Do merle dogs have eye problems?
When a dog inherits two copies of the merle gene it virtually always has serious eye defects. These dogs frequently are mostly white and may also be deaf. The condition is sometimes referred to as merle ocular dysgenesis.
Can antibiotics cause deafness in dogs?
Many of the same agents are vestibulotoxic, disrupting the sense of balance so that the animal has a head tilt and may walk in circles. The most common cause of ototoxicity is the group of drugs known as the aminoglycoside antibiotics, which includes gentamicin, kanamycin, neomycin, tobramycin, and others.
Is merle a birth defect?
Merle is actually a heterozygote of an incompletely dominant gene. If two such dogs are mated, on the average one quarter of the puppies will be “double merles”, which is the common term for dogs homozygous for merle, and a high percentage of these double merle puppies could have eye defects and/or be deaf.
Why are merle dogs bad?
It is known that merle coated dogs have a slightly increased risk of hearing problems, possibly due to the Silv gene. So when a dog inherits two copies of the gene, the risks of hearing problems would seem likely to double.
Can a dog get cataracts from the merle gene?
Cataracts (focal or complete) can also occur as a result of the Merle gene. The back portion of your dog’s eye can also be impacted by the Merle gene. The sclera, which is the white of the eye, can be unusually thin (called scleral ectasia), leading to a staphyloma, which is a bulge that can be present in the front or back of your dog’s eye.
Can a Merle carrier dog have blue eyes?
Great Pyrenees Adopting a merle carrier does not guarantee your dog will have blue eyes, and is still uncommon no matter what breed you adopt. Keep in mind all dogs are born with blue eyes and will begin to change to their permanent adult-color at 10 weeks old.
Can a merle gene anomaly cause blindness?
On the most severe end, the Merle gene anomaly can cause blindness. The front or back of your dog’s eye can be impacted; though the condition can impact both parts. Merle Ocular Dysgenesis is the name used when the entire eye is impacted. It is known that congenital anomalies in eyes can be inherited.
What causes Merle eye anomalies in dogs?
Causes of Merle Eye Anomaly in Dogs. It is known that congenital anomalies in eyes can be inherited. In each dog, there are two copies of a gene; one from each of his parents. We will call the Merle gene “m” and the non-merle gene “M”.
Cataracts (focal or complete) can also occur as a result of the Merle gene. The back portion of your dog’s eye can also be impacted by the Merle gene. The sclera, which is the white of the eye, can be unusually thin (called scleral ectasia), leading to a staphyloma, which is a bulge that can be present in the front or back of your dog’s eye.
On the most severe end, the Merle gene anomaly can cause blindness. The front or back of your dog’s eye can be impacted; though the condition can impact both parts. Merle Ocular Dysgenesis is the name used when the entire eye is impacted. It is known that congenital anomalies in eyes can be inherited.
Why do some merle dogs have blue eyes?
This Merle coats are caused by genes, which may also affect eye colors, coats, and more. The color is actually a recessive gene and it is not something that you can find in all the dogs that are going to be blue. You will have to know how many breeds that have this gene and where the other dogs are that is a good mix of the two different colors.
What are the symptoms of double merle in dogs?
Dogs with the Merle gene (heterozygous or homozygous) can experience various symptoms with those considered double merles having the most severe eye abnormalities. These include: Diluted or dappled coat. Varied color of the iris. A small eye (microphthalmia) Pupil that is off-center (corectopia) Cataracts. Blindness.