Dog Breeds With One Eye Of A Different Color From The Other
If your dog has a different colored eye from the other, you don’t need to worry too much about it. While it may seem like an anomaly, it is the product of the genetic makeup of a particular breed. In fact, there are dogs with different colored eyes.
There are more than 400 breeds, not counting the variations that are discovered every day and those created in the laboratory. In any case, this is an interesting subject on which all owners need to be informed.
Basically, abnormal eye coloration in dogs is due to heterochromia. Let’s find out what it is.
What is heterochromia?
Heterochromia is not a disease but a feature. Nor does it create any problems for the dog in question.
Heterochromia is the lack of pigment caused by low melanin levels. This substance deals with the pigmentation of the skin, coat and eyes. A puppy with one eye of a different color from the other is simply born with this characteristic.
In fact, there is partial, complete and hereditary heterochromia. What is certain is that some dog breeds have a predisposition to this phenomenon.
4 types of dogs with hereditary heterochromia
The best known case of dogs with different colored eyes is that of the Husky or Siberian wolf. The fact that it developed in the cold Russian steppes is thought to have something to do with this genetically transmitted predisposition.
However, this is not the only case. The Catahoula (Catahoula Leopard Dog), Border Collie and Australian sheperd are also prone to developing this genetic condition. Everything is due to the Merle gene, directly responsible for the passage of this particularity.
Also, it is believed that dogs with white fur are quite likely to have different colored eyes.
Waardenburg syndrome
As in people, animals can also have Waardenburg Syndrome. However, this phenomenon, normally associated with a lack of pigmentation, is much more common in dogs.
The most frequent case is that of Dalmatians, a breed that can have one eye of a different color from the other. Not coincidentally, these dogs have abnormal coat pigmentation, and they also tend to go deaf and have vision problems.
Finally, let’s talk about untreated conditions that humans cannot control and which, furthermore, are part of every dog’s genetics.
Other breeds inclined
Most dogs with a marked tendency to have white and brown coats can have this characteristic. For example, the French Bulldog and the Pitbull Terrier.
The English Cocker Spaniel and the Boston Terrier can also exhibit this phenomenon. These variations maintain constraints. These are mostly crossbreeds that have the same tendency: Terrier, Bulldog, etc.
Other specimens that can give birth to puppies with this particularity are dogs with brindle hair.
When should we worry?
If the color of the eyes of a dog that has always had the same tone changes, the best thing to do is to go to a veterinarian for a visit.
Source: Andrés Landeau
The sudden change in eye color could be a symptom of glaucoma, a degenerative disease that can cause partial or complete blindness. Although hereditary heterochromia sometimes occurs late. In any case, it is always better to go to the vet to rule out this possibility.
Various legends
The existence of dogs with eyes of an atypical color gave birth to myths and legends that spread in ancient human societies.
For example, the Eskimo tribes believed that sled dogs with this trait ran faster than normal. Other groups thought that there was a special connection between these animals and the spirits of the afterlife.
