Fatal White?

If you go to www.lethalwhites.com, you can find out that while a lethal white, or double merle Australian shepherd may or may not have hearing and vision problems, they can be as healthy as other dogs otherwise.

The term "lethal white" came from Paint horses whose sometimes all or mostly white foals couldn't eat and always died shortly after birth. Lethal white is not a correct or good term for the Double Merle dogs. The puppies don't die right after birth, they can eat, they don't always have hearing or vision problems, and they can be quite healthy aside from any vision or hearinbg problems.

"Lethal white" can mean several distinct problems, one is just an extension of flashy markings (so called "Boxer white" genetically) that can cause deafness and increased risk of skin cancer. It can also refer to a dog that is double-merle, which usually means major impairments of both hearing and vision (sometimes they are even born without eyes altogether).

Your vet should be able to tell you which your dog is as well as giving them a vision and a BAER hearing test, but if he is functioning normally, he at least as enough of both to function normally! Any defects or health problems at this point will be more related to the fact that he is a poorly bred Aussie (how do I know? #1 his color, #2 that he was given away in a WalMart parking lot) than his coloring - ALL poorly bred Aussies are at risk for epilepsy, joint malformations (hip, elbow), eye problems (PRA, juvenile cataracts, CEA, etc), drug sensitivities (MDR1), and thyroid problems as they age.

My friend had one. She was pretty much deaf and blind, but was actually a pretty good dog. We were camping with our horses once, and a bunch of cattle came into our camp. This deaf and blind dog herded them off in one sweeping movement. Not bad for a deaf and blind dog. I think she only lived to be 7 or 8, though.

If it hasn't had a recent wellness exam how would you know whether it's healthy or not?

Take it to a vet, while there you may address any concerns you may have.

Lethal whites often have very diminished sight & are deaf.

Sorry, LETHAL white. I apologize.