Only Medical Examination Can Tell You If A Dog is an Albino
Only a medical check can tell you if a dog is an albino. The test has to be done by a qualified vet.
You’ve noticed that albinism comes in different variations. It is these variations that cause lots of confusion. Chances of you confusing a white dog, leucistic dog, and true albino dog are so high. That’s why a proper medical examination is needed.
Before you do that make sure the vet you are consulting with has enough experience in this matter to avoid possible misdiagnosis.
A vet who studies genetic science will do a thorough genetic analysis to identify the SLC45A2 gene. The gene is present in Doberman Pinschers and other small dog breeds. If the results are positive, then the dog is an albino.
The bad news is, veterinary scientists, don’t know the exact genetic carriers of albinism in dogs. Alternatively, vets can also work with qualified breeders to establish the dog’s family history. That way, they will know if a dog is an albino or not.
Since most scientists don’t know the appropriate genetic markers to identify albinism, they will rely on visible characteristics to make their decision besides testing.
Finally, never trust anyone who tells you that you have an albino dog blindly. That’s because albino dogs are rare and we don’t have a reliable way of diagnosing or testing the condition.
Albinism in Dogs Come in Different Ways
A partial albino dog has less melanin.
It’s hard to see a true albino. In most cases, you will see partial albinism or leucistic that’s present in some breeds. Without a thorough medical examination, you can’t know if a dog is a true albino or not.
The conditions show up in different ways and proper examination is needed. For instance, the main difference between true and partial albino dogs will be the melanin pigmentation.
A true albino dog will lack the melanin protein in its body and the difference is noticeable in the skin, eyes, nose, and even its fur.
A partial albino dog will choose to retain some melanin protein. The small amount of melanin is enough to make the dog have little coloration in different parts of the body. The coloration is noticeable in the dog’s nose, stomach, eyes, skin, and even the coat.
Leucism is mistaken for albinism although both share similar characteristics. They share the level of melanin in their D.N.A.
The only difference that distinguishes them is the health issues. A leucistic dog won’t have health issues like an albino dog although it will have less amount of melanin in their body.
In a true albino dog, blood vessels show up because of melatonin deficiency in the iris and retina. That is why the color of a dog’s eyes is light blue or translucent.
A leucistic dog will have slightly blue eyes but hard to recognize unless you do two medical examinations.
Therefore, it is so easy to confuse these dogs that misdiagnosis happens often. You will have to make sure the vet doing the genetic analysis has to have experience in leucism and albinism. Otherwise, the risk of getting a wrong diagnosis is high and can lead to the wrong treatment.
Albino Dogs Are Susceptible to Skin Disorder
Exposure to direct sunlight damages the dog’s skin. That happens because albino dogs do not have melanin pigment on their skin. As we have said earlier, melanin shields the skin from harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun.
The same statement applies to dogs. When an albino dog is constantly exposed to these UV rays sunburn occurs. Sunburn in dogs causes acute pain and long term health issues. Dogs with sunburn will have symptoms like redness of the skin, blistering, and pain during movement.
Since these dogs have a compromised immune system, their skin won’t fight free radicals which means they are at a higher risk of getting melanoma.
Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that happens to both humans and dogs. The exact cause of melanoma in dogs is unknown but in humans, it is ultraviolet rays.
Dogs researchers believe the cause is albinism or any genetic disorder. Melanoma in dogs comes in four different ways: cutaneous, ocular oral, and subungual melanoma.
Albino dogs have light-colored eyes. When exposed to light their vision is impaired
Their eyes are light as opposed to black or brown. Since their eyes are light-colored they cannot filter out excess light due to lack of melanin. That’s why the central part of the dog’s eyes called the retina is susceptible to damage.
Macular degeneration is a condition that affects vision impairment in dogs. Macular is a small part of the retina that differentiate details and colors. That said, the chances of your dog’s vision being impaired are too high.
If an albino dog is not taken care of well, they can be blind. When a dog is blind, they may have problems walking around and they can injure themselves.
But light is not the only cause. These dogs have undeveloped lenses and retinas which also cause poor vision and can make the dog blind. Most albino dogs will have small and deformed eyes. It’s impossible to cure these deformities because they are all connected to albinism.
What do albino dogs look like?
An albino dog is an incredibly rare thing. You might assume many of the white coated pups you see around town are albino, but they are likely not. A truly albino dog has inherited an unusual genetic mutation that means they lack the enzymes required to make pigment in their body. They have pale coats, red eyes, pink noses, lips, eyeliner and paw pads. Whilst spontaneous albinism is rare, breeders sometimes deliberately mate albino dogs to continue their appearance. As a result, an albino dog also inherits complex health and care needs. There are a few breeds like Doberman and Pitbull dogs where this is more common practice. Today we’ll look at what makes a real albino dog, and what special care considerations you need to make as an owner to keep them safe and happy.
Albinism is a rare condition that affects both humans and animals. It can be a common mistake, but not all white-coated dogs are albino. Albinism is a genetic condition that causes a complete lack of pigment.
It’s important to understand their unusual genetics and its effect on their health and personality. Does your dog have genetic albinism, or do they just lack color? Most importantly, what’s the difference? This article will help you tell the difference between an albino dog and dogs with white or pale coloring.
An albino dog has a specific mutation in their genes which means they have no melanin or pigmentation. There is a difference between a standard white dog and an albino dog. A white dog produces the color white, while an albino produces no color at all.
The best way to see if your dog has the albinism gene is to have them tested. That said, there are distinct appearance traits that can suggest it. A dog with albinism has white fur, and a pinkish color on their paws, nose, lips and skin around their eyes. They also tend to have light eyes that appear pink or red.