Albinism In Dogs

[LaVonne1958]

Albinism and Hypo pigmentation exist in all aspects of life, it’s all around us. It’s in mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, shellfish, birds, insects, plants and in human beings. Many societies and in just about every culture have stories and ancient tale that have been passed down through the Ages about animals and people who were Albino. In one way or another they are messenger of some sort. Albinism isn’t something new, it has been around since before the beginning of story telling at least. There is an African Tale which tells about how the animals in the jungle argues amongst themselves, about who was the most beautiful and the strongest. The arguing went on and on till finally the gods heard them. The gods got fed up with the pettiness of it all and caused the birth of Albino animals of all sorts. The gods felt, through watching these Albino animals they (the non-albino animals) were to learn the real values of life. They were to see how these albino animals dealt with the difficulties of living in the jungles and how they were able to conquered these issues. Issues such as how much harder it was in gathering food and hiding from predators and yet they were still able to procreate and live to a ripe old age with dignity, strength and honest beauty.

The list of albinos is growing everyday. Why? Cameras and video equipment are everywhere. You have them, your neighbors have them, scientists off all kinds have them, let us not forget the journalistic media who wheeled them faster then the wild west cowboys shooting their six-gun and we are all taking pictures and videos of everything. The normal, the slightly weird, the totally odd, and the “Oh my goodness did you see that one?” With this attitude about photography and videos, our lives and planet are unveiling to us all everyday.

There was a time (believe it or not) where your whole world was the town you lived in. From birth to death all that you knew and believed was within the limitations of your town, the region or your home. If you really think about it, that was quit restricting. The mass majority didn’t know about other people, other societies or that there were other countries. That knowledge was reserved for the elite few, the well-to-do, those who royalty and prominent religious men smiled on. Giving those elite few the permission and added wealth needed to go forth and explore. Now remember, in those days there were not cameras and video equipment like there are today. They had to rely on drawings and stories of what the sailors, captains and passengers had seen and experienced. A lot of the time the drawings weren’t exactly accurate and the stories were a bit on the wild side to say the least. Take a good look at some of the old, old maps from the time before and while the Americas were being founded by those who didn‘t know but suspected the land existed. Notice the mythical sea monsters and beasts they added to their maps. The Norwegians told stories of the mythical Krakens, it was said to seize and scuttle ships with it’s long arms. They were the monstrous devouring beast of anyone’s nightmares. We now know these animals as giant squids and octopuses. Let us not forget the contorted drawing of what we now know where whales. Those drawings of squid, octopus and whales were not accurate. Wild tales were told of them, for whatever reason and those who listened believed them, repeated and added to them. Remember, our earth was believed by “learned men” to be flat in those days. They would say ‘If you sailed out to the horizon, you would fall off the edge of the earth never to be heard from again.’.

As man developed, we learned about our planet and ventured out into space. Many of our beliefs of our surroundings have had to change and be modified in various ways. The fore mentioned Kraken and other sea monsters are seen for what they really are and not the terrifying beasts they were once believed to be. We now know without a doubt our planet is round-ish and you wont fall off the edge of the earth. Those archaic beliefs were forever changed with free flowing knowledge and common sense. We stopped building on ignorance in these cases.

Now I said all of that to say this. The albino gene has been apart of this planet from way back. Can we say it started from the point of the planet being created? Who knows. But one thing I can say is, man did not create the albino gene. Nor does man have the knowledge at this point in time on how to eradicate it in every living being.

The good old belief of ‘breed it out of them’ in the development of our dog world, started with the first person believing ‘my dog is better then your dog’ and then going so far as to say so out loud. Which started competition in the Canis familiaris world (the “Designer” Dog World). Exactly when this started no one really knows but evidence indicates man has had a relationship with some form of dog at least 11 to 12,000 years ago.

The thinking behind the term of “Designer Dogs”, I find it to be a bit silly, all dogs are “Designer Dogs”. From two breeds of animals that where naturally designed, the wolf and fox. Man has selectively breed, crossbreed and re-breed those animals and the same type of animals until the desired dog was achieved. Why did I say “Designer Dog World” earlier? Whenever someone picks and chooses and puts together things or something to come up with something else, isn’t that designing, or creating something different? Well for the most part, that is what has happen in what we know as the Canis familiaris, the common Dog. Now let us not forget a long series of mutations that also helped in the development, in other words, sudden hereditary changes (which is still happening even today in the so called “pure breeds”. Otherwise known as ‘throw backs’). The wolf (standing about 3 foot at the shoulder, 4 foot long without the tail and average 100 to about 197 pounds), sprinkled in here and there with different foxes (standing around 16 inches at the shoulder, 17 to 31 inches long without the tail and 4 to 20 pounds), changed into the various breeds of dogs with all of their enormous differences in appearance, temperaments and characteristics. Look at all the different breeds we have today. Thanks to selectively breeding, crossbreed and re-breed. Man has picked and chosen, breed up, breed down, breed left, breed right and had those oopies in breeding till we have what we call Dog today. Amazingly Dogs come in sizes from giants (approximately 7 to 8 foot on hind leg) to the size of an appetizer (just about 4 inches). These interesting animals are all by man’s hand, some 400 plus breeds world wide and the number is still growing. So long as there are differences in taste with people there will be a desire for differences in dog breeds. New breeds will always be developed and the albino gene was there right from the start.

As I stated earlier, albinism is all around us. TV shows and books have been done on the subject. Web sites are developed in order to further educate. The belief of all albino animals are immediately killed in the wild because they are easy to spot isn’t always true. I myself (living in Houston, Texas) have seen an albino hummingbird and the following year my father (living in Corpus Christi, Texas) saw one as well. Could it have been the same animal? It’s possible. I’ve also watched documentaries on albino lions and other animals in Africa. The last one I saw tracked a lion from being a cub to adulthood. A large group of people believe that he wouldn’t make it in the wilds of Africa. I am happy to say that at the end of the program he was quite handsome for a lion and very well fed. Not to mention the last scenes showed he had attached a beautiful normal colored lioness and was in the throws of making more, baby lions. So you see Siegfried and Roy are not the only ones who have albino lions.

In these days and times I am amazed, floored even to still hear the old ignorant belief of albinism in dogs. ‘Breed it out of them’, ‘they are not worth their salt’ and even ‘they should be put down at birth’ are statements I have heard from breeders, veterinarians and others. I have read where some have said ‘they are not worth the high prices people have paid for then and not to buy them at all’.

I have to say albinism in dogs is one of those cases where people are building upon ignorance, just like in the resent past. Think about it for a second. Way back when dogs had to “earn their keep”. They were designed by man for different purposes. Hunting, ratting, pulling carts and security, to name a few. The majority of the dogs lived and stayed outside of the owners home. Only the wealthy could afford to house their dogs in a barn, their own kennels or indoors with them. It wasn’t uncommon for an owner back then to put down a dog for “not pulling it’s weight”, having a illness, a mutation they couldn’t fix or would put up with. Someone, somewhere along the line of breeding dogs decides that albinism can’t be tolerated. Considering the skin problems and eye problems that can come along with albino dogs being exposed to the elements, it would be understandable back in those days. There wasn’t the technology that we have today. Now a days dogs are being treated just like a family member. They go to the doctors (veterinarian), get shots, get check ups, have their teeth cleaned or pulled and when they become sick we fuss over them just like our children. They travel with us, even to different countries. They have their own toys and beds or they sleep with us in our beds and on and on.

I hear tell from Veterinarians (who shall remain nameless) that owners of dogs are now asking and getting ‘plastic surgery’ and a type of ‘braces for the teeth’ of their dogs. A nip tuck here, a put that back there and presto, change-o, Ta-Da a nicer looking dog. This dirty little secret is coming out of the dog show world. I’m not saying it’s ramped but just like the latest fashion, if one person wants it bad enough another person wants it and so on and ... well you get the idea. It defiantly puts a different spin on “breeding to standard”.

The last two people who openly shared their views with me on albinism in dogs were a Veterinarian and a AKC (American Kennel Club)/UKC (United Kennel Club) Breeder. Both had the view that albino dogs should not exist, period. I asked them both, "Do you feel that same way about albino rats, mice, rabbits, and people?". Funny, they didn’t feel the same way about these animals and people. They had totally different views about these 4, it was perfectly fine. Then I had to ask, "Why is it okay in these cases but not in dogs?". Then they both went into problems that the albino dog would have. Every problem they named I have seen or heard of non-albino dogs having the very same problems but the non-albino dogs are viewed in a totally different light. It is perfectly acceptable for a non-albino dog to have these very same problems.

Let’s use a little common sense here people. An albino dog can not be treated like a non-albino dog. The albino dog has special needs. Do you not protect yourself from the sun if you are sensitive with sun screen, clothes, hats and sun glasses? If you or a family member is sensitive to the sun, don’t you take into consideration your needs or the need of that person? Just like hairless dogs (which by the way were heavily frowned on for a time in the “pure breed dog world” even though the breed is an ancient breed in other countries), you would protect them from to much sun wouldn‘t you? Albino dogs are no different. Understand being albino means, there are differences in the way they see and are able to experience the world around them. Eye sight for example, if you physically see the world differently, that has issues within itself. Now add in being a dog and the characteristics of the breed type. Those that interact with this animal, must take into consideration these special needs, no ifs, no ands, no buts.

Man can no more "breed out" Albinism and Hyper pigmentation then he could "breed out" any other shade of pigmentation. Oh, he has tried a few times, but he keeps forgetting he is not the cause or the Creator of all that we call life. He is merely the steward and caretaker. Albinism is another ingredient in the “primordial soup” and man DID NOT create the gene that causes Albinism and Hyper pigmentation. These are just another color in life, or maybe I should say, the lack of color in life. These pigmentations are just as beautiful as your pigmentation is, whatever color it may be.

A wonderful place to start or further your education on Albinism and Hyper pigmentation is the organization N.O.A.H. (National Organization for Albinism and Hypo pigmentation) N.O.A.H. is a volunteer organization for those involved with these conditions and provide information about albinism and support for those interested in the condition. Yes, N.O.A.H. is about and for humans with these conditions, but if you understand the issues with humans with the conditions and you have a basic understanding on dog behaviors, temperaments and characteristics, then how hard would it be to add 2 and 2 and get a good understanding on albino dogs? A fantastic book on the subject of albinism is ‘Albino Animals’ by Kelly Milner Halls which earned several award in 2005, published by Darby Creek Publishing. Kelley has a website page about Albino Animals and one beautiful and remarkable young lady by the name of Bianca Knowlton (who happens to have a form of Albinism) Bianca Knowlton teaches through her website helping others to understand what it is like to have Albinism.

Ladies and Gentleman it is way pass time to rethink the albino dog whether pure breed or not. If you are one who find this animal interesting and beautiful or if you happen to already own one, make sure you have a good understanding of their needs (both in their breed and albinism), have a reliable supportive Veterinarian and have the funds to take care of such a dog. If you know you are able to take care of such an animal, go for it.

Think back to all of the issues we have had to rethink over these past hundreds and thousands of years. Some took longer then others, but eventually we as rational thinking human beings, we came around to reason. The next time you see a red eyed, pink skin, pink nose, white bunny or other being and think ‘oh, how cute’ or “wow, beautiful”, remember it too is an albino, no different then an albino dog.

Peace and Blessings to You and Yours

LaVonne

 

[massagegiftmom]

Dec. 12, 2008 at 10:57 AM

 

I read this and enjoyed it very much!

Reminds me of a puppy that used to let me live with him..."Everett"