Canine/ Doggy Inherited Diseases

The downside of getting pure bred dogs is the possibility of them having their breed's inherited diseases. Since the origins of a breed is through their ancestor's inbreeding to obtain specific traits, coats and structure, it's not a surprise that the genetic weaknesses of those  parents are also transferred to their offspring.

 Source

Before getting a puppy for yourself, it is important to consider whether a pure breed or a cross breed  will be better for you. The reason why most street dogs are healthier than the ones sold in the pet shop is that aside from their parents being able to survive the elements in unhealthy conditions, they also got the genetic information of each one. Furthermore, the probability that they were from the same doggy family is virtually low. 

Here are a number of breeds with the respective genetic diseases they are prone to. The ones I've listed are the disorders owners should pay particular attention to as they have serious effects to them.

• American Bulldog- Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia (The French Bulldog has none.)
• Basset Hound- Another doggy with many disorders to look out for. But the most important are Platelet Dysfunction (Basset Hound Thrombopathia), Seborrhea
• Beagle- Pulmonic Stenosis
• Border Collie- Collie Eye Anomaly, Deafness
• Boxer- Subaortic Stenosis, Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Corneal Dystrophy
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel- Heart Murmurs
• Chihuahua- Patellar Luxation
• Dachshund- Acanthosis Nigricans, Intervertebral Disk Disease and a long list of other diseases.
• Dalmatian- Deafness, Urolithiasis (Stones)
• Doberman Pinscher- Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Cervical Vertebral Instability, Intervertebral Disk Disease, von Willebrand's Disease
• German Shepherds- Degenerative Joints
• Golden Retriever- Subaortic Stenosis, Elbow Dysplasia, Hip Dysplasia, Retinal Dysplasia
• Labrador Retrievers-  the list of this breed surprised me a whole lot. Among the most commonly noted diseases regarding them are Hip, Retinal, and Elbow Dysplasia
• Miniature Pinscher- Surprisingly this breed has the least fatal problem- other than common problems like Alopecia, Cataracts, Corneal Dystrophy, Diabetes Mellitus and accounts of Epilepsy.
• Pomeranian- Patent Ductus Arteriosus
• Poodle- Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus, Sebacious Adenitis
• Pug- Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye)
• Shar Peis- Skin Diseases
• Shih-Tzu- Exposure Keratopathy Syndrome
• Siberian Husky- Here's another breed with no documented inherited fatal disease.

Can't find the breed you're in-love with in my list? Worry not! There is an entire website to keep pet lovers informed. Simply visit this link.

It's a good thing that respectable breeders, nowadays, do their best to produce puppies with minimal chances to get those defects by breeding only healthy doggies negative of their common genetic diseases. If you're serious about choosing a specific breed, make sure to be informed. It always helps to research the net, read a book or better yet, ask a vet near you about your future breed-to-be.