Quote:
Originally Posted by Nancy1999  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. |
The white lion does not have a parti gene nor does the dalmation or a few other white breeds. The biewers have a piebald gene and the irish spotting gene.
There is not one Biewer club doing any more testing than any of the other two clubs are. Putting a spin on testing and their dogs are not Yorkies anymore is only that...a spin.
http:
Piebald or Extreme Piebald Gene ? Deafness — Samoyed Club of America Education and Research Foundation (SCARF) http://www.lsu.edu/deafness/VetJDeaf2004.pdf White lion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
White lions are not albino lions. Instead, the white color is caused by a recessive gene known as chinchilla or color inhibitor. They vary from blonde through to near white, however some can also be red. This coloration gives white lions a distinct disadvantage in nature because they are highly visible. This gives them away to their prey and makes them an attractive target for hunters. According to Linda Tucker, in "Mystery of the White Lions - Children of the Sun God" they are bred in camps in South Africa as trophies for canned hunts.
The chinchilla mutation, a recessive gene, gives white lions their unusual colors. A similar gene also produces white tigers. White lions can therefore be selectively bred for zoos and animal shows. Such breeding involves inbreeding of close relatives and can result in inbreeding depression (genetic defects, reduced fertility, and physical defects) although this has not yet been recorded in white lions in zoos it has in white tigers. According to Tucker, white lions in canned hunt camps have been found to have hind-limb paralysis and serious heart defects, indicating a severe level of inbreeding involved in mass-production although they are rare in the wild. People are concerned about the White Lions mating with regular lions.