20 Dogs Who are Most Prone To Diseases

bulldog

Watching your pet struggle with diseases can be very traumatizing. After all the tender loving, care and facilitation, the last thing you want is your dog to fall ill. If you do not own a pet yet, but you are keen to acquire one, it is important to know what breeds are the most prone to diseases. This will save you from incurring high vet costs and even better; save you from the trauma of having to watch the pet suffer when you can do something to prevent the condition.

The following is a list of 20 dogs breeds that are most prone to disease.

The Beagle

This breed of dog is prone to epilepsy. A dog with epilepsy usually struggles with seizures and loss of consciousness. Even though the dog can catch this disease at any stage of his life, it most happens when it is between six months and three years. Once the dog is infected, there is no chance that the disease will heal or go away, and may require continuous treatment all through the remainder of his life.

Boston Terrier and Pug

The major attribution that characterizes the Boston Terrier and Pug is their big eyes. Unfortunately, this trait opens them up to eye issues and disorders. As compared to other breeds, when these types of dogs get into a fight, they are likelier to suffer from eye injuries and in worse cases; the eyes might pop out of their sockets. The Boston Terriers and Pugs also have a higher chance or contacting the “Cherry eye” disease.

The Cavalier King

Mitral Valve Disease is a disease that attacks the Cavalier King Spaniel breed of dogs when they are either very young or elderly. This is a condition where a certain heart’s valve fails to work properly leading to blood pumping backwards. Because of this, the heart does not work properly leading to the dog developing conditions such as heart murmur.

bulldog

The Bulldog

In as much as this breed of dog look adorable from the outside, they are very likely to suffer from breathing problems as compared to any other breed. Because of their natural physicality, their nostrils are too small, they have a very long soft palate, and their tracheae are narrow. This leads to them having inadequate air which is needed for proper respiration. This also explains why bulldogs tend to snore loudly, and when playing, they make loud granting noises. As this is a physical problem, there is nothing much that you can do to prevent the situation other than going easy when exercising them and not leaving them in the sun for long.

Boxer

Of all the known different breeds of dogs, Boxers stand the highest chance of suffering from cancer. In fact, cancer leads the line as the major cause of death for many of these dogs. Most of these dogs suffer from different types of cancer, such as brain tumors, lymphoma and cell tumors. You can prevent this by regularly checking if your pet is developing any types of lumps. When detected in its early stages, the dog can receive healing treatment.

German Shepherd

This is a very popular breed of dog and like most of them from the large family of dogs; they have a higher chance of suffering from hip dysplasia. This is a condition that results when the dog’s hip joints are misaligned. Mostly this is because of the ball and socket not working together as they should. When your dog suffers from this condition, it will have problems walking and in worst cases, it can develop arthritis. However, you can prevent this by taking your dog to regular hip dysplasia screening.

Doberman Pinscher

The Doberman could get infected by dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) disease. This condition mainly occurs when the dog has a very big heart that renders it unable to pump blood correctly. As this happens from the internal parts of its body, you will not see any sign that the dog is suffering until it collapses. While there is no cure for this disease, you should take your dog for regular screening in order to prevent the disease from developing.

The Dachshund

Their natural nature is to run fast, jump over high places and grab everything that crosses their eyesight. However, this exposes them to complications such as back problems. Because of the physical activities that they engage in, they end up straining their spinal cord, thereby causing back issues. In worst cases, damage to their spinal cord may cause them to become partially paralyzed. The main way of preventing this is by monitoring your dog’s physical activities and not letting any heavy objects land on their backs.

Cocker Spaniel

The Cocker Spaniel tends to have longer ears than other breeds. This makes them vulnerable to various ear infections and disorders. Most of the dogs with pointed ears have enough air circulation which is something that dogs with large drooped ears do not. You can, however, prevent the ear infections by regularly flipping your dog’s ears so that they can dry out and allow for better air circulation.

Chihuahua

Most of these breeds suffer from a collapsing trachea. This mostly happens when the cartilage that is supposed to hold the trachea in place fails leading to the trachea flattening. This leads to difficulty in breathing and you may notice that your dog produces some honking noises because of this. In addition to that, most dogs suffering from obesity also have a higher chance of developing this complication. You can prevent this by giving your dog a healthy diet and let it stay away from pollen and anything that may cause allergy. Always ensure that the dog is not overly excited at any given time.

Yorkshire Terrier

Most of the Yorkshire terrier breeds suffer from Portosystemic Shunt (PSS) at birth. In most cases, this happens when the dog’s liver receives blood toxins from the intestines as a result of being washed by the portal vein. In other cases, the portal vein may fail to clean up the blood at all leading to the dog developing different physical complications such as stunted growth. In addition to that, as the dog grows you will notice that it seems confused regularly and may develop seizures in worse cases. Because this happens at birth, there is no prevention. However, the dog may require surgery to heal it.

Siberian Husky

Autoimmune disorders especially those that affect the eyes and skin attacks these breeds mostly. A dog with this disorder will exhibit symptoms such as hair loss, having crusts in their nose and their ears start to flap. Dogs above four years are likelier to suffer from these conditions. If you do not treat your dog early, the conditions may grow worse leading to permanent vision damage. With the fact that these disorders are autoimmune, it means that they are genetic and there is no logical way to prevent them.

Shih Tzu

Shih Tzu

Shih Tzu dogs are not strangers to the luxating patella disease. With many people referring to this disorder as the wobbling kneecaps disorder, the condition affects the dog’s kneecaps making them to fall out of place. This causes the dog to strain while walking, limping, hobbling and may even try to skip some steps. While it is true that you cannot prevent this condition, you can feed the dog with minerals to enable him grow stronger bones.

shetland sheepdog

Shetland Sheepdog

These breeds are very famous because of their distinctive look. However, they are prone to eye complications such as the infamous “collie eye” disease. Dogs with this condition mostly have retina and optic nerves problem that affect their eyesight. Mild “collie eye” problems may not affect the dog’s vision at all. However, when the situation grows worse, the condition may cause permanent blindness. There is no possible prevention for this disorder. However, if you are looking to acquire any of this breed, first inquire if the breeder has ever screened him for “collie eye” before.

Poodle

Many poodle dogs suffer from a disease known as Glaucoma. A dog with this condition will have an eye filled up with fluids. This may cause server pain and irritation to the dog and with due time, it will lead to permanent blindness. You can save yourself the cost of your dog having to undergo surgery that will in turn to his eye’s removal by regularly checking if your dog has any sign of poodle.

Pomeranian

Many, if not all of these breeds are characterized with having hairier bodies than other dogs. This leaves them susceptible to hair loss disorder. Mostly, the hair lose happens when the dog contacts the Alpoecia X hormonal condition. Knowing if your dog is suffering from this condition is not hard, as you will notice him losing a lot of hair in the regions around the tail and the thighs. Because this is a hormonal disorder, you can help the pet by spraying the affected areas. Neutering and melatonin can also serve the dog well.

Maltese

Characterized by having white hair, maltese breeds stand a higher chance of developing the little white shaker syndrome even though this disorder can affect dogs of all colors. The main cause of this syndrome is an inflammation in a brain that in turn causes a nervous system disease. If your dog is suffering from this disease, you will immediately notice as the dog exhibits symptoms such as trembling, shaking tremendously, and may be unable to walk in the worst-case scenario. There is no specific way that you can prevent the little white shaker syndrome from occurring. However, you can visit a vet who will in turn prescribe corticosteroids that serve to minimize the effects.

Labrador Retriever

The main problem that these breeds face is obesity. These dogs tend to be inactive and eat a lot. This leads to them being overweight. You are therefore advised to cautiously monitor your dog’s eating habit and make sure it exercises to avoid contacting disorders such as obesity. Basing on researches and recent studies, one in every four Labrador has a gene that becomes active as soon as the dog is full. Because of this, the dog seems to be constantly hungry and have elevated levels of appetite. The dog always feels the need to eat if when his body do not really need any extra food. You can prevent your dog from becoming obese by regularly practicing with it; feed him on raw fruits and veggies for example carrots and apple snacks.

Great Dane

For large breeds of dog such as the Great Danes, their major problem is bloating. When they eat, their stomachs feel up with gas or fluids leading to their internal organs suffering from pressure. Normally, when a dog suffers from bloating, it will have difficulty in breathing. However, the bloat can cause the dog to go into sudden shock in worst cases. When you notice that your dog us restless soon after eating, panting and have trouble eating, immediately call a vet to attend to him.

Golden Retriever

Unlike humans where you notice exposure to allergens from sneezing and sniffling, to dogs you will notice this when they scratch, chew or lick their skin. Apparently, the Golden Retriever breed is the most susceptible to allergies and need extra care. You can prevent this by remove all the possible causes of allergies to the dog and spraying the hot spots. 

Conclusion

Generally, all breeds of dogs are prone to some kind of disorder or disease due to their physicality. However, the ones discussed above are the most notorious ones. If you own any of them, you need to take extra care.

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