Quote:
Originally Posted by pstinard  Here is a quote from one article about deafness in dogs that have the piebald (sp) gene. This is the color gene carried by Biewers and Dalmatians:
From Genetics of Deafness in Dogs Genetic transmission of deafness in dogs with the piebald (sp) and extreme white piebald (sw) pigment genes, such as the Dalmatian, is less clear. These genes affect the amount and distribution of white areas on the body. Deafness in Dalmatians does not appear to be autosomal dominant, since deaf puppies result from hearing parents. It does not appear to be a simple recessive disorder, since we have bred pairs of deaf Dalmatians and obtained bilaterally hearing and unilaterally hearing puppies, when all should have been deaf if the disorder was recessive. These findings might be explained by a multi-gene cause, the presence of two different autosomal recessive deafness genes, or a syndrome with incomplete penetrance. Further studies (in progress) will be required to determine the mechanisms. Several candidate genes known to cause pigment-related deafness in humans or mice have been eliminated as the possible cause of pigment-associated deafness in Dalmatians. Whole-genome screens will hopefully identify the cause in this and other breeds.
Here is a link to more information about deafness in white spotted dogs: DDEAF FAQ's
And a full length scientific article: http://www.lsu.edu/deafness/VetJDeaf2004.pdf
Deafness is related to white pigmentation, because melanin is required in the ears for hearing. |
I could not open the 2nd link might be my adobe, I will check. Mia2 who is sister to Mia1
has the unbelieveable pink skin too but she can hear, so far no health issues.
Thanks for the reading material I want to understand this.
p.s. do you think her heart disease was in relation to the deafness? Stupid question I'm sure...but just curious if you've heard of that combo.