German Shepherd Health Problems and Symptoms
German Shepherd Health Problems and Symptoms: German Shepherds are also prone to some diseases or health issues like Dysplasia and Bloat.
Many people are confused is the German shepherd a Healthy breed? and the answer is yes GSDs are healthy dogs Here we will know about German shepherd sickness and symptoms. German shepherd’s health problems symptoms are not so difficult to find.
German Shepherd breed is becoming more and more popular nowadays and their popularity is giving rise to indiscriminate breeding practices, breeders try to make more and more money by poor breeding this cause many hereditary diseases to get inherited into Puppies of German shepherds from their parents so it becomes difficult to choose a healthy German shepherd puppy, Dogs with such diseases should not be used in breeding so that risk should get eliminate and problem should get prevented.
There are many health concerns in GSD that may lead to Common diseases or some serious health problems. German shepherd Dogs (GSDs) are commonly get affected and are more likely than dogs of other breeds to suffer from Certain diseases which affect Joints and bones and some of them affect the spine in the body such as Osteoarthritis and other degenerative diseases.
Most people are often confused with German shepherd health problems back legs this can be Health problems like Elbow and hip dysplasia are the most common and are often in such breeds like GSDs, symptoms of certain diseases or problems are Reduced mobility and if affect them drastically to make them uniquely vulnerable the symptoms typically include pain and difficult movement when using the affected joint.
Like all dog breeds German shepherd dogs are also suffered from common health problems and they also suffer from various conditions that affect the body continuously but even some good breeders fail to notice them just as cancer – Primary health conditions of German shepherd will look fine but over the years or months, they can guide your dog to life risk.
There is a particular type of diseases and health issues that German shepherds are mostly affected and are German shepherd Digestive Problems like Chronic diarrhea, Blood disorders or Bleeding Disorders, Eye diseases that lead to vision problems such as keratitis which is inflammation of the cornea, Dwarfism caused by poor breeding, chronic Eczema, Epilepsy, Different type of Allergies are basically long haired german shepherd health problems like flea allergies but it can also happen in German shepherd with hair of normal length.
All these diseases are not necessarily found only in German shepherds other breeds can also exhibit these conditions but all these conditions are relatively common in the German shepherds. We will discuss Health Problems and Symptoms in German Shepherds including older German shepherd health problems.
Some Common Health problems found in German Shepherd:
- Hip Dysplasia and Elbow Dysplasia
- Bloat (gastrointestinal syndrome)
- Osteoarthritis
- Hemophilia (Hemophilia A)
- Epilepsy
- Pancreatitis
- Sub Aortic Stenosis
- Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency
- Degenerative Myelopathy
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy
- Cherry Eye
- Diabetes Mellitus
Let us know about these health problems in Detail:
Hip Dysplasia and Elbow Dysplasia in German Shepherds
Dysplasia is a joint problem, the German shepherd is prone to have Dysplasia in Hip and Elbow joints.
Hip Dysplasia: Some heavy breeds are known to develop Hip dysplasia, Hip dysplasia is developed when there is the displacement between hip joints and thigh bone.
Elbow Dysplasia: Elbow dysplasia is one of the most common joint problems in a German shepherd, Elbow dysplasia is developed when there is a displacement between joint and bone.
To Recognize Dysplasia in your GSD you should carefully examine the activity level of your German shepherd if your dog has Dysplasia he will show less activity level, You will observe that his way of walking will change and his Stance also gets change.
Observe the response of touch on the joint of your dog if your GSD is having Dysplasia he will feel high pain and in response to touch, he will start to Growl.
Symptoms of Hip dysplasia and Elbow dysplasia in German Shepherds-
- Rigidity
- Pain
- Decreased activity and decreased motion
- Looseness of joints
- Change of stance
- Loss of muscle mass of that area
Bloat in German shepherd
Bloat is the most common Health issue that every dog owner should be aware of. Gastric Dilatation is also known as Bloat is an Emergency Gastrointestinal syndrome that can also kill your GSD within hours.
Bloat is a situation when a dog’s Stomach gets expanded or gets bloated with gas which causes pressure on the diaphragm resulting in breathing problems. During Bloat a dog usually repeatedly tries attempts to vomit and gets failed.
During bloat, an Owner should immediately understand and act quickly because it can kill your dog. Bloat is most common in heavy dogs like Rottweilers, Akita, and Greatdane.
Symptoms of Bloat in German shepherd-
- Bloated Stomach or Distended Abdomen
- Unsuccessful attempts to vomit
- Difficulty in Breathing
- Rapid heart and pulse rate
- Excessive foamy saliva
- A dog becomes Uncomfortable and Restless
- Unable to lie down
Osteoarthritis or Degenerative joint disease (DJD) in German shepherd
Many German shepherds get suffered from Osteoarthritis and arthritis and Old aged GSDs are more prone to this health problem. Not only German shepherds many breeds are affected by this disease and millions of dogs are affected worldwide by a joint disease commonly known as Osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is forming of chronic joint inflammation which causes problems in the walking of your dog which is more likely to be observed in Old dogs, Not only dogs it also affects many animals including Cats and Rabbits.
Osteoarthritis can also be caused by abnormal growth of the cartilage.
An owner can find out whether his Dog is suffering from DJD or not he should examine the behavior of his GSD and if he observes these changes in his dog he should take his dog to a good Vet.
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis or Arthritis in German Shepherds-
- Rigidity or Stiffness
- Decrease range or area of motion and movement
- Swelling in the joints
- Pain in the joints
- The dog will cause difficulty in getting up and moving
Hemophilia (Hemophilia A) in German shepherd
Hemophilia A is one of the most common blood diseases, This blood-clotting disease is inherited. Many German shepherd puppies suffering from this inherited disease die within the week after their birth. This disease can be a threat to your dog’s life because bleeding in the abdomen and bleeding in the chest cavity can cause the death of your dog.
This can cause spontaneous bleeding and bleeding in joints and muscles can cause lameness and can also lead to lameness. Like many Inherited diseases, there is no exact cure for Hemophilia.
Some Symptoms of Hemophilia A in German shepherd:
- Bleeding from mouth and nose
- Swelling in joints
- Excessive bleeding at trauma and surgery site
- Blood in Feces
Epilepsy in German Shepherd
Epilepsy is a neurologic disorder that can cause your dog to seizure repeatedly. This chronic condition is Observed in many GSDs worldwide.
It is difficult for an owner to tell that his German shepherd has a different type of seizure or he is really Epileptic because many health problems can cause seizures in dogs. If your dog has more than one seizure in a day then you should obviously consult a Vet, it can be possible that your dog is Epileptic.
Pancreatitis in German shepherds
Pancreatitis is a disease in which the pancreas becomes inflamed and digestive enzymes become active in the pancreas which causes swelling in the pancreas and it begins to digest itself only.
This disease is common in old-aged dogs and mostly in females and overweight dogs. An owner must take his dog immediately to a Vet if he observes any symptoms of Pancreatitis.
Symptoms of Pancreatitis in German shepherds:
- Loss of appetite
- A dog will become Restless
- Swollen abdomen with pain
- Vomiting
Sub Aortic Stenosis (SAS) in German shepherd
This disease is common in large-sized dogs such as Rottweilers, Great Dane, and Golden Retrievers, this disease is Genetic and it is by birth and in some cases, it is observed in the first year of life. This heart problem also occurs in Cats. In some cases, sudden death can occur.
Sub-Aortic Stenosis (SAS) is stenosis or narrowing of the area just below the aortic valve that creates blockage and obstruction of the blood flow through the heart. In this condition, the heart works harder than normal and this causes the heart muscle to become thickened.
An owner must take his dog to a Vet if he observes symptoms related to this disease.
Symptoms of Sub Aortic Stenosis (SAS) in German shepherd-
- Difficulty in Breathing.
- Coughing
- Weakness and laziness
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) in German Shepherd
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) is one of the most common diseases in German shepherds and it develops when the pancreas gets unable to produce enough digestive enzymes. It can also be caused by chronic inflammation of the pancreas (Pancreatitis) and Diabetes. EPI causes improper absorption of nutrients which will result in a weight loss of the dog and can cause chronic diarrhea.
It is not difficult to identify EPI in a dog, an owner can identify it by observing the symptoms of this disease in the dog.
Symptoms of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) in German shepherd-
- Weight loss
- Loss of Appetite
- Chronic Diarrhea
- loose stool
- Fail to gain weight
Degenerative Myelopathy in German shepherd
Degenerative Myelopathy or Canine Degenerative myelopathy is an uncommon disease that usually occurs in Purebred dogs like Boxer, Poodles, Corgis, and Rhodesian Ridgebacks usually in their old age. It is a progressive disease which means it gets worsened up over time and it occurs in the spinal cord. This can initially affect one hind limb and then the other.
Unfortunately, there is no exact treatment or cure for this disease, and this disease gets worsened up by time and usually, after about six months to three years dog loses its ability to walk and move.
The symptoms of Degenerative Myelopathy in German shepherds are that the dog will get trouble in getting up, walking, and climbing stairs.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) in German Shepherd
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) is a Degenerative Eye disorder that affects. This Genetical disorder affects the Photoreceptor cell of the Retina which leads to blindness. It can be observed at the age of around 2 months or at the age of 2 to 5 years. It initially causes night blindness and after some time complete blindness.
The symptoms of Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) in German shepherds are night blindness and the dog’s eyes will seem to be shinier when some bright light gets reflected towards their eyes.
Cherry Eye in German shepherd
The Cherry Eye is a Prolapse of the Nictitating membrane also called the third eyelid present in the eyes of the dog. This Nictating membrane (NM) can protrude and can cause a red lump in an eye’s inside corner, Surgery of the cherry eye is necessary. Usually, this Eye disease didn’t cause pain but it causes irritation to the affected dog.
Symptoms of Cherry Eye in German shepherd-
- Redness of eye
- A dog will try to Rub his eyes
- Dry Eyes
- Swollen Eye area
- Irritation
Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in German Shepherd
Diabetes Mellitus or Diabetes is another Pancreatic disease, This Chronic disease can’t be cured but as same as in humans, it can be managed properly.
It is a chronic disease that is caused by the failure of the pancreas to regulate blood sugar levels. This metabolic disorder is one of the most common diseases in dogs and the most common symptom is the increased urination of dogs.
Symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in German shepherd
- Increased Urination
- Increase in Appetite
- Sudden Weight loss
How to keep your German shepherd healthy
By providing him a proper and balanced diet
A good diet is very important to keep your dog healthy and happy. A German shepherd should be fed a proper diet that should be rich in Protein. The diet of a GSD should be nutritious and it should contain a proper concentrate of Fats, Carbohydrates, Minerals, and Vitamins. You should also monitor the calories intake of your German shepherd, you have to notice that your dog is taking the proper amount of Calories according to his activity level and needs. Some dogs are allergic to certain food items so you have to keep in mind that you are not feeding such food to your dog to which they are allergic.
You have to Monitor the weight of your dog and notice that you are not overfeeding them because this can make your GSD overweight and Obese. You should give your dog plenty of fresh water and keep him hydrated. Eatables like Chocolate, Onion, and Garlic should be avoided.
Regular Exercising
Daily Exercising is very important for an Energetic and Powerful breed like a German shepherd and it also helps in maintaining their health. Exercising with your dog will be fun for you and he will also enjoy it. Exercising can prevent your dog from being overweight and it will also avoid lazy behavior in him. German shepherds didn’t get tired easily, You can take them for long walks and jogging. You can also exercise your GSD while playing and it’s the most fun way of exercising a dog.
Keeping your GSD clean and hygienic
Grooming is necessary for German shepherds, it not only helps in enhancing their looks but also avoids some health problems. There may be chances that your GSD has skin inhabitants like Bacteria in his coat which can cause skin infection so Bathing is necessary for their long-haired coat. German shepherds are known to shed heavily so Brushing is necessary to remove extra dead hair from their coat and it also helps in cooling their body temperature in summers. Not only their Coat and skin, their teeth and gums also require some care. Their teeth should be brushed to avoid Gums issues.
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