Dog Health Conditions

Dog Health Conditions are often present at birth but are not visible immediately. Our small dog breeds, have a number of inherited conditions which you need to be aware of.

When choosing a dog breed, you may want to consider some of these health conditions detailed in the table below.

Many small dog breeds, as are all breeds of dogs, susceptible to one or more of the conditions discussed below.

When choosing a puppy, it would be advisable to have both the parents checked for many of these dog health conditions.

Ensure you select a registered and responsible breeder. Do not use puppy mills or backyard breeders. Pet shops, unfortunately, are also particularly suspect when buying a puppy.

Congenital Defects in Dogs

Condition	Breeds Affected	Remarks
Body Wall
Hernia: protrusion of part of an organ through the membrane which contains it
Diaphragmatic	Weimaraner, GSD	Signs will differ depending on the organ(s) that is protruding and the size of the opening in the diaphragm.
Hiatal	Brachycephalic breeds (breeds with short noses) and Chinese Shar Pei	Displacement of the junction between the oesophagus and the stomach from the abdominal cavity forward into the thoracic cavity.
Inguinal	Basset Hound, Cairn Terrier, Basenji, Pekingese, West Highland White Terrier	More common in male dogs. Result through some failure of the inguinal canal, through which the testicle descends, to close properly.
Umbilical	Airedale Terrier, Basenji, Pekingese, Pointer, Weimaraner	Failure of normal closure of the umbilical ring. Increasing abdominal pressure with advancing age forces omentum or intestines through the defect.
Bones and Joints
Cervical vertebral instability	Basset Hound, Dobermann Pinscher, English Sheepdog, Fox Terrier, Great Dane, Irish Setter, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Saint Bernard	Commonly known as wobbler syndrome. Instability of the neck vertebrae results in pressure on the spinal cord.
Hip dysplasia	Primarily large and giant breeds; also Cocker Spaniel and Shetland Sheepdog	Abnormal conditions of the acetabulum (cup-shaped depression on the pelvis with which the head of the femur forms the hip-joint) and head of the femur (the bone of the thigh).
Legg-Calve -Perthes disease	Small dog breeds, including Manchester Terrier, Pekingese, Poodle, Chinese Pug, Schnauzer, Wirehaired Fox Terrier	Necrosis (death of cells) of the femur head in the absence of infection due to pathogenic oganisms.
Odontoid process dysplasia	Chihuahua, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Poodle, Yorkshire Terrier	Instability, malformation or subluxation (partial dislocation) of the first and second neck (cervical) vertebrae that results in excessive flexion of the joint that may result in compression of the spinal cord.
Nervous System
Epilepsy	Beagle, Belgian & Tervuren Shephers, Keeshond, Collie, Dachshund, Poodle, GSD, Setters, Retrievers, Spaniels	Recurrence of seizures. Genetic predisposition in several dog breeds.
Hydrocephalus	Maltese, Yorkshire Terrier, English Bulldog, Chihuahua, Lhasa Apso, Chinese Pug, Toy Poodle, Pomeranian, Cairn & Boston Terriers, Pekingese	Excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (a watery fluid that is continuously produced and absorbed, which flows in the brain cavities and around the surface of the brain and spinal cord) within the skull. Congenital forms may occur because of structural defects that either obstruct the outflow or impede the absorption of cerebrospinal fluid.
Reproductive system
Cryptorchidism	Toy & Min Poodles, Pomeranian, Yorkshire, Cairn Terriers, Dachshund, Chihuahua, Maltese, Boxer, Pekingese, English Bulldog, Min. Schnauzer, Shetland Sheepdog, Siberian Husky	The testes of the male dog normally descend to the scrotum by 10 days after birth. Cryptorchidism can be diagnosed if both testes are not within the scrotum by 8 weeks of age.
Respiratory system
Stenotic nares	Brachycephalic breeds and Chinese Shar Pei	Results in narrowing of the air passage leading to respiratory difficulty, mouth breathing and snorting sounds.
Tracheal collapse	Brachycephalic & Miniature Breeds, especially Chihuahua, Poodle, Pomeranian	Trachea collapse due to malformations of the tracheal rings.
Skin
Dermoid sinus	Rhodesian Ridgeback, Shih Tzu, Boxer	A tubular indentation of the skin that extends from the skin surface on the midline of the back, ending in the subcutaneous tissues (tissues below the skin) or extending through the spinal canal.
Alopecia X	Nordic breeds such as Pomeranian, Spitz, Samoyed & Min Poodles	Commonly known as black skin disease.
Urinary system
Ectopic ureter	Siberian Husky	Urether (the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder) that enters at an abnormal place resulting in incontinence (lack of voluntary control of urination) since birth or weaning.
Familial renal disease	Basenji, Cocker Spaniel, Doberman Pinscher, Lhasa Apso, Shih Tsu, Rottweiler, Chow chow, Norwegian Elkhound, Samoyed, Bull & Softcoated Wheaten Terrier, Std Poodle, Chinese Shar Pei, Newfoundland, Bernese Mountain Dog	Renal function in affected individual dogs varies depending on the degree and duration of renal involvement.

Other common health conditions:

Dogs Arthritis - Don't let them suffer in silence

Shunts in dogs - Congenital Portosystemic

Tick Bite Fever Dog Hernias Dog Mites

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Veterinary articles supplied by Dr S Strydom and published with kind permission of DIA Publishing - publishers of KUSA Dogs in Africa Magazine

Dr Sunelle Strydom qualified as a veterinarian in 2004 at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria. She has a passion for writing and the sharing of knowledge to promote animal health and welfare. She has written several articles for KUSA Dogs in Africa as well as for Vra vir Faffa on the Landbouweekblad website at www.landbou.com

References

Boden E 1998. Black's Veterinary Dictionary 19th Edition. A & C Black, London
Ettinger S J & Feldman E C. 2000. Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine 5th Edition. W.B. Saunders Company, USA:2-5; 1983-1996.
TRuvinsky A & Sampson J. 2001. The genetics of the Dog. CABI Pul=blishing: 191 - 194
MedicineNet.com (website). Available from http://www.medterms.com/scrip/main/art.asp?articlekey=7529 as accessed on 25 September 2008.
MedicineNet.com (website). Available from http://www.medterms.com/scrip/main/art.asp?articlekey=5909 as accessed on 26 September 2008.
Merck Veterinary Manual (website). Available from http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/toc5008000.html as accessed on 4 September 2008

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