Sapphires and Diabetes?

[Devi Xiao]

I recently visited a breeder who used to also have sapphires. Upon asking why she no longer bred them, she said that she found that sapphires tend to get diabetes more frequently and easily than other mutations. Have any other breeders seen this with their sapphire lines?

 

[lilchinchilla]

I have been breeding sapphires since 1998 and have never had one case of diabetes associated with any of them. I've never heard of it being an issue with sapphires before from other breeders I have spoken with over the years who raised them also.

 

[Dreamlite]

I doubt it has to do with the color. Probably has more to do with the line. Like with people diabetes is genetic and tends to run in families.

 

[Spoof]

I agree with Dreamlite, stuff like diabetes, tachycardia, weak hearts/susceptibility to diseases runs more in family lines than color. Granted it may appear to follow a color as one is specifically keeping members of the family line for that specific trait.

It can easily happen to any mutation.

 

[Vyxxin]

As I do not breed sapphires, and have not done thorough exploration of the mutation...did sapphires spontaneously occur in multiple places? I'm asking, as if they all originated from the same gene pool then any given genetic trait or disease COULD be more prevalent in them. However, with as outcrossed as every mutation is nowadays, I would say that it's highly unlikely and as mentioned, more likely that it runs more in specific lines than specific mutations.