sheena Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 It seems that I come across far more deaf cattle dogs than any other common breed. Is this my imagination, or maybe where I live or is deafness more common in Cattle Dogs than other common breeds?? Is it a result of BYB's or are they common with well bred stock as well If so, does it also extend to Stumpy Tails & Smithfields?? Just curious :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 (edited) Good breeders will BAER test all there stock ,deafness occurs in a number of breeds which is why parents & litters should be tested. Some can still hear but one ear only this will also show up during testing Edited June 13, 2014 by showdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Its a white related deafness. ACD puppies are born white apart from any solid patches, their roaning colour develops in as they age. I believe it's the same genes as dalmatian's spots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 (edited) I don't know anything about ACD deafness but I am aware of the piebald gene in Dallies. Whilst mode of inheritance is not clear my Zig's breeder (amongst others) BAER test and never use a unilaterally hearing dog let alone a bilaterally deaf dog in their breeding program and they rarely had any issues in the end. Their vet was stunned! They also select for dark eyes and don't bother about the odd patched puppy popping up as both of these attributes are associated with lower incidences of deafness. Edited June 13, 2014 by The Spotted Devil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 So it's a genetic thing ?? & can be prevented by testing the parents I think the main colour I have seen it in is red cattle dogs. Are Koolies prone to deafness as well ?? as I know a couple of Koolies that are also deaf. Do they BAER test the pups or the parents. If it is the pups, then what happens to the ones that are positive?? Sorry about all the questions, but there just seems to be quite a few deaf ACD's around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dotdashdot Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Others have beat me to it but you can always ask me at training if you want me to explain more Sheena, as dals have the same issues, but seeing as dals are less common in our area you wouldn't come across as many (if any) deaf ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dotdashdot Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Its thought to be genetic, hence why non hearing dogs) are not bred from. Puppies are tested by 8 weeks by responsible breeders, BAER testing is the ONLY reliable test. I dont know about koolies but they have the merle gene, maybe homozygous merles? What used to happen to bilaterally deaf dal pups is a controversial topic, but code of ethics in the dal club of nsw have changed to allow them to be rehomed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 So it's a genetic thing ?? & can be prevented by testing the parents I think the main colour I have seen it in is red cattle dogs. Are Koolies prone to deafness as well ?? as I know a couple of Koolies that are also deaf. Do they BAER test the pups or the parents. If it is the pups, then what happens to the ones that are positive?? Sorry about all the questions, but there just seems to be quite a few deaf ACD's around. So the deafness which occurs in ACD's is the same as what occurs in Dalmatians. The deafness that occurs in Koolies is different, but still related to white. Koolies being a merle breed, can be deaf through too much white and being a double merle. I think the reason why we seem to see so many deaf Koolies and ACDs compared to other breeds is that they are bred pretty unscrupulously on farms and back yards. They aren't worrying about BAER testing their stock and in regards to merles, probably don't know the problems that can occur with breeding merle to merle or producing excessive white. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 There needs to be pigment in the right places inside the ear to hear, hence why white can be such a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 English Setters are BAER tested & i now a number of Border Collie breeders do so aswell. BAER testing can be done at any age on any dog & is also used with dogs that have had severe ear issue & as a result deafness may be happening Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 When we were looking at Aussie puppies we were informed to look out for lack of colour/pigment on and around the ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 There needs to be pigment in the right places inside the ear to hear, hence why white can be such a problem. Yes - and I can't recall where I heard this but there also seems to be an in utero effect (as well as genetics) on inner ear pigmentation. Parents should be tested before breeding and puppies should be tested at 6-8 weeks. Indiscriminate breeding may well be a large part of the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Frosty ACDx has two black ears tho they are still spotty inside. At the moment (5.5 yo) she can hear the lid come off the yogurt tub from another room or in the back yard. But she can't hear me calling her when she's hoovering in the playground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I don't think BAER can test for selective hearing :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 My dad had a ACD when we were kids & he sired a litter of 6 puppies with another reg. pure breed bitch of which 2 pups were deaf. They were the only 2 red puppies in the litter as well. They were very pale reds though. We were fortunate enough to find loving homes for all the puppies including the deaf ones. They were both taught sign commands & went on to be very good obedience dogs by all accounts. It does seem to be more common in some breeds. And I also find it more in reds than blue from memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 There needs to be pigment in the right places inside the ear to hear, hence why white can be such a problem. Yes - and I can't recall where I heard this but there also seems to be an in utero effect (as well as genetics) on inner ear pigmentation. Parents should be tested before breeding and puppies should be tested at 6-8 weeks. Indiscriminate breeding may well be a large part of the problem. Yes I've heard this too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I have seen a few deaf Blue Cattle dogs, but that would be becasue they are more common around these parts than reds. A vast majority are also BYB and from untested parents and pups are not tested. we also have a reasonably high number of ACD X Staffirds and they seem to be up there with deafness issues - but it is in the ones who are predominatly white with roan spots or vast areas of white. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perrin Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I don't think BAER can test for selective hearing :laugh: Ain't that the truth. Georgia suddenly turns deaf when it's time to get out of the car once we get home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I don't think BAER can test for selective hearing :laugh: Ain't that the truth. Georgia suddenly turns deaf when it's time to get out of the car once we get home. Yes, Mosley has excellent hearing for "hungry?", "walkies?" and "pee pees?". Not so much anything else I ask him to do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajacadoo Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I have a litter of 8, nearly 8 week old ACD's, and I am an ethical reg breeder. I'm in Tassie, and unfortunately we do not have a Baer machine here, so unless I pop my unvaccinated 6-8 week old babies, on a plane and go to Victoria, (at great expense), I'm not able to Baer test them. (Clearly this is against C of E, and Airlines would not accept them, either). I did find someone who would travel with their portable machine at my expense, from Vic, but they could only do it when the babies were 4 weeks old. This is too young, so we were not able to have them done. Mum has been Baer tested as bilateral full hearing, Dad is untested. I do have one sweet girl who is deaf, discovered at about 4 weeks, and there was much heart v's head decisions to be made about her. Eventually we decided not to PTS, and as of today, she appears to have found the perfect home. This is only the second deaf pup we have bred, the first being in our 1st litter, a plain faced red girl. This girl now has double face masks, which suprised me a little, as it's often the plain faced pups that are deaf. I don't know if there are any pups with unilateral hearing, but I know the rest have good enough hearing. I would Baer test in a heart-beat, if I had access to a machine. The disadvantages on living on an island . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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