Disease overview

Congenital Stationary Night Blindness is a hereditary eye condition that is characterized by poor vision in dim light. This is a non-progressive disease that affects specific neurons in the retina of the eye.

Gene name

LRIT3

Inheritance

Autosomal recessive

Signs and symptoms

Affected dogs will exhibit signs of vision impairment in dim or darkly lit areas. This disease may affect vision under bright light.

How is it diagnosed

Thorough examination of the eyes and clinical signs. A veterinary ophthalmologic exam can determine if there are changes in the eye that have or will lead to vision loss. Genetic testing is necessary to determine if there is an underlying genetic cause, which can assist veterinarians with diagnosis and help breeders identify affected and carrier dogs.

Breeds at higher risk

Citations

Das RG, Becker D, Jagannathan V, Goldstein O, Santana E, Carlin K, Sudharsan R, Leeb T, Nishizawa Y, Kondo M, Aguirre GD, Miyadera K. Genome-wide association study and whole-genome sequencing identify a deletion in LRIT3 associated with canine congenital stationary night blindness. Sci Rep. 2019 Oct 2;9(1):14166. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-50573-7. PMID: 31578364; PMCID: PMC6775105.

Kondo M, Das G, Imai R, Santana E, Nakashita T, Imawaka M, Ueda K, Ohtsuka H, Sakai K, Aihara T, Kato K, Sugimoto M, Ueno S, Nishizawa Y, Aguirre GD, Miyadera K. A Naturally Occurring Canine Model of Autosomal Recessive Congenital Stationary Night Blindness. PLoS One. 2015 Sep 14;10(9):e0137072. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137072. PMID: 26368928; PMCID: PMC4569341.

Disclaimer

Disease diagnosis and treatment should always be performed by a veterinarian. The following information is for educational purposes only.