17
Jan
The front or back of your dogs eye can be impacted. And not all double-merles have even these problems.
It is believed that 1 in 4 puppies from every double-merle mating will be born fully blind and deaf.
Do blue merle dogs have health problems. Double-merle dogs carry a much higher risk of inheriting health problems especially various eye problems and congenital deafness. Single-merle dogs are less likely to be affected by such problems and can remain perfectly healthy. Indeed merle is a recognised and much sought after colour in some breeds including the Australian shepherd the Shetland sheepdog various collie breeds and the.
Aside from these auditory and visual problems double-merles are otherwise healthy. And not all double-merles have even these problems. Some are absolutely fine.
Health of the Blue Merle Border Collie Bred ethically and correctly there is no huge danger specific with this kind of dog. But there is an increased risk of health issues when two blue merles mate. Breed a merle with a non-merle and theres no real danger at all.
If only this were the only problem. The fact is a dog bred from two merle parents will likely be plagued with health problems. It is believed that 1 in 4 puppies from every double-merle mating will be born fully blind and deaf.
Double-merle dogs are also unusually sensitive to sun burning easily. Pigment is actually necessary for certain parts of the body to function correctly so lack of pigment can cause issues. Dogs with large amounts of white caused by the homozygous piebald allele s p such as Bull Terriers Boxers and Dalmatians can also have some of the same health problems as double merles particularly deafness which is a big problem in Dalmatians.
Merles of ANY breed can have health issues if irresponsibly bred. Collies Aussies and any other breed with the merle pattern can have issues if 2 merles are bred. I dont think we should condemn chihuahuas in particular.
Breeding dogs with the merle gene can create offspring with hearing loss a multitude of eye problems and blindness color dilution hair lossbaldness and other issues such as defects in their cardiac skeletal and reproductive systems which can lead to death. However if your dog is a Merle Carrier and is bred with another carrier their offspring then called Double-Merle have a much higher chance of exhibiting dangerous health problems such as blindness or deafness. Health of Blue Merles In general Australian Shepherds are relatively healthy dogs.
This is especially true if theyre a pure Aussie from a reputable breeder. However there are health issues that may arise that are much more common with blue merles. Whilst by no means all merle Chihuahuas will have health issues and many of those that do will only have minor issues merle Chihuahuas have a much higher risk of being born deaf blind or both or having partial hearing andor eyesight in one or both eyes or ears.
Health issues associated with the merle allele The M allele is an excellent example of pleiotropy the phenomenon where a single allele can cause distinct and seeming unrelated physical effects. Even in the heterozygous Mm dog the M allele is associated with deafness eye defects and problems with the dogs immune system. Blue merle shelties are undeniably beautiful color specimens of the Shetland Sheepdog breed.
But if they are the product of breeding two dogs with the merle gene the puppies can be prone to. Merle French Bulldogs Have Health Issues One of the most common problems is genetic deformities. Because this dog has a unique genetic condition it could result in.
Blue Merle Border Collie Health. As we touched on briefly above it is true that the color of your blue merle Border Collie could have implications on his health. According to the American Border Collie Association there can be a few different causes of congenital or inherited deafness.
While the Aussie dogs are hard-working intelligent and friendly dogs they do come with potential health issues as well as temperament quirks that may make them unsuitable for certain pet parents. Here are some quick facts about the Blue Merle Australian Shepherd dog. The blue merle Australian Shepherd can be predisposed to congenital deafness.
However this is not the only health issue you should consider when thinking of making a blue merle Australian Shepherd your new pet. With a life span of approximately 12 to 16 years blue merle Australian Shepherd dogs are primarily healthy. Merle dogs of any breed are almost guaranteed to face health problems.
Its the genetic structure of the mutation that puts these bespeckled dogs at risk. Across all breeds merles face auditory and ophthalmologic problems both visual and internal. They can also have problems with their cardiac skeletal and reproductive systems.
The blue appearing in your dogs eye can be a part of an eye that is otherwise brown and wont impact his site. On the most severe end the Merle gene anomaly can cause blindness. The front or back of your dogs eye can be impacted.
Though the condition can impact both parts.