected with any reliability. As a consequence, behavioral hearing assessment of animals in the clinic
or home is of limited reliability. If deafness is suspected a "BAER" Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (electro
diagnostic) test should be given by a qualified veterinarian.
Thought this might interest all of you parti breeders. Maybe all puppies should be BAEr tested as unilateral deafness is hard to detect. |