I hope you don't mind answering a question for me. I recently bought a Shih Tzu puppy from a local breeder. I live in Nolanville, Texas. My little "Swiffer" is wonderfully sweet and we all love him very much. He is a black and white but I am concerned about his eyes. They are crystal clear blue and he is going on 10 weeks old. He was born 12/26/02. They are not cloudy at all. He is not blind - he sees every move we make and he is not deaf - but I am being told that the blue eyes are an indication that he may go deaf. Your web page seemed like your are very knowledgeable and caring so I wanted to ask you to please tell me anything you know. I would greatly appreciate any advice or information you could give me.

Thanking You In Advance,

Stacy

Hi Stacey,
There is certainly a connection between blue eyes and deafness, most especially in white animals (including cats). But it is a congenital link - the animal will have been born deaf - and not a developing condition. In the UK several breeds with this problem are BAER hearing tested, which is the only way to know for sure if the animal is deaf in one, both or neither ear. If you contact a US Dalmatian Society, they should be able to help you. :)