Bilateral deafness (Doberman Pinscher)

Bilateral deafness is an autosomal recessive disorder, colloquially referred to as “dings”. It is characterized by early onset concurrent vestibular dysfunction and bilateral deafness. The clinical signs of affected dogs include exaggerated side-to-side head/neck excursions, body falling, head tilt, variable loss of the righting reflex that tends to improve with age along with body ataxia, and complete hearing loss consistent with the absence of a startle reflex.

Inheritance: autosomal recessive

Mutation: MYO7A gene

Genetic test: The method used for genetic testing is extremely accurate and allows complete differentiation between affected animals, carriers and healthy dogs. DNA testing can be done at any age.