White Coloring and Deafness in Cats and Dogs

White coat coloring can increase a cat or dog's chances of being born deaf. The genetics of color can be complicated in pets, but this article will explain how the whiteness of the coat relates to hearing loss. Keep in mind, there are many things that can cause congenital deafness (that only means present at birth it may be hereditary or environmental) and white coloring isn't the only cause. This article isn't going to explore all the possible causes, but only look at the interesting relationship between white pets and hearing loss or deafness.

The gene for white coloring in dogs was identified on gene number 20. So far, 85 breeds of dogs have reported cases of congenital deafness. All breeds have the potential for congenital deafness, but breeds with white pigmentation are at greater risk. Deafness is often associated with the merle gene or the piebald gene in dogs, yet not all breeds with these genes are reported to be affected.

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