How to find out if your dog is Albino WITHOUT genetic testing
It is often difficult to identify if your dog is really Albino without genetic testing. Genetic testing can, however, be very expensive, lying in the thousands range. This article will sum up how to identify if your dog is Albino at home, without genetic testing.
Albinism is a disease in which the production of melanin is vastly reduced, leaving little to no pigment in the host’s body. The difference between Albinism and other diseases that cause a lack of pigment is Albinism actually results in serious health problems.
Albino dogs are extremely rare. You would be lucky to even see an Albino dog let alone own one. The small count of these dogs comes from a few reasons: Firstly, Albino dogs in the wild must be protected and are usually not present during mating season. Thus, the reproduction of these dogs is very limited. Additionally, for two dogs to be able to reproduce an Albino offspring, both parents must be fully Albino themselves. Most Albino dogs are kept as pets and therefore rarely used for reproduction. Lastly, Albino dogs tend to live shorter life spans, decreasing the chance of them having offsprings.
I personally have an Albino dog at home, so I wrote this article to sum up my research. Although scientists are still researching Albino dogs, here are the characteristics and behavior trends that were confirmed:
1. Lack of Pigment
Because of a lack of pigment, Albino dogs have a few differentiating characteristics. They typically have pink skin (visible around their belly), pink noses, and light-colored (white, cream, light brown) fur. Most importantly, you should be able to easily notice the pink skin around their eyes and their pink lips. If your dog doesn’t follow one or more of these trends, he/she may be partially Albino, but not purely Albino.
2. Eye Trends
The lack of pigment is also visible in the eyes of an Albino dog. They typically have light-colored, translucent eyes found in shades of light blue, green, and sometimes even pink. You might even notice in the day their eyes are one of these colors and change to another one of these colors in the night. For example, my dog has blue eyes in the day and pink eyes at night. You will also notice red blood vessels in your dog’s eye. This is caused by dogs’ sensitivity to UV rays. If I were to pull even the slightest bit on my dog’s eyelid, I see bright red blood vessels on the white of his eye. Because of light sensitivity in your dog’s eyes, it is best to have your dog wear doggy-sunglasses outside. Whenever my dog is taken outside without sunglasses, he squints and even closes his eyes to avoid getting hurt.
3. Sensitivity to the sun
The lack of pigment in dog’s skin causes them to be very sensitive to sunlight. Owners should avoid even taking their dog outside when the sun is medium to high intensity. Indirect sunlight is okay for a short period of time, but too much sunlight will cause the dog to get skin diseases such as skin cancer. I previously hadn’t known how sensitive my dog’s skin was. I took my dog to the beach, where the sun was at medium intensity. Within ten minutes, his skin started turning red and his blood vessels started popping out. Don’t make the same mistake as I did!
4. Damaged Senses
Albino dogs may also have trouble with normal senses, especially hearing and seeing. Some Albino dogs may also be deaf and blind. My dog isn’t able to hear as well as other non-Albino dogs. Albino dogs also have trouble seeing colors and moving objects. Whenever I play fetch with my dog, he runs to the toy but has trouble finding it.
5. Behavior changes
Along with physical appearance, Albino dogs may have slight changes in behavior. They tend to be more aggressive towards other dogs and animals. They are also not as smart as other dogs of the same age and breed and therefore require more patience when training.
Albino dogs display most if not all of these characteristics. If your dog doesn’t fall into most of these categories, he/she is most likely not Albino. However, if you are able to see these trends in your dog, it is important for you to research into the special actions you have to take to keep your Albino safe and healthy.
