Ellie Picked a Deaf Puppy...

Why are some white dogs deaf? According to a FetchFind article by Mary Beth Miller: "The ability to hear is made possible by a special layer of cells within the inner ear. This specialized layer of cells, and the cells that determine a dog’s hair color, come from the same stem cell source. Without this stem cell, the dog’s body won’t be able to make this specialized layer of hearing cells and will likely be white in coloration. Dogs that carry the piebald gene are often affected by deafness. Piebaldism results from the absence of melanocytes, the cells that create the pigment melanin. These melanocytes are the part of a dog’s DNA that determines coloration, such as brown or black hair, or blue or brown eyes (blue eyes are not a true eye color, but rather result from the lack of color-producing pigment within the iris). When a dog is born without melanocytes, a predominantly white coat (and often blue eyes) is the result. Breeds commonly affected by the piebald gene include Bull Terriers, Boxers, English Setters and Dalmatians. Congenital deafness is also linked to the merle gene, which causes a dog to have a merle (or dapple) coat and blue eyes. Breeds commonly affected by the merle gene include Old English Sheepdogs, Dachshunds, Welsh Corgis, and Border Collies." Article source: https://bit.ly/2Kw0cIh

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