Blue Cross blog

Just like humans, any dog can develop health problems. But some breeds have a higher risk of getting certain diseases than others. This guide is here to help potential new dog owners understand this a little more...

Whether they’re puppies or elderly dogs, no pet is immune from the risk of getting sick at some point in their life.

But there are some breeds that have a predisposition for certain diseases, which means that they have a higher risk of getting them compared to the general dog population.

A predisposition doesn’t mean that every dog of that breed will be affected and some conditions are very rare, but this guide will help you to understand some of the diseases associated with certain breeds.

We urge people to consider rehoming a rescue dog from a charity like Blue Cross, but if you are thinking of getting a pedigree pup, this information could be useful to discuss with the breeder or your vet before taking one on. 

Hounds

Basset hound: Predispositions include congenital heart defects (hole in the heart), eye problems e.g. glaucoma and eyelid abnormalities, skin diseases, congenital elbow problems and slipped disc.

Dachshund: Predisposed to heart problems due to a leaky valve, epilepsy, slipped disc, and retinal disease resulting in progressive loss of vision. 

Irish wolfhound: Predispositions include heart disease, Von Willebrands disease (bleeding disorder), congenital abnormalities of the joints resulting in pain and lameness, bone tumours and retinal disease resulting in progressive loss of vision.

Working dogs

Boxer: Predisposed to heart conditions (both congenital and acquired), underactive thyroid gland, congenital abnormalities of the joints resulting in pain and lameness, congenital deafness, tumours (especially of the brain and the skin), ulceration of the cornea and breathing difficulties due to facial conformation.

Great Dane: Predispositions include heart conditions (both congenital and acquired), congenital abnormalities of the joints resulting in pain and lameness, spinal problems of the neck (wobbler syndrome), bone tumours, eyelid abnormalities and glaucoma.

Doberman: Predisposed to heart problems (dilated weak heart), flank sucking (a compulsive disorder), underactive thyroid gland, hepatitis (liver disease), Von Willebrands disease (bleeding disorder), Spinal problem of the neck (wobbler syndrome), narcolepsy-cataplexy (a disorder of the nervous system), and congenital defects of the eye.

Gun dogs

Irish setter: Can develop a blood condition called canine leukocyte adhesion deficiency (CLAD), which causes persistent infections. They can also suffer from gluten intolerance resulting in diarrhoea and weight loss, epilepsy, eyelid abnormalities and retinal disease resulting in progressive loss of vision.

English cocker spaniel: Predispositions include heart disease (leaking heart valve), skin diseases, hepatitis (liver disease), bleeding disorders, inherited kidney problems, cataracts, glaucoma, eyelid abnormalities and retinal disease resulting in progressive loss of vision.

Labrador retriever: Predispositions include skin diseases, hepatitis (liver disease), congenital abnormalities of the joints resulting in pain and lameness, myopathy (inherited muscle disease resulting in weakness), tumours of the skin and fat, narcolepsy-cataplexy (a disease of the nervous system), cataracts and retinal diseases, some of which are inherited alongside skeletal defects. 

Terriers

Fox terrier: Predispositions include congenital heart conditions, skin disease, epilepsy, cataracts and lens luxation (displacement of the lens of the eye).

Scottish terrier: “Scottie cramp” is an inherited disease in which muscle spasms are brought on by exercise. Other predispositions include Von Willebrands disease (a bleeding disorder), craniomandibular osteopathy (a painful condition of the skull and jaw bone) and tumours of the brain and skin.

West Highland white terrier: Predispositions include congenital heart conditions, skin diseases especially allergies and yeast infections, hepatitis (liver disease), hip problems, craniomandibular osteopathy (see above), “dry eye”, congenital eye defects, and fibrosis of the lungs.

Utility

Boston terrier: Predispositions include a congenitally narrowed exit to the stomach resulting in vomiting (pyloric stenosis), spinal problems due to abnormally shaped vertebrae and malformation of the spinal cord, hydrocephalus, “cherry eye”, cataracts, ulceration of the cornea of the eye, and breathing difficulties as a result of facial conformation.

English bulldog: Predispositions include congenital heart conditions, skin diseases, abnormalities of the joints leading to pain and lameness, spinal problems due to abnormally shaped vertebrae and malformation of the spinal cord, eyelid abnormalities, “dry eye”, “cherry eye”, and breathing difficulty due to facial conformation.

Poodle: Can be predisposed to skin diseases, hip problems, dislocating knee cap (patella luxation), skin tumours, epilepsy, cataracts, retinal disease resulting in progressive blindness, congenital eye defects, and coughing due to a collapsing trachea (airway). 

Toy

Cavalier King Charles spaniel: Predispositions include heart disease (leaking valve), syringomelia (a painful condition of the spinal cord in the neck), epilepsy, “dry eye”, eyelid abnormalities, congenital defects of the eye and breathing difficulty due to facial conformation.

Pekingese: At risk of heart disease (leaking valve), pyloric stenosis (see above), dislocating knee cap (patella luxation), slipped disc, skin infections in deep facial folds and breathing difficulty due to facial conformation .

Yorkshire terrier: Predispositions include heart disease (leaking valve), skin disease, hip problems, dislocating knee cap (patella luxation), cataracts, retinal disease resulting in progressive blindness and coughing due to a collapsing trachea (airway).

Pastoral

Collie: Suffer from collie eye anomaly, a group of defects resulting from abnormal development of the eye with variable degrees of blindness, eyelid abnormalities, retinal disease leading to progressive blindness and nasal disease.

German shepherd dog: Predisposed to a range of conditions including congenital heart disease, skin diseases, digestive diseases, bleeding disorders, abnormalities of the joints leading to pain and lameness (e.g. hip dysplasia), tumours of the skin and internal organs and degeneration of the spinal cord in later life leading to progressive loss of hind limb function.

Old English sheepdog: Predispositions include abnormalities of the joints leading to pain and lameness, tumours of the skin, brain and nasal cavity, cataracts and congenital defects of the eye.

Please note: The breed predispositions listed here aren’t exhaustive and are taken from published literature. Information for other breeds together with references for all the entries can be found in: Gough & Thomas 2010 Breed Predisposition to Disease in Dogs and Cats (second edition), Wiley-Blackwell.