Typical Border Collie
Health Problems
Expensive Vet Bills?
Border Collies are incredibly active dogs
and enjoy nothing better than a good long run. Normally, you
would associate this with a healthy animal, plenty of exercise
etc. but there health problems that a Border Collie may
experience in its lifetime. The most common of these is Hip
Dysplasia. It is a genetic disease and has been claimed to be
inherited from the dogs parents. Not only is hereditary, it is
also caused by many environmental factors, like weight and
diet. It ranges in severity from dog to dog, dependant on
age amongst other things, and can be very painful for a border
collie. You are most likely to spot the dog limping and having
difficulty getting up from a lying position, and it generally
portrays signs when a dog is between the ages of four and nine
months. There are ways in which you can manage this disease,
including different food supplements and other vitamins.
Another thing that is very common in Border
Collies is a congenital, inherited disease called Collie Eye
Anomaly. It effects the retina, choroid and sclera in the dogs
eye, and is caused by abnormal development of the eye. It
doesn’t generally significantly impair a dogs vision, but it
can happen very rarely but it is known in Collies as a mild
disease. There is a DNA test available now to ensure that
breeders do not produce affected puppies. Another disease that
Border Collies are prone to getting is epilepsy, however like
human epilepsy, the disease can be controlled by medication. It
can be both acquired and congenital and involves the dog having
seizures. This can be very frightening for a dog owner, as
there are three “phases” to the seizures, all of which are
unpleasant.
Also, like Hip Dysplasia, there is another
disease that affects the joints that a Border Collie can get.
It is called Osteochondritis Disease, and it can be hereditary,
environmental, or dietary, but generally now, both parents are
screened for this to ensure no affected puppies. There are a
number of diseases that have been found in Border Collies but
these are less common. They include Elbow Dysplasia and
Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis. This is very severe, but
thankfully very rare and a dog with this disease rarely lives
for longer than two years.
If you think your Border Collie may be ill,
or have one of the above mentioned diseases, you should get
them checked out by a Vet straight away, as with proper tests
and medication, they can be controlled and make your dogs life
a lot easier and a lot less painful. Left to their own devices
and they will not only cause your pet a lot of unnecessary
pain, but could potentially be fatal and you may lose your
beloved animal. Regular check ups at the Vet’s will ensure that
any disease your pet may have is caught in it’s early stages
and there is a higher chance of treatment!
Top Training Guides
| 
BlinkList
Delicious
Digg
Facebook
Furl
Google Bookmarks
Stumbleupon
Yahoo My Web
