From:
WOLFYSLUV@aol.com
Date: 2003-08-15 15:02:09 UTC
Subject: going blind
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com, Genetics@egroups.com
Message-ID: <5b.3cce8ab8.2c6e4ff1@aol.com>
I had a fella contact me that one of his kits in his litter has gone
blind. It is six weeks old. He is confused because he hasn't ever seen a kit
"go" blind, just be born blind. I wrote him back and asked specifically what
markings and colorations this kit and its parents had, so I'd have a handle on
any genetic influences that may be occuring. I know that genetically it is
possible for a kit to be born with some hearing for a window of time, then
loose its hearing completely. But I didt know if that could happen with vision.
I had read that in other mammels that its possible for blindness to occur in
some neural crest disorders (just not commonly), such as with KIT, or even
leopard syndrome (which I dont even know can occur in ferrets).
Any breeders know about this? And any health people know if there
could be a disease process going on unknown to him? He was concerned because the
kit did take a topple that was only about a foot high in addition.
Wolfy