Inherited eye problems are common

Hereditary glaucoma, cataracts, persistent pupillary membrane, progressive retinal atrophy and retinal dystrophy have all been identified. The most serious of these is glaucoma. All Siberians should be tested for this disease prior to breeding and any dog identifed as being predisposed to the disease should not be bred from. The resulting condition is extremely painful for the dog - just as it is in humans - and must be avoided at all costs.

The other conditions are less serious and, while it would be unwise to breed from a dog affected with cataracts, breeding from siblings may be necessary in order to retain other desired characteristics. If and when genetic screening is available, we will be able to identify carriers and exclude these dogs from breeding as well.

For the time being, annual physical screening is recommended to identify those dogs which are affected, as many of these diseases can appear later in life. These physical screenings must be done by an eye specialist veterinarian.

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