Please note Staffordshire Bull Terriers (and most bully breeds) have a weaker immune system in general, so compounding the issue with breeding for color is never a good thing. Some Staffords are prone to food and skin allergies without adding in the dilute gene. Please read the following and take it very seriously when considering a Stafford just for color.
This is why we do NOT breed for blues, and please take this seriously, it is a very serious issue in our breed. Please note the pic of the blue Stafford below, bald patches, thin hair and it has severe itching all the time.
What is color dilution alopecia?
Colour Dilution Alopecia (CDA) is a condition of hereditary skin and is more common in dogs reared for a color of the diluted mantle. For Adult dogs with inherited gene, it is also considered a form of follicular dysplasia. It is more commonly found in dogs with a blue or fawn cape. These two colors of the mantle were diluted by black and red / Brown. Alopecia is a disorder that causes complete or partial loss of hair permanently. It hits the follicle follicle at the lower level of the dog's skin, causing it to self-destruct, making the new hair growth impossible. [..] the color dilution alopecia (CDA) also causes the loss of fur and skin problems, including Squamosità and itchy skin. It may also present recurrent bacterial infections.
Symptoms:
- loss of fur: the first symptom of CDA is the loss of fur, although this will not show up until the dog has at least six months and often up to three years.
- broken hair, known as "stubbl alopecia": this may change the skin, Papules (swelling that does not produce pus) and pustules (with pus)
- dry and scaly skin
- recurrent bacterial infections (usually found on the back of the dog and can be identified by infected hair follicles, which appear to be small bumps
- skin infections with strong itching
Types:
The board may be interested in many races, although it may only affect certain individual dogs within these races. These individual dogs are recognizable by the color of the truffle, from the edges of the eyes and lips that can be lavender, Blue-Grey or blue. The Color of the cape may vary from fawn, Blue, Blue Fawn (Blue-Fawn) or bronze.
Cause:
- the most significant cause of color dilution alopecia is inheritance, although dogs that are affected by the recessive gene are born with a healthy appearance.
- the amount of dilution in the dog is assumed to result in the severity of alopecia.
- the d-Locus Gene controls the hue of the hair color
- an undiluted dog will have a normal colouring with a dd gene or a dd gene.
- diluted dogs will have a dd gene, evident from nose color (Blue)
- because dilution is a recessive gene, only dogs carriers of the dd gene can be affected, even if a dog in possession of the dd gene will be a carrier
- since the cause of CDA is not fully understood, it is thought that loss of fur happens for their formation of colouring that is fatal to hair follicles
The board may be bypassed for non-breeding dogs and not carrying color dilution; this includes dogs that are not only directly affected by the "DD" Gene and also by their children and parents.
Genetic testing for mutation "C.- 22 g>a" are available for the identification of the mlph gene and are recommended for all breeding subjects with blue.