HEALTH AND
CARE
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KEY POINTS FOR THE CARE OF
YOUR DOG
- Always
ensure your dog has access to
fresh drinking water and fresh
air.
- Dogs
generally toilet regularly each
day. If the dog appears to have
diarrhoea, or to be constipated,
or if there is blood present, a
vet check is important.
- Ensure
vaccinations are completed as
scheduled. Maintain heartworm
treatment. If travelling to the
Eastern States check first with
your vet for paralysis tick
treatment.
- Contact a
vet, and/or your dog's breeder,
if you are worried about the
health of your dog. If necessary
get a second opinion from another
vet. You, or your vet, may like
to talk with the Club's patron,
Dr Steven Metcalfe at Applecross
Veterinary Clinic in W.A. Dr
Metcalfe has had extensive
experience with Bernese and is
particularly interested in the
breed.
- Never leave
your dog tethered on a correction
collar or check chain.
- Never leave
your dog in a car unattended.
Heat build up in a car can be
extreme.
- Be alert in
hot weather to the possibility of
heat exhaustion. If your dog is
suffering from the heat then cool
them quickly, preferably with
cool, running water. In
particular, cool the head, neck,
paw pads and stomach. Lay the dog
in the shade on a wet towel. A
small amount of Gastrolyte salts,
available from Chemists, can be
mixed with drinking water in
extreme conditions.
- Avoid
activity after meals to help
reduce the risk of bloat or
colic. Click on the Bloat Chart
link below print and keep handy.
BLOAT CHART
- Bernese may
grab and swallow food items that
can cause a blockage in the
stomach or intestine. Corn cobs,
avacado stones, and peach stones
are particular problems and
should never be given to your dog
or left within his reach.
Excessive drinking, vomiting and
a general lack of energy may
indicate a blockage; always check
with your vet.
- Always keep
your 24 hour emergency vet
service number handy.
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HEALTH
ISSUES
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LIFESPAN
The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America
(BMDCA) conducted a health survey of
Bernese in 2000 and reported that the
average age of death is 84 months, with
females slightly outliving males. Large
dogs don't live as long as small dogs:
- Their
bones and joints need to
support a greater weight
and they may suffer
skeletal and
cardiovascular diseases.
- Their
hearts pump blood through
a large body so it wears
out more quickly.
- They
have proportionally more
growth hormones surging
through their metabolic
system and studies have
suggested growth hormones
shorten life.
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HEALTH
PROBLEMS MAY INCLUDE:
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Hip Dysplasia
results from an unstable hip socket and
subsequent degenerative arthritic
changes. It generally can't be detected
in pups at placement age but can affect
them as they age. Some affected dogs will
experience no lameness, others may be
uncomfortable, and still others with more
severe HD may have pain and movement
problems. Exercise and firm muscle tone
help provide support for painful joints.
Swimming and moderate exercise are best.
Dogs free of HD can still produce
offspring which are affected.
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Elbow Dysplasia is
the term used to describe several
different abnormalities of the elbow
joint and is a potentially crippling
condition. Like HD it causes arthritis.
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- 3.
Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD)
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Osteochondritis
Dissecans is a disease of the cartilage
and can lead to crippling arthritic
changes. At the moment there are no
studies to help determine the heritabilty
of OCD.
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Panosteitis (Pano)
is a disease of the long bones and
typically affects growing dogs from 5-8
months and up to 2 years of age. It can
be difficult to detect, and may cause
intermittent lameness which may last for
a week or months. It will generally
resolve with rest and subside completely
with maturity.
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Bloat (gastric
torsion and/or volvulus) is potentially
life threatening and incredibly swift in
onset. It is a condition that occurs when
the stomach fills with gas and then the
stomach rotates. Immediate medical
treatment, often emergency surgery, may
be the only way to save a life. Studies
have revealed so many factors that
precede bloating in dogs that no single
cause can be named.
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Allergies,
especially those that are food related,
pose a problem for some Bernese. They are
often difficult to diagnose, but there
may be heriditary components to these
problems. The family history in families
of dogs should be considered prior to
purchasing a puppy.
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Cancer presents the
greatest challenge for dog owners. In
Bernese, at least two types of cancer are
inherited. They are Mast Cell Cancer and
Malignant Histiocytosis. In the BMDCA
health study in 2000, 50% of all dogs
that died succumbed to some sort of
cancer.
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Berner-Garde is a non profit organisation
dedicated to accumulating and
dissemination of health information in
Bernese Mountain Dogs and working with
researchers to determine how genetic
faults can be minimized or eliminated in
the breed. |
TO
LEARN MORE - PLEASE VISIT THE WEBSITE AT - www.bernergarde.org - OTHER HEALTH
LINKS ON THE LINKS PAGE.
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