From:  Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice - Special Issue: Pediatrics - July, 1999

Congenital Deafness and Its Recognition

by: George M. Strain, PhD

 

Table 2. Dog Breed-Specific Deafness Prevalence (percent)

Breed

Dogs

Tested

Bilaterally Hearing

Unilaterally

Deaf

Bilaterally

Deaf

Total

Deaf

Dalmatian

5009

70.2% (3510)

22.0% (1100)

8.0% (399)

30.0% (1499)

Bull Terrier

573

89.0% (510)

9.9% (57)

1.0% (6)

11.0% (63)

 

white

299

80.9% (242)

17.1% (51)

2.0% (6)

19.1% (57)

 

colored

272

97.8% (266)

2.2% (6)

0.0% (0)

2.2% (6)

English Setter

530

85.7% (454)

12.1% (64)

2.3% (12)

14.3% (76)

English Cocker Spaniel

828

92.8% (768)

6.2% (51)

1.1% (9)

7.2% (60)

 

parti color

794

92.6% (735)

6.3% (50)

1.1% (9)

7.4% (59)

 

solid color

34

97.1% (33)

2.9% (1)

0.0% (0)

2.9% (1)

Australian Cattle Dog

238

87.4% (208)

10.5% (25)

2.1% (5)

12.6% (30)

Catahoula Leopard Dog

48

31.3% (15)

27.1% (13)

41.7% (20)

68.8% (33)

Jack Russell Terrier

47

80.9% (38)

8.5% (4)

10.6% (5)

19.1% (9)

November 15, 1998

Another study produced these results:

 

Breed-Specific Deafness Prevalence In Dogs (percent)

Breed

Dogs
Tested

Bilaterally
Hearing

Unilaterally
Deaf

Bilaterally
Deaf

Total Deaf
(uni + bi)

Dalmatian

5,333

70.1% (3,740)

21.9% (1,167)

8.0% (426)

29.9% (1,593)

Bull Terrier
      white
      colored

665
346
311

89.0% (592)
80.1% (277)
98.7% (307)

9.9% (66)
18.0% (62)
1.3% (4)

1.1% (7)
2.0% (7)
0.0% (0)

11.0% (73)
19.9% (69)
1.3% (4)

English Setter

662

87.6% (580)

10.3% (68)

2.1% (14)

12.4% (82)

English Cocker Spaniel
       parti colored
       solid color

1,247
1,171
67

93.7% (1,168)
93.6% (1,096)
98.5% (66)

5.4% (67)
5.4% (63)
1.5% (1)

1.0% (12)
1.0% (12)
0.0% (0)

6.3% (79)
6.4% (75)
1.5% (1)

Australian Cattle Dog

296

85.5% (253)

12.2% (36)

2.4% (7)

14.5% (43)

Catahoula Leopard Dog*

78

37.2% (29)

23.1% (18)

39.7% (31)

62.8% (49)

Whippet*

 80

98.8% (79)

 0.0% (0)

 1.3% (1)

 1.3% (1)

Jack Russell Terrier*

84

86.9% (73)

7.1% (6)

6.0% (5)

13.1% (11)

*Insufficient numbers of animals tested at this time for percentages to be meaningful.

Dr. George M. Strain

Louisiana State University
Comparative Biomedical Sciences

School of Veterinary Medicine

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803

Phone: 225-578-9758

Fax: 225-578-9895

E-mail: strain@lsu.edu

May 16, 2005