Can anyone tell me what the suspected method of genetic transmission of deafness in labrador retrievers?
From the information I gathered from the OFA Genetic Deafness website, http://www.offa.org/deafgeninfo.html
it suggest that this defect may be carried as a simple autosomal dominant gene, or simple autosomal recessive gene. However, I am not sure this pertains to the labrador retriever in general.
I have not experienced these finding in a labrador retriever until recently.
I am requesting information from the experienced breeder, veterinarian or genetic biologist in this area.
Congenital is different from hereditary, and deafness is not a consistent problem in Labrador Retrievers. Go to www.thedca.org, then to the Health and Research area, where you will find information about deafness, a huge problem in this breed, or those breeds with a great deal of white in their coats. There is no genetic test yet as this problem is polygenic. The Dal fancy still, after all these years through research, has been able to solve the problem or come up with genetic testing to determine clear or carrier status. To make matters more interesting, a unilateral deaf can be bred to a bilateral hearing and produce no uni or deaf pups for several generations. There are also theories that have yet to be made concrete that if the dog has blue eyes (or even a lighter shade of blue), the deaf gene is more likely to manifest itself in a litter.
I appreciate the information that you have provided.
The Labrador Retriever has not been BAER tested. Actually, it is a 7 week old black puppy.
I have been in contact with a specialist, and they do not know very much concerning the Labrador Retriever.
He said, " Deafness can come from non-genetic causes, such as infections, drug toxicity, trauma, and so on. There is no way to know if the cause is genetic.
Things to rule out are ear infections - outer ear or middle ear - because the pus from the infection muffles sounds reaching the inner ear. This is
known as conductive deafness, and it clears up once the obstruction is cleared, which may take a month or more once an infection is cleared up. Nerve deafness is not reversible."
Also, suggested that the puppy be BAER tested.
This puppy is from a repeat breeding, which was successful the first time.
You have been given good information from the Vet. It could just be that something in the ear construction did not develop, as well as infections, high fever, etc. Many people successfully train deaf dogs with hand signals and laser lights, and even work them off lead using an electric collar. I have a friend with 2 deaf Dalmatians and a deaf German Shephard dog, she runs them off leash with radio collars, controlled by a single control. They are more obedient than my hearing dogs.
My old Dal girl, towards the end of her life, developed a sudden, severe bacterial infection in her ears, and it ate through the drums before we got the culture back in 3 days. She was deaf for the remaining 3 years of her life, but she was previously trained in hand signals so she did just fine - I swear she read my lips. She passed at 15 years of age.
BAER testing will also tell you if the pup is a uni, or bilaterally deaf. Should you keep the pup, there are deaf dog websites that can offer you guidance.
