Genetic Information
Generally, the Australian Cattle Dog is considered remarkably healthy unlike the majority of purebreds . But, similar to all breeds, they’re still subject to certain health problems, diseases and even some specific health conditions genetically related to the breed. The main three disorders that have been identified from parental gene inheritance are deafness, hip dysplasia and blindness.
Blindness
RCD / PRA
– This stands for Progressive Rod and Cone Disease form of Progressive Retinal Atrophy. This is the disease that causes blindness in Cattle Dogs and some other breeds. We have a marker now known in cattle dogs that can tell us if our dog is either a pattern A-clear, B-carrier or C-affected. This can be tested with either a blood sample or a cheek swab. So when someone says that their dog is a “DNA pattern B-carrier” that means that their dog was directly tested, and that was the result. If someone says that their dog is an “Obligate pattern B-carrier” this means that both of the dogs parents were tested, and based on the parents results, the offspring are genetically obligated to be that pattern.
When an A is bred to an A, all puppies will be obligate A.
When an A is bred to a B, all puppies will be obligate either A or B.
When an A is bred to a C, all puppies will be obligate B.
At least one of the parents of any breeding should be a pattern A, so that there is no chance of producing a C-affected, as seen below:
When a B is bred to a B, puppies could be pattern A, B or C.
When a B is bred to a C, puppies could be B or C.
When a C is bred to a C, all puppies will be a C.
Deafness
The Australian Cattle Dog is one of the most intelligent, loving, and hardworking dogs in the world. But unfortunately, owning one is not without its downsides. One of these downfalls is this dog’s proneness to hearing loss and deafness. While almost any dog may suffer some hearing loss as they get older, the occurrence of deafness in the Australian Cattle Dog is different as there is evidence of deafness even during puppyhood.
If you are selecting a Blue Heeler puppy to purchase, you should always check for deafness before you take one home. This can be done by doing things like jingling keys or clapping your hands to see if the sound grabs the puppy’s attention. Another thing that can help assure that the Blue Heeler puppy you select is not deaf is to get him from a reputable breeder. A good breeder will do all the preliminary hearing tests before he prepares to sell his puppies. If the puppy does show signs of hearing loss he will take him to a specialized veterinarian for a special, non-invasive hearing test using a technique called Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER). This electrical diagnostic test can determine whether a dog is partially deaf (uni-lateral) and can hear out of one ear only, or totally deaf (bi-lateral).