Primary Hereditary Cataract

Body function:

Eyes

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Primary hereditary cataracts is an eye disorder affecting Australian Shepherds. A genetic mutation in the HSF4 gene causes cataracts to form in both eyes as young as 2 years of age. Dogs with only one copy of the mutation tend to develop posterior cataracts that do not interfere with vision. In contrast, dogs with two copies of the mutation tend to have more severe and rapidly progressing nuclear cataracts.

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List of affected breeds:

Genetic research has linked this gene and condition in the following breeds:

Boston Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier

A brown and white dog with floppy ears is looking up at the camera with a big smile and its tongue hanging out.

What does this mean for a dog with this trait?

There is no known cure for primary hereditary cataracts. Dogs experiencing vision loss from cataracts may be helped by minimizing hazards, introducing verbal cues, and increasing supervision.

Symptoms

Dogs with primary hereditary cataracts can start to show signs of vision loss as young as 2 years of age. This may cause increased clumsiness, trouble tracking objects, and trepidation when moving around. Ultimately, severe enough cataracts can lead to total blindness.

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