Hereditary Diseases In Dog Breeds

Dogs need good pet health care because they are prone to several types of diseases and medical issues. This is more so because some of the diseases are hereditary and this means that the treatment will in a way be easier.

Pet health care is one of the most important concerns of all dog owners. Dogs are prone to sever health problems, which can be of the skin, stomach, hips, bones, joints, eyes, ears and can even be hereditary or congenital. Most of the breeders spend huge amount of time as well as resources in an effort to remove or reduce problems caused by genetic diseases. These diseases pass from one breed line to another or it gets passed down from one generation to another. There are some amateur breeders as well more on the lines of puppy mills, where dogs are bred without proper medical screening and this can lead to poor genetic health condition in dogs.

A lot depends on the dog breeds because there are certain hereditary problems that are passed on in one particular breed only. For example: A genetic problem that persists in a German Shepherd dog will never get passed on to a Labrador or Golden retriever. Most of the hereditary problems that require intensive pet health care are specific to dog breeds.

The most common hereditary problem is that of the eye. Different dog breeds have different types of eye problems that can vary from cataracts to CEA also called the Collie Eye Anomaly. Cataracts are caused due to hardening of eye lens of the dog, which can lead to blindness in the long run. A cataract basically blocks the light from reaching the dogs retina. This takes place normally at an old age with all dog breeds but juvenile cataracts are considered to be hereditary problems and require immense pet health care. Juvenile cataracts can be mild or severe and in the latter case, the vet might have to remove the eye lens for improving eyesight.

On the other hand Collie eye anomaly (CEA) occurs when there is a problem with the blood supply to the dogs retina and it can lead to a detached retina. This is a disease that can affect all collie dog breeds like Rough Collie, Border collie, Smooth Collie and the Shetland sheepdog. Another inherited disease that requires pet health care is Ectropion. Ectropion is a disease in which the lower eye lids of your dog will droop, sag and roll out and this will expose the inside of the eyeball.

This kind of an exposure can cause mild conjunctivitis and inflammation. In such a case your dog will need pet health care under the supervision of a vet and he will be treated with ointments and drops. Ectropion is normally found in different types of dog breeds Basset hound, American Cocker Spaniel, Bloodhound, Bulldog, Boxer, Bull terrier, English cocker spaniel, Clumber spaniel, English Springer spaniel, Labrador retriever, Gordon setter, and Shih Tzu. There is a specific type of ectropion that is found in other large dog breeds like as the Mastiff, Great Dane, Saint Bernard, Great Pyrenees and Newfoundland.