Should I worry about blue merle Pomeranian blindness or deafness?

It is hard to know without a full physical assessment - some cases may have problems with the position of eyelids and either inturned eyelashes or failure to blink fully, possibly requiring corrective surgery. A full vet report would be recommended prior to adoption

This is not advisable as blue merle often comes with genetic defects and when you cross two blue merle dogs you will get at least some sick puppies with hereditary defects. Double merles have a very high chance of being deaf, blind, or both because they lack pigment where it would normally be.

Speak to the breeder and have her checked out by your vet before bringing her home. The vet can advise you on what is causing the problem with her eye, and if it's something that can be fixed or cause life long problems. Any reasonable breeder will allow you to do this. If the breeder will not allow it, I would be very suspicious and recommend not getting this puppy. I hope this helps.

What a cute puppy! My suspicion is that the color changes are due to what is called a "merle" gene in this puppy, which can cause color dilution- or white patches on the fur and nose. In most cases it is not a concern but it has been associated with congenital deafness in some dogs. The deafness usually is apparent by a few weeks of age. You can ask the breeder for an examination by a vet to ensure that isn't an issue with this puppy before purchasing her.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Soren. A heart murmur is due to a leaky valve in the heart allowing blood to flow in the wrong direction. I typically recommend having x-rays taken of the chest to evaluate the heart and lungs. I will a lot of times recommended an ultrasound of the heart knowns as an echocardiogram as well. I refer my patients to a cardiologist for this procedure. Being a young dog, the murmur could be due to a congenital defect. A lot of times, the results are great and the cardiologist informs us that the murmur is nothing that we need to worry about in the future. If there is a concern though, it is best to know about sooner rather than later. I hope this information helps!

In-breeding over time can cause certain characteristic traits and genetic qualities (including defects) to be selected for that are undesirable. However it is unsure what exact characteristic traits will predominate in each individual puppy and to what degree. I think it is fair to ask if this line of pedigree has any genetic defects that you should be concerned about that could possibly pass on to Mabei, to make this breeder a bit more transparent in information and also hold them accountable for informing you as a concerned potential adoptee. Also another great tool is the DNA genetic testing (the blood test that is done through a vet, not the cheek swab one which is highly inaccurate) which will give you a list of genetic predispositions and abnormalities that Mabei currently has so that you are aware from the very beginning of any disease processes she will be vulnerable to developing later in life. In-breeding is not what we want to see done in any situation, because it creates all kinds of genetic nightmares in most situations and does not speak highly of this breeder in my professional opinion. I hope this helps and best wishes on your decision making when it comes to adopting this pet. Best wishes and take care.

It is difficult to say what the problem could be. The eye could have a birth defect where it didn't develop to its full size, it could have an internal problem, there could be a scratch on the eye or sustained an injury during or immediately after birth. In addition, the puppy seems to have a very round head. This is often seen in dogs with hydrocephalus. Many times, dogs with hydrocephalus do not show any signs and are normal. Signs of hydrocephalus may include lethargy, seizures, and nonspecific pain. The puppy should be presented to a veterinarian to be examined to try and determine what is wrong so that it may be treated accurately and maximize the chance for recovery. It is hard to know what type of dog the sire was. Some type of small terrier or Chihuahua would be a reasonable guess. There are companies that can test the DNA of the puppies and give a report about possible breeds they have in their lineage.