Day blindness is a condition which causes dogs to be "blind" in bright light. Day blindness is an inherited problem. Progeny inherit this condition from the genes received from their parents. The genetic defect is recognized by geneticists as an "autosomal recessive" (i.e.: not sex-linked). Statistically speaking, for every "affected" Malamute in a litter, there are at least two carriers. "Affected" Malamutes should never be bred from. But it is the carriers of this condition that are the real risk to the breed.
Day Blindness
- bumping into or stumbling over things, eg: doorways, children's toys in the yard or hallway; the coiled hose, pot plants?
- stumbling up gutters, bumping into bushes, tripping over rises in pathways?
- refusing to, or having trouble negotiating steps into the house (eg: appearing to bump his/her nose on the first couple of steps)
- going out of your home, does it seem like the Mal is "feeling" where the next step is?
- does it try to chase a ball but overshoots where it landed, and only finds it by continuing to sniff the area?
- does it growl when strangers approach suddenly without warning?
- is it constantly seeking the shaded areas of the yard and is it hard to coax it into sunlight?
- does it seem totally disorientated when facing the sun and you call it?
- does making a loud noise (eg: clapping your hands) help attract its attention and helps you in recalling your Mal?
Do symptoms disappear at night ?
If you have any questions or suspect your dog is having trouble, the first step is to make an appointment with your vet.