Health
Diseases
Hip dysplasia
The dog’s hip joint has worn incorrectly. With continual use of the joint it becomes increasingly loose, wears abnormally and may become arthritic.
Dogs with hip dysplasia often walk in a distinctive way and tend to sit with both legs on one side of the body.
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterised by sudden recurrent muscular, sensory or psychological episodes, with or without loss of consciousness or sudden seizures. Epilepsy is difficult to diagnose, impossible to cure completely, and it is a condition that causes dogs a great deal of suffering. In addition it brings much pain and psychological strain for the owners of affected dogs. For that reason it is advisable not to use in breeding any dogs suffering from regular seizures of any kind. Although it is one of the more frightening conditions for both dog and owner, fortunately there are medicines available today which, taken daily, allow many affected dogs to live a more or less normal life. Attention should also be paid to the fact that not every seizure a dog has is necessarily an epileptic one. Seizures are also a secondary symptom of many illnesses and of poisoning.
Read more here…
Cancer
In some area of the dog’s body cells begin to reproduce uncontrollably, forming a clearly bounded or irregularly shaped mass, to sustain which the body expends ever more resources, causing the organism’s condition to weaken or decline. A tumour can develop very quickly, but it can also grow slowly over a long period. A tumour can often become chronic, so that a new growth may appear after the old one is removed, either in a new place or the old one. Cancer has today become the most common cause of death among Siberian Huskies. The body areas at greatest risk are the reproductive organs. Females suffering from false pregnancy and elderly dogs are the most susceptible. Some sources suggest there is some connection between a dog’s food and the development of tumours.
Hypothyroidism
The most common endocrine disorder among dogs. The thyroid gland does not secrete normal amounts of the hormone thyroxine. A typical sign of hypothyroidism is weight gain even on small amounts of food, absence of coat and coat loss. Most dogs with hypothyroidism are lethargic, prefer a warm environment and tolerate little physical exertion. Dogs diagnosed with hypothyroidism must take tablets regularly for the rest of their lives in order to maintain a more or less normal quality of life.
Read more here… (in English)
Cryptorchidism, i.e. retained testicles
One or both testicles have not descended into the scrotum but remain in the abdominal cavity. In dogs with monorchidism only one testicle is in the scrotum, the other remains in the abdominal cavity. These dogs can produce offspring, but as this is a hereditary trait their use in breeding is not permitted. Generally it is advisable to neuter dogs with retained testicles, since a shrunken testicle left in the abdominal cavity has an increased risk of developing into a tumour.
HSF4(HC) — Hereditary Cataract
The symptom is clouding of the lens or loss of transparency to a greater or lesser degree. If the cataract affects the whole lens of both eyes, the animal is blind. With a partial cataract some vision may be retained. With hereditary cataract it occurs in both eyes, but in the second eye it may often only appear a couple of months later. Hereditary cataract occurring in young dogs appears to be the most common hereditary eye disease. DNA studies suggest that hereditary cataract may be inherited recessively. It can be tested for by genetic test. Result: clear; carrier; affected.
PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy), i.e. progressive wasting (shrinking) of the retina of the eye. PRA still occurs in almost all Toller lines, that is, affected dogs and carriers of the disease are found in almost every Toller pedigree. PRA is inherited recessively via a single autosomal gene, which means that to be affected a dog must receive the gene from both parents. All the offspring of an affected dog pass on the affected gene, although they may not themselves become affected.
PRA is a disease that causes wasting of the retina in both eyes, ending in the dog going blind. The first symptoms are night blindness and narrowing of the field of vision — the dog sees only straight ahead. The age at which symptoms appear and the progression of the disease vary greatly. PRA is usually identified in Tollers at 5—7 years of age, but the disease can also appear earlier. The dog’s eyesight begins to weaken one way or another at 5—10 years of age.
To establish PRA status there is a genetic test, by means of which it is possible to determine whether a dog is clear of PRA, i.e. healthy (A – no defective gene present), a PRA carrier (B – one defective gene) or PRA-affected (C – two defective genes). With suitable breeding choices the birth of affected dogs is prevented and, in the longer term, the proportion of dogs carrying the disease in the Toller breed is also reduced. For that reason testing is recommended for all breeding dogs.
CEA – collie eye anomaly, i.e. thinning of the sclera syndrome. This is a recessively inherited condition. That means the dog must receive the defective gene from both parents in order to be affected. CEA generally occurs in both eyes, but the changes may differ between them. CEA is caused by the partial failure of the embryonic fissure to close during the eye’s embryonic development.
CEA can be diagnosed by an examination of the fundus of the eye. To diagnose CEA by fundus examination the dog’s eyes should be examined while still a puppy, at 6—10 weeks, since later pigment may mask CEA. The condition of a dog’s eyes is known for certain only when the eyes have been examined both as a puppy and as an adult. The condition is congenital and does not progress.
CEA is divided into three grades according to severity:
- CRD or CH is the mildest and most common form and means underdevelopment of the choroid. The blood vessels of the choroid are insufficiently developed.
- A coloboma is a defect (an outward bulging of the sclera) beside or within the optic disc. A very large coloboma probably also affects vision.
- Ablatio retinae is the most serious form of CEA. It means partial or complete detachment of the retina. A dog is blind in an eye with detachment.
DM – Canine degenerative myelopathy
(DM) is a progressive disease of the spinal cord which appears in dogs at an older age (usually at 7-8 years). The first clinical signs of this genetic disease are ataxia of the hind limbs (impaired movement and coordination problems). In the later phase of the disease dogs develop weakness of the hindquarters (the animal can no longer stand) and paralysis of the hindquarters, followed by respiratory arrest and death. When clinical signs appear, euthanasia is generally carried out. From the first symptoms until death takes on average 3-12 months.
CMR- ( inglise keelne info)
Canine Multi-focal Retinopathy (CMR) is a recessively inherited eye disease
The disease generally develops in young dogs before 4 months and might progress slowly, might appear to heal, or might even appear and then go away again. Some dogs affected with CMR do not show clinical symptoms of disease until later in life. The modifiers of CMR disease are a subject of research interest. Some lesions disappear with no remaining sign, while some lesions leave a wrinkled area – a fold. Some leave the lasting lesion of a blister formation. Most dogs exhibit no noticeable problem with vision despite their abnormal appearing retinas. And in almost all cases, CMR does not progress significantly over time. The disease seems to have a consistent pattern among the breeds identified so far, although lesions in the Coton de Tulear are often more serious and seem to remain longer than in some of the other CMR-affected breeds.
MDR1 — information can be found HERE
medicines that must not be used on Australian Shepherds that have not been tested for MDR1.