fact or fiction: blue eyed dogs more prone to eye problems?

carolina dog · 01-29-2006, 09:15 AM

We were looking at some shelter pups yesterday and there was a litter of mixed cattle dogs some with all blue eyes some with one blue eye. Someone mentioned that blue eyed dogs waere susceptable to blindness? Huh? is that true?

britishbandit · 01-29-2006, 10:21 AM

I'm not sure if it is fact or fiction. Blue eyes are more light sensitive, whether that is a risk ractor for eye problems I don't know. I myslef have blue eyes and I'm blind as a bat...can't see a thing without my contacts...LOL. But there are many dogs that go blind at old age with any colour eyes. Not sure exactly where you could even research it, I browsed around for a bit after reading this post, and I couldn't find anything that connected blue eyes to blindness. Maybe I missed something.

Mellie · 01-29-2006, 09:27 PM

I'm aware of blue eyes being associated with deafness. In terms of genetics, it is called "pleiotropy" when one allele of a gene affects 2 or more traits of an individual. This is the explanation for many white dogs being deaf, or many blue eyed cats being deaf. But I'm unfamiliar with the blindness association. Maybe someone else has heard of it, though.

01-29-2006, 09:15 AM	#1 (permalink)
carolina dog Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 27 Rep Power: 0	fact or fiction: blue eyed dogs more prone to eye problems? We were looking at some shelter pups yesterday and there was a litter of mixed cattle dogs some with all blue eyes some with one blue eye. Someone mentioned that blue eyed dogs waere susceptable to blindness? Huh? is that true?
carolina dog Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 27 Rep Power: 0

01-29-2006, 09:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
Mellie Springer/Saint Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Vermont Posts: 449 Rep Power: 98	I'm aware of blue eyes being associated with deafness. In terms of genetics, it is called "pleiotropy" when one allele of a gene affects 2 or more traits of an individual. This is the explanation for many white dogs being deaf, or many blue eyed cats being deaf. But I'm unfamiliar with the blindness association. Maybe someone else has heard of it, though.
	__________________ "One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him." -- Chinese Proverb

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01-29-2006, 10:21 AM	#2 (permalink)
britishbandit Rottweiler Mum Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Windsor, ON Posts: 4,105 Rep Power: 175	I'm not sure if it is fact or fiction. Blue eyes are more light sensitive, whether that is a risk ractor for eye problems I don't know. I myslef have blue eyes and I'm blind as a bat...can't see a thing without my contacts...LOL. But there are many dogs that go blind at old age with any colour eyes. Not sure exactly where you could even research it, I browsed around for a bit after reading this post, and I couldn't find anything that connected blue eyes to blindness. Maybe I missed something.

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