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Originally Posted by TammyJM   I wasn't going to post in this thread because it always starts and stops with the same things being said...the exact same false info about the parti's health. I can't speak for other parti owners/breeders but I can speak for me and my dogs. I currently own 3 parti colored Yorkies and did, until recently, have two carriers (one being Livi's baby and one being my male, Huck) and I also raised another parti carrier of Livi's last Summer. With that said, I have had 4 vets now tell me how INCREDIBLY sound and healthy that each and every one of those parti & carriers are!! The babies had more shots today and another exam...the vet bragged on them from this time and also told me that her and the other vet had talked about how extremely nice and sound they were at their last check-up.
I am tired of hearing how we do not know if the parti is healthy or not! I have now owned, with Livi's babies, a total of 6 partis and/or carriers and they are (as all of the vets have said) EXTREMELY healthy!! No, I cannot speak for all partis but I have 6 out of 6 that are perfect. I can't say that for the one traditonal colored Yorkie that I bought from a show breeder. |
To say we don't know the safety of the parti gene is not the same as saying the parti gene has certain health risks. Scientists are studying the parti gene in other species, for example, the white lion, and there have been some links between the parti gene and deafness in some breeds, this is not the same as saying the parti gene is dangerous or has certain health risks. If you are aware of the concept of "safety first" you will understand why certain things are slow to change. No one is saying that the parti is any sicklier than any other dog, but certain illnesses do attach themselves to the recessive gene, and while in nature this is not necessarily a problem, because an animal with a serious genetic illness dies before it breeds, domesticated animals are often bred with serious illness, and the genes are passed on. There are some Biewer clubs that are doing rigorous testing in this area, and I admire them for that. I'm a not saying that every parti or biewer has a greater health risk; I'm only saying that the standard should not be changed frivolously, without much regard taken towards safety. I'm not in favor of changing any breed's standard to make the dog more beautiful to puppy buyers.