Are blue eyes an automatice deaf sentence?

Cats, dogs, horses, and sometimes other pets of our acquaintance, sometimes are born with one or both eyes blue.  When both eyes are the same color is it called homochromatsism, and heterochromotsism when they are different from each other or sometimes two colors in one iris.  This is not a defect, a throwback, or even any kind of a problem.  So why do people ask if my dog is blind in one eye? Sometimes they ask if he's deaf on that side. The right side of my hairy beast has a white, or low pigment 'switch' on, for lack of a better term. The eye on the right is blue.  The black side of him, his left, has dark pigment genes switched on, and hence, the common brown eye.  The flash, of course, shows you mostly a red eye and a green tapetum on the left.

 

 

Many animals have the ability to pass on blue eyed genes.  Sometimes, the gene connected with the low color pigments is related to the gene for audio processing in the brain. A pet with an all white coat, white skin, and blue eyes, although not albino (no color), may indeed be deaf.

 

Merles are often born with blue eyes, and they are not deaf, even when both eyes are blue. We often see in the Paint breed of horses a white face, called a bald, and if it includes the eye area the eye is often blue.  Again, no deafness.  Of course, a truly white horse doesn't exist as the genes for white are lethal. 

 

Many genes tag along on others, and in specific cases we may call some of these sex-link genes.  It's why females are rarely colorblind, that gene being passed on the Y chromosome in humans. In chickens, female chicks will grow adult plumage that matches the rooster, and the males will mature with the plumage of their hen momma. Alas, it doesn't work with all breeds.

 

The long answer, then, is no, blue eyes are not an automatic "deaf" sentence.  To check your pets' hearing, stand behind them when they are interested in something in front of them, and make a noise, as long as the noise doesn't make so much wind that your pet can feel the noise!  If they turn about, they heard you.  You can also snap your fingers behind their head and see if that gets you a response.  Most dogs and cats can read our body language, and will come when called even if their ears didn't hear you (and their blue eyes saw you!).

 

 

All white dog, both eyes brown.  Not deaf, and not blind!

 

When is it time to let go? Euthanasia.

Oh, the subject of euthanasia.  I get asked, often, when will I know it's time?  Did I do the right thing?  Are they suffering?  My answer is, well, each situation is different.  This not being what a person wants to hear, I thought I"d do a little research and see what I could come up with from our medical community.

I found some very good Q & A that a pet's owner should consider when trying to make the Big Decision.  Hopefully this will give you an idea from the medical standpoint.

Dr. Alice Villalobos is a well-known veterinary oncologist. Her “HHHHHMM” Quality of Life Scale is another useful tool. Hurt, Hunger, Hydration, Happiness, Hygiene (toileting), Mobility and More (good days than bad days). Dr. Villalobos recommends grading each category on a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being poorest quality of life and 10 being best). If the majority of categories are ranked as 5 or above, continuing with supportive care is acceptable.

Another thought process is that animals, bless their hearts, do not think the way we do.  They live for NOW, and are not possessed by thoughts of an afterlife, the future, or their wills, or most anything else humans have instilled into the subject of death. 

Quality is more important than quantity in this case.  Why do you want to keep your pet alive (for yourself?) or euthanize him (for yourself?).  If you pet is suffering and the joy is gone, it is time to let go.  I feel we OWE our pets, for all the things they've given to us over their lifetime, a kind passing even if we must hurt ourselves in the process. Are they facing recovery or will they simply have more days of pain, vomiting, seizures, or the like?  Are they facing $5000 in medical bills that most people cannot afford to pay?  An older pet without monetary value (unlike an animal such as a horse) may fall into this category.  Guilt is the biggest motivation here.

I have been there myself.  A young dog facing a straightforward amputation is not the same as an older cat with diabetes facing dialysis. Without insurance, we must pay the veterinarian CASH or perhaps credit.  Does this take college education or even food away from our family?  Would your unselfish pet want you to go into serious financial hardship to give them a few months of life that won't be much fun anyway?

Setting your dear friend free of a painful body is not unkind; it is the greatest kindness.  When medicine can no longer cure or ease the pain, if you pet no longer lies in the sunshine nor wags their tail to greet you, it's time to discuss the end.  Your pet would thank you for your sacrifice.

 

Excessive Heat & Animals

Just a quick note to some residents who may not know the law in Clark County.  Horses, Dogs, and Cats are required by law to be provided with supplemental cooling devices when there is an excessive heat warning advised by the NWS. 
Dogs and Cats should NOT be left outdoors without access to serious shade and cool water.  Although my silly cats will stretch out on the patio in 105F, they can come into the 78F A/C through the pet door anytime (and usually do after 10 minutes outside).  Dogs and cats do not sweat and must pant to cool off.  When the air temp is over their body temp (101.5+-), what are they going to do?
Horses are often left in the direct sun, with folks thinking they don't need shade.  Horses can sweat, but they can't take in nearly enough water to stand in the sun and 110F heat from 6 am to 8 pm without dehydration.  Lighter horses can become sunburned, leading to cancer. It is the LAW that horses must be provided 90 square feet of shade during all daylight hours, even in the winter. 
If you see a pet outdoors unable to find shade or have access to water, call Clark County Animal Control at (702) 455-7710 and tell them the address where to find the animal victim. People may have time to correct the offense, or, simply be cited on the spot.  In some cases animals may be removed from the property and taken to shelter.
As a side note, I have chickens, a goat, and a few free roaming birds that have access to cool water and many shaded places.  The chickens and goat, and horses, all have shade at all times, much more than 90 square feet, and we have installed misters in the horse corrals (under the shade) and in the chicken pen (2 feet off the ground).  All pets that can come in the house are in the house.
Rabbits and Guinea pigs are especially susceptible to heat stroke, so if it's over 100, bring them indoors, at least during the hottest part of the day.  No amount of shade will protect them and again, dehydration will kill them in a few hours.
It is a crime in Clark County to leave animals out in record breaking heat, and it is a crime of humanity to ignore such an act.  Call Clark County Animal Control at (702) 455-7710.

Hawaii has no rabies

A strict four-month quarantine policy on animals coming in from, well, anywhere, makes Hawaii one of the few places globally that does not panic when a person is bitten by a dog.  Rabies, a deadly disease of the neuro-system, affects mammals, of which taxonomic Class humans belong to.  As a veterinary professional, I have had a rabies vaccine (I'm probably due for my booster, too). 

The disease is transmitted by the bite of an infected animal.  Saliva carries the virus into the nervous system, then it travels to the brain over a series of months.  During this time, the animal may not show symptoms of having the rabies, and thus, why an animal bite is a serious thing. The only way to be sure an animal does NOT have rabies, is to examine it's brain in the lab.  I should not have to tell you the animal and its brain must be separated....

Rabies vaccines are CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP.  Usually less than $15 protects your pets for up to 3 years (young animals need a booster after 1 year).  It also protects your pet from the possible separation of its body from brain with proof of the vaccine, so keep that information in a safe place.

If you are in an area that routinely has natural disasters where you may have to evacuate in a hurry (fires, tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc) keep a copy of that rabies certificate with your pet's evacuation package.  You can never have too many copies of it.  Remember to make a paper package and keep it in a large zip baggie with your pets' carriers, or in your emergency kit. 

If you live in Hawaii, it is recommended that you have your pet vaccinated before you come back to the mainland.  Military folks with pets they have adopted in Hawaii will need this to fly pets back anyway, so do it a few weeks ahead of time. Dogs and cats, both, need this protection.  Cats are even more vulnerable, now, than dogs, as they still often roam the woods where carriers may be lurking.

Most importantly, if your pets bites someone, the proof of the vaccine, something only licensed veterinarians are allowed to do, keeps your pet's brain in its head and may even prevent a 4 month quarantine.  Unless you go to Hawaii.