24/12/2018
The "IN THING"
It amazes me how topics bubble up, create a stir, p**f... and are replaced by the next one.
Like spectators in a Theatre, people sit and watch what enters onto the stage. Hoo and haa, cheer and clap... curtain... next.
Each new topic has an instant eager crowd of followers. Some believe, some follow and some spread the word.
The latter with such vigor, it reminds of Speakers Corner.. or some historic Politicians on the stand... or someone standing on a mountain.
The humann kind and mind has a tendency to build groups and follow blindly. Believe and see differences as threats. Threats to be converted, eliminated - or made into the devil.
Not many are interested in the truth. In facts.
The few that are, remain silent and dig and research by themselves. They don't stand a chance against a believing mob.
For a while it was Hip Displasia in dogs... then all of a sudden (because expensive equipment to be paid off entered the market)
the attention focussed onto the hearing test for puppies.
Who didnt test, got the wrathful focus of the believers.
And even though there are other test, just as precise, only the new, the IN TEST was acceptable.
Yarns were spun about the topic, everyone knew exactly what was going on - but "knew only a little" or nothing about how the hearing in the mammalian ear works, and why it sometimes does not.
Non followers were not asked why they have a different opinion - they were declared irresponsible and disgraceful... no matter what.
The helpful partner of a believer sometimes took it onto him, to set the abbarring person straight. But instead of researching, the answer was not read at all or only in parts or with the fashionable tinted glasses, that let through only what fits the view.
So the answer, tho based on facts, didn't "quite cut the custard" and even though both ears tested positive, able to react to sound... they still could be deaf, because the ears were not tested with the IN METHOD.
Interesting.
The new test was there to eliminate THE gene for deafness.
Sounds brilliant and creditable - thus it was easy to shun the non believer.
Unfortunately, there is no such gene. And a research project, that declared that dogs with black around ears are less likely to be deaf, that was nothing but a minor study project without conclusive results - as the statistics mentioned show.
Still... all jumped for it. Here they now had found a candle, a 'light the dark'.
All gathered around it.
If only scientific and genetic research were that easy.
It takes more than a few hundred ears from the same genetic lines to find the reason for deafness.
The tendency to believe led to fancy statements such as
- "Hearing starts when the ear canal opens"
- "the dog is deaf, because the receptor cells shrivel up"
- "when there is no coat color pigment in the inner ear, the dog is deaf".
Why the body would put coat pigment into the inner ear... no one asked. It sounded good enough. Unfortunately, there is no such thing.
And slowly word spread, that it is so. That there is no such thing.
So time for the curtain to cover the embarrassment.
Some are still clapping, whispering... but the curtain has started to open again - for a new topic.
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I find it exciting and helpful to research these topics. For the benefit and health of my DOGS.
I am grateful if someone points out a new test or resource.
But i prefer to stay with facts and what is scientifically proven, can accept that some answers are still elusive, but focus on my dogs, not The Others.
Thank god, the dogs and pups are not aware of all this...
