ys heard that white boxers and bulldogs had a much greater probability of being deaf. This is something I found on the internet. I don't know if it helps any.
Inherited deafness can be caused by a defect in a single gene locus or may involve multiple genes. It is usually not possible to determine the cause of congenital deafness unless a clear problem has been observed in the breed or carefully planned breedings are performed. Congenital deafness has been reported for approximately 40 breeds, Bulldogs among them.
It can potentially appear in any breed. The deafness has often been long-established in a breed but kept hidden from outsiders to protect reputations. The disorder is usually associated with pigmentation patterns, where increasing amounts of white in the hair coat increase the likelihood of deafness. Two pigmentation genes in particular are often associated with deafness in dogs: the merle gene (not found in Bulldogs, but seen in the Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, Dappled Dachshund, Harlequin Great Dane, American Foxhound, Old English Sheepdog, Norwegian Dunkerhound among others) and the piebald gene (found in the Bulldog and Bullterrier, Samoyed, Greyhound, Great Pyrenees, Sealyham Terrier, Beagle, Dalmatian, and English Setter). Not all breeds with these genes have been reported to be affected.
The deafness, which usually develops in the first few weeks after birth while the ear canal is still closed, normally results from the degeneration of part of the blood supply to the cochlea. The nerve cells of the cochlea subsequently die and permanent deafness results. The cause of the vascular degeneration is not known, but appears to be associated with the absence of pigment producing cells (melanocytes) in the blood vessels. The function of these cells is not known but appears to be critical for survival of the cells supplying blood to the cochlea.
