What disorder of the eye is genetically inherited?

There are more than 350 hereditary eye diseases, such as albinism, aniridia, colorblindness, corneal dystrophies, glaucoma, keratoconus, Leber congenital amaurosis, night blindness, retinitis pigmentosa and retinoblastoma, to name just a few.

Do Samoyeds have eye problems?

Glaucoma, an eye condition that affects Samoyeds and people too, is an extremely painful disease that rapidly leads to blindness if left untreated. Symptoms include squinting, watery eyes, bluing of the cornea (the clear front part of the eye), and redness in the whites of the eyes.

Do Merle dogs have eye problems?

The most severe abnormalities occur in homozygous merles with an excessive white hair coat involving the head region. There are other, more serious ocular problems associated with the Merle gene. Microphthalmia is a congenital defect characterized by a small eye. Severely affected dogs may be blind at birth.

How do you remove tear stains from Samoyed?

Cover the stained area with a few drops of tear stain remover if the enzymatic shampoo does not remove it. This product will help lighten dark, stubborn stains. Rub it into the stain and let it whiten the area for up to five minutes. Leaving it on longer may cause skin irritation.

Are Samoyeds prone to glaucoma?

Glaucoma affects a relatively low number of Samoyeds so many people may not know much about it. Recognizing the symptoms of an acute attack, knowing it’s an emergency and what to do is critical if you are to save your dog’s eyesight.

Is merle a birth defect?

Merle is actually a heterozygote of an incompletely dominant gene. If two such dogs are mated, on the average one quarter of the puppies will be “double merles”, which is the common term for dogs homozygous for merle, and a high percentage of these double merle puppies could have eye defects and/or be deaf.

Do dogs with blue eyes go blind?

Blue eyes does not indicate that your dog will eventually go blind, deaf, or have any other genetic defects. Variation in pigmentation in the iris can occur for varying reasons, and doesn’t necessarily point to health concerns.

Can ocular albinism be inherited?

Ocular albinism is mainly limited to the eyes, causing vision problems. The most common form is type 1, inherited by a gene mutation on the X chromosome. X-linked ocular albinism can be passed on by a mother who carries one mutated X gene to her son (X-linked recessive inheritance).