Deafness
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Deafness in dogs is not such a rare occurrence and the condition occurs in some breeds more often than others. Boston Terriers are one of the breeds that suffers from congenital deafness, or deafness present at birth. Exactly what causes congenital deafness is not yet entirely known, though most experts agree that it has something to do with pigment genes; these are genes responsible for giving color to the hair cells and the eye cells of an animal. Certain color genes are associated with blindness. [...]
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The worst genetic flaw that is associated with Catahoula Leopard dogs is deafness. This inherited flaw can range from deafness in one ear to totally deaf in addition to other health flaws such as blindness. For fanciers of the breed, there is a constant battle between those that believe that this flaw must be forcibly culled from the breeding program while others believe that there is no harm in allowing the trait to continue. In this article, we'll take a look at how deafness in Catahoula Leopard dogs can happen and what interested buyers can do to avoid purchasing a deaf dog. [...]
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The two reasons for the inability to hear or deafness in cats is conduction and neurological problems.
Conduction anomalies are associated with the structures of the ear. The outer ear is known as the Pinna, then there is the Tympanic membrane which is the eardrum, the ear canal, and the middle ear which is also called the auditory ossicles.
Neurological problems can occur in the brain, inner ear, or the auditory nerve.
There is unilateral deafness implying that one ear is involved or bilateral deafness involving both ears. [...]
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Most aging dogs will experience a decrease in both their visual as well as hearing abilities. When this loss occurs slowly, the dog is actually able to adapt and increase his or her dependence on the other senses to balance out the loss of vision or hearing. In this way an elderly dog can easily live a very happy and relatively normal life even with complete hearing or vision loss. Of course there are some modifications that owners need to make, especially with regards to safety issues for these dogs, but there is no need to feel sorry for your dog or believe that they feel the loss of these senses the same way that humans would. [...]
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Neurological conditions are those conditions that affect the central nervous system or the functioning of the muscles in relation to nerve impulses. Many of the conditions that can occur in dogs also occur in humans as well as other animals, which means there is considerable research and information available on these conditions. Just as with humans, there are medications that can be used to treat some of the neurological conditions, such as epilepsy, but others are progressively degenerative and usually result in death in a relatively short period of time. This is largely due to the brain's control over all the body processes including breathing, circulation and movement. When any or all of these systems become dysfunctional there is a greater risk to the dog to develop other related health problems that tend to make successful treatment and full recovery much more challenging. [...]
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With the intensive and very rugged type of breeding programs, combined with the infusion of both wild dogs, the Dingoes, as well as various domestic breeds, the Australian Cattle Dog is really a very healthy dog overall. Unlike some purebreds that have been extensively line bred or inbred to enhance specific characteristics, the originators of the Australian Cattle Dog breed used out breeding programs to develop the specific characteristics. [...]
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As with any breed of dog that has a huge surge in popularity there is always the risk that poor breeding practices will occur as everyone tries to get in on breeding the most in demand type of dog. Unfortunately this is what did happen with the Boxer breed, particularly in the United States, in the years immediately after World War ll. During this time the small number of puppies and dogs brought over from Germany were used in almost all American breeding programs, leading to some inherited genetic conditions becoming pronounced. Through selective breeding by responsible breeders most of these issues are now well managed, however backyard breeders and puppy mills are still cashing in on the breed popularity and breeding genetically inferior puppies. [...]
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The vast majority of the Doberman Pinscher breed of dogs are extremely health canines that live on average 12 to 14 years. They tend to have several health conditions that are common in other breeds and no common major health concerns that are unique within the Doberman breed. It is highly likely that the strong foundation stock that was used to start the breed in the late 1800’s had these genetic conditions as well, and they continue to be present in the modern day Doberman Pinscher as well as the existing foundation breeds. [...]
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Deafness
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