Common Illnesses of Popular Dog Breeds - 1

          Let’s face it. 

          Breeding in dogs hasn’t always been scrupulous. Sometimes, human want for monetary benefits has far outweighed the moral responsibility of breeders. And it still does. This, coupled with indiscriminate alteration of dogs as we know them to generate ‘cuter’ or ‘stronger or ‘more unique’ breeds as led to lineages that have diseases or deformities that are breed specific.

 

          I’m sure you got the breed that you have with some amount of research.

Here are some common breeds that we see in practice in India and the diseases they may be predisposed to:

 

1.    Beagle

 

Sprightly and curious, Beagles make fun pets who will always keep you on your toes. Common conditions we see in this breed include:

 

-    Dermatological conditions – Atopic dermatitis is common in beagles and is a disease complex causing severe itchiness and inflammed paws, ear pinnae etc.. Their skin also seems to be more photosensitive.

 

-   Hypothyroidism – Conditions causing this hormonal disturbance appear to be genetic. Hypothyroidism can manifest as weight gain, lethargy and doesn’t help matters with the skin either.

 

-     Epilepsy – Seizures are common. These can be inherited and will start manifesting between 6months to 3 yrs of age.

-   Cherry eye – This means prolapse of a gland in their ‘third eyelid’. It does practically look like a tiny cherry in the corner of their eye. It’s an inherited condition and can be corrected by surgery.

 

 

2.    Boxer

 

Is there such a thing as an inactive boxer? I love them for their uncontrollable urge to just be happy all the time. They can get a handful to manage for the inexperienced pet owners. Also, this are diseases you must consider:

 

-    Cardiovascular conditions – Boxers are loving but do not come with a very robust heart. Congenital diseases of the heart are common and so is dilated cardiomyopathy at an older age. It is infact called ‘Boxer cardiomyopathy’ Kind of hinting at how common it is within the breed.  This can cause fainting.

-   Dermatological conditions – Atopy, food hypersensitivity, allergic reactions to insect bites, super sensitivity to the sun especially with white boxers. Boxer parents are pretty much used to seeing their pet acting up with hives ever so often.

-      Cancer – This breed is highly susceptible to getting cancer and it can range from testicular cancers to oral tumours and everything in between. Needless to say, one must be vigilant with this breed.

-   Cherry eye – Just like the beagle, boxers can also get cherry eye. They also sometimes have other defects with their lids called entropion or ectropion.

-    Brachycephalic airway disease – Boxers are brachycephalic (flat faced) and that means they are more prone to getting heat srokes or respiratory distress.

 

 

3.    Labrador Retriver

 

This popular dog breed has been inbred to a point where there is marked increase in congenital conditions. I fondly call them  dustbin dogs for the whole world is edible for a labrador.

 

-     Dermatological conditions – Pododermatitis or repeated infections of the foot are common. Acral lick granulomas, a result of obsessing over and licking an area on their limbs is a condition that leads to repeated vet visits.

-       Diabetes mellitus – These sweet creatures are prone to getting diabetes. Usual age range Is between 4-14yrs.

-     Elbow dysplasia – Very high prevalance in labs, causing limping. Your vet will take Xrays to diagnose your pet Lab with this painful joint condition.

-       Hip dysplasia – Too common for my liking. It is a malformation in the hip joint which leads to constant friction between bones and eventual pain. We diagnose these too often and it has now come to a point were it almost always leads to surgery to give the pet some relief . Lameness and pain is unavoidable with this disease and it has to be managed life long.

     

-   Cancers – Bone cancers and oral tumours are common in this breed. Any swelling  or any abnormal growth therefore warrants a vet visit.

 

4.    Golden Retrievers

 

The smarter cousins to the Lab I find. Golden retrievers are absolute family loving dogs and it is amazing to have one in your own wolf pack.

 

-   Dermatological conditions – Atopy and just like labs, acral lick dermatitis is common. Golden retrievers, because of the way their fur is, are also more prone to getting wet eczemas, which are red, inflammed, severely itchy areas on the skin.

-       Elbow and Hip Dysplasia – The incidence is very parallel to labradors and we are seeing more and more cases of hip dysplasia in golden retrievers as and how they are becoming more and more popular among families.

-  Cancer – Though they are also susceptible to a wide range of cancers, hemangiosarcomas, splenic tumours are common in this breed and can require surgery.

5.    Shih tzu

 

The literal arm candy of the doggie world. Cute and with spunk, this toy breed has become very popular of late. And popularity means more diseases. Why? Because increased demand leads to more supply which often means unscrupulous breeding.

 

-      Eye problems – We may be seeing atleast 1 shih tzu a week who’s eye is not doing well. Corneal ulcers are most common. The eyeball is too big for the socket and has a higher potential to just pop out with trauma of any kind. Extra special care is needed as far as Shitzu eyes are concerned. Dry eyes and reduced tear production is also a common predicament.

-   Renal dysplasia – This means the kidneys are genetically malformed. These disease has no permanent solution and has to be managed life long.

-      Urinary bladder stones – Shih tzus are rapid stone formers and there has been a time where I have done back to back surgeries for 3 consecutive days only in shih tzus with bladder stones. This means as parents you need to be a little more disciplined about what you feed them.

-     Brachycephalic airway disease – Though not as bad as other flat faced breeds, these dogs also have a flatter face and can suffer the same respiratory distress that their other brachycephalic friends do.

 

 

          These are 5 of the most common breeds we see off late and their illness predispositions. This blog doesn’t mean to dissuade you from sharing a home with any of these breeds. It is just out here so that you are more aware and can catch subtle signs sooner so we have something to work with.

Hopefully, if you are planning on getting a new pet, this might encourage you to make sure the documents are in place and that you are purchasing from an ethical breeder.

 

          Ofcourse, it goes without saying that all flat faced, brachycephalic breeds are predisposed to brachycephalic airway syndrome, a condition causing difficulty breathing. These include pugs (thankfully, we aren't seeing as many of these after the vodafone trend has died down), pekingese, bulldogs, french bulldogs etc.

 

          All large breed dogs are prone to getting a life threatening emergency condition called GDV (Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus). I recommend watching the movie Marley and me to learn how fatal this condition can be. It essentially is an acute tummy flip that needs an immediate surgery. So this would put Great Danes, Labs, Retreivers, Rotties, Weimaranners, Dobermans (Is it not Dobermen?) at risk. A prophylactic surgery can be done and you should speak to your vet about it.

 

          I am also seeing a higher incidence of intra-abdominal testicles among dogs and this seems to be across all breeds including the ones I have mentioned and also German Shepherds, pugs, french bulldogs etc. Always check that both your dogs testes are in the scrotal sac because if they are not, we need to find the missing testicle and remove it. Any other location for it to be is abnormal and is going to lead to cancer at some point.

 

          Sometimes I feel like Veterinary practices are seeing more patients because most of them come with these breed linked illnesses. Ethical breeding and responsible buying is the only way out of giving these breeds a better chance at life.

 

          If your dog is not on the list I have covered and you want to know more about possible illnesses in your dog, do drop a comment or write to me. I will do a part 2 on this blog with more breeds.

 

 

 

What breed is your pupper?

Dr. N