It's a common misconception that heterochromia means a dog's vision or hearing is impaired. Generally, heterochromia is more common in dogs with dappled, merle or white coloring around their heads. It's caused by an absence of the pigment melanin in all or part of the eye, resulting in a blue or bluish-white color. I have a puppy that's about 4-5 months old. Webb, A. This can feel quite uncomfortable for your pooch. Lets learn more about dogs with different-colored eyes or heterochromia in dogs. Scientists do not yet completely understand how this happens but it is not confined to canines. What Causes Heterochromia? This can mean that they have an injury or an illness and they may be in discomfort or pain. Another strong belief that is associated with heterochromia is hearing issues . Sharon is a Ph.D. scientist and experienced pet content writer. What Causes Heterochromia In Dogs? Dogs With Different Colored Eyes Heterochromia is most common among these breeds: Australian cattle dogs Australian shepherds Dogs With Sectoral Heterochromia Catahoula Leopard Dog Dachshund Great Dane ( harlequin coat pattern) Pembroke Welsh Corgi Border Collie Shetland Sheepdog Chihuahua Central Heterochromia However, it can be true with some injuries. The iris and the ciliary body constitute the anterior uveal coat. Albinism and spots around the eyes are also related to this condition. Which type of heterochromia is the rarest? July 7, 2021 Interests. Coat color and pattern can also play a part -- merle, dapple and white coats as well as increased white patterns around a dogs head. He seems to at times struggle with dark vs. light things. Different Colors. I have an American Staffordshire Terrier with complete Heterochromia. What Does It Mean When a Cat Shows Up at My Door, My Female Dog In Heat Wont Accept A Male - Causes, The 10 Most Solitary Animals in the World, The 10 Animals Most Faithful to Their Mates, Most Common Cat Eye Color and Their Meaning. There are three variations of hereditary heterochromia in dogs: Complete heterochromia in dogs is frequently seen in Australian Cattle Dogs, Australian Shepherds, Dalmatians and Siberian Huskies. This results in a difference in color of the eyes, as well as the skin and hair. This type of heterochromia is usually the result of modified recessive D and B series genes, which causes the eyes to be shades of yellow-green to . I have a mini dachshund with one solid blue eye and one half blue half brown eye. B/c of his eyes his name is Harvey, named after 2-Face, Super Sweet & loving! Interestingly, in Dalmatians there appear to be more females affected than males., The iris is the colored part of a dogs eye. Occasionally, an injury or illness can cause the change in pigmentation and this is called acquired heterochromia. Perhaps you could take them out for a walk at dawn and dusk rather than at midday. While its a common misconception that dogs with blue eyes suffer from vision problems, even blindness, those with hereditary heterochromia have normal vision. What we can say is that if your sectoral heterochromia is caused by Waardenburg syndrome, each of your kids has a 50% chance of getting the gene version. The same study showed that the melanocytes in certain layers of the iris were fewer, meaning it is thinner than a normal eye. The most likely culprit is a medication used to treat glaucoma in dogs. Sectoral heterochromia: sometimes known as partial heterochromia, this is when parts of the same iris bear different colors. Sectoral heterochromia is an eye condition that can make for some interesting and beautiful mutations. Though common in some breeds of cats, dogs, cattle and horses due to inbreeding, heterochromia is uncommon in humans, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States, and is not associated with lack of genetic diversity.Heterochromia iridum. The term Heterochromia is obtained from ancient Greek. Lone Wanderer . Whereas, sectoral and central heterochromia is often seen in Border Collies, Chihuahuas and Catahoula Leopard Dogs. . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. But is heterochromia in dogs a problem? The Siberian Husky is the only non-merle dog breed that can have sectoral heterochromia. There is a lot of pigment (natural color) in the iris and the shades can be brown, hazel, green, gray, or blue. You may need to be careful with them in bright sunlight and keep a look out for hearing problems but most dogs will be absolutely fine. ; Sectoral heterochromia: This type of heterochromia is characterized by a difference in color within the same iris.This can happen due to genetic factors or as a result of injury or disease. The Australian Shepherd is one dog prone to having merle coat patterns, so too are dogs such as the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Some dog breeders will charge more solely because of the supply and demand. This can appear as a golden color or as an amber color. Heterochromia is caused when there is a lack of pigment . The features of these animals can be distinctive and unique, but we need to be careful. We can't say how likely that gene is to go on and make anything out of the ordinary happen with the child's eye color. Different Colored Eyes. Im a mom, writer and professional dog trainer who has worked with dogs all my life and has been training them professionally for a little over 10 years. The late David Bowie also had this stunning condition! With acquired heterochromia, a loss of pigmentation within the iris occurs because of some other cause. . The more white coloring the dog has around the head, the more likely he or she is to have heterochromia. In the United Kennel Club, the Catahoula Leopard Dog can have any combination of eye color. The Merle gene causes blue color in the iris, and butterly noses. If you want to read similar articles to What Dog Breeds Can Have Different Colored Eyes?, we recommend you visit our Facts about the animal kingdom category. Dogs that have a piebald or merle color pattern on their coats have an irregular distribution of melanin. Our family dog actually has one of the three types of heterochromia. Though it seems like it would be rare and unique, this conditionis more common than you may think. Heterochromia is most common among the following 15 breeds. Less than 200,000 people in the United States have heterochromia. This is called partial, incomplete or sectoral heterochromia. Another problem in determining how common is heterochromia in dogs is the need to differentiate between acquired and inherited heterochromia. . Complete heterochromia occurs . She is contributing writer for National Geographics Complete Guide to Pet Health, Behavior, and Happiness: The Veterinarian's Approach to At-Home Animal Care (April 2019) and author of the book Its Raining Cats and Dogs: Making Sense of Animal Phrases (Lumina Press, 2006). It's generally the result of excess pigment. We once had a litter of blue heeler/Aussie puppies. A white gene responsible for a cat's white coat or patches causes the condition in felines. Sectoral heterochromia Part of one iris is a different colour from its remainder. It is difficult to tell just how common is heterochromia in dogs since there is a lack of data. Heterochromia in dogs is often hereditary, meaning it is passed through their genetic makeup. It can look like the eye is speckled and may only be noticing when looking at the person up close. Hypnotic and haunting. Other conditions that can cause color changes in the eyes that are not associated with heterochromia can include cataracts, glaucoma, corneal dystrophy, uveitis, nuclear sclerosis, underdeveloped optic nerve and retinal dysplasia, Dr. Payne says. Merle, dapple, white, and increased white patterns around the head all appear to be more prevalent. Jean Marie Bauhaus is a pet lover, freelance writer and novelist. Melanocytes are the protective cells of melanin, essentially the pigmentation of the eye. Heterochromia is further categorized by the patterns of coloration into: Heterochromia of the eyes is present in many animals, with at least one study performed on water buffaloes showing similar features to those in dogs[1]. So, is heterochromia in dogs ever something to worry about? These include the following: The American Kennel Club standard even discussed how the Siberian husky may have a single brown or blue eye or partly colored eyes with flecks in them. This is called congenital heterochromia. The composition of melanin in the dog is what really matters. So, although you paid more for this dog, it wont guarantee you any awards at a dog show. Types of dogs that typically display heterochromia include Siberian husky, Australian shepherd, border collie, collie, Shetland sheepdog, Welsh corgi, Great Dane, dachshund and Chihuahua. But if you notice that your dogs eyes have changed later in life and especially if they seem to be uncomfortable or in pain take them to your vet right away. If you decide to breed from your heterochromic dog you are more likely to have heterochromic pups! English springers and Siberian huskies are some species with amber eyes. Sectoral heterochromia - When there are two different colors in the same iris. A thinner iris does not, however, mean the eyesight of the dog will be affected. I have a gray wolf and Siberian husky. Australian Shepherds 5. Heterochromia or heterochromia iridum indicates a difference between the color of the two irises. You didnt mention about dogs born this way. There are also three types of heterochromia that create unique eye coloring other than having two different eye colors. If the dog has acquired heterochromia, then the damage is likely already done. Dogs with complete heterochromia are sometimes called "bi-eyed." . Schmidt-Pkrzywniak, A., et al. Does sectoral heterochromia affect vision? Cherry Eye in Dogs: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment. As we discovered earlier, those dog breeds that exhibit merle coats are also prone to this condition, albeit mostly on the sectoral (partial) side. Victoria Arnold is a freelance copywriter for the dog industry with two furbabies of her own. Less light can be blocked and it will reach the retina where it can cause damage. The existence of one blue and one brown eye is closely linked to the production of melanin, which is the substance responsible for pigmenting the skin, hair and eyes. Heterochromia iridis occurs most frequently in huskies, dalmatians, and Australian shepherds and cattle dogs. While untrue in most cases, there are rare exceptions. This type is frequently seen in Border Collies, Catahoula Leopard Dogs, Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Dalmatians, Great Danes (harlequin coat pattern), Shetland Sheepdogs, Siberian Huskies and Shih Tzus. This is not often true because most cases are genetic. Both of them have dark colored eyes. Central heterochromia - When the iris itself has two or more complete sets of color. Father had blues and mother brown eyes. Heterochromia is when a person's irises (the colored part of the eye) are different colors. Even though the range of colors is wide, the only pigment involved is melanin. This is found in dogs with the Merle trait, such dogs usually include the following: This result when eumelanin is diluted or modified by recessive genes in D or B series and can result in shades from yellow-green to yellowish gray. However, there are no full cases of albinism in dogs, though Dobermans report intermediate form of this. Most of the time, this difference in eye color can't be passed down in people. This is due to a mutation of the genes that determine melanin distribution which When I call him to come in he pretends he doesnt hear me but drop a piece of food in his bowl when hes in another room and this little bugger comes a running! They are uniquely beautiful and you wont be able to stop gazing at them. Although we don't always know what causes sectoral heterochromia, it can come from something that happened during development, an eye injury, or any of a number of non-genetic causes. Your email address will not be published. That being said, acquired heterochromia can be caused byan eye injury or health issue and, because of that, may have health implications. I have a pure french bulldog who has complete Heterochromia since birth, she has an all white coat and is completely deaf. Elf princess. As of right now, 3 days off the antibiotics he seems to be doing fine, but it was just such a sudden change I'm not sure if I should be worried. Health conditions that can cause changes to the color of your dog's eye include cataracts, glaucoma, retinal dysplasia, corneal dystrophy, nuclear sclerosis, uveitis, and underdeveloped optic nerves. The scientific term for this phenomenon is heterochromia. There are many other conditions that may affect eye color in dogs and cats. (n.d.) Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog. It is a mutation not limited to cats and can affect many animals, including humans.