Border Collies and Common Health Problems

When it comes to livestock work, nobody can belittle the abilities of border collies. These intelligent and hard working dogs are excellent in herding different kinds of animals from sheep to cattle, pigs, ostriches and others. This characteristic makes them champion in every farmer's hearts.

Border collies excel not only in herding but in other activities as well such as flyball and disc dog competitions. In order to keep them happy and fit to do the tasks expected of them, breeders should make sure that they produce healthy puppies free from diseases such as:

Hip Dysplasia.

Hip dysplasia, or HD is the most common disease affecting border collies. It is a degenerative disease characterized by varying degrees of hip joint laxity or looseness, partial dislocation and severe arthritic change. Hip dysplasia is a result of the abnormal development of the hip joint in the young dog. It could affect one or both legs, both right and left sides. Symptoms may not exist but the most typical are pain and discomfort during and after vigorous exercise, walking or running with an altered gait, limping and decrease of activities in general. Without treatment, the dog may not be able to walk anymore.

Collie Eye Anomaly.

Collie Eye Anomaly, or CEA is a congenital disorder in which parts of a dog's eye such as retina, choroid and sclera do not develop normally. It can be a mild disease that can cause visual impairment but may also cause blindness. While CEA is not a progressive disease, there is no method known to treat collie eye anomaly right now.

Epilepsy.

Another genetic disease affecting border collies is epilepsy. It is a chronic disease characterized by seizures. Two types of epilepsy are primary and secondary. The primary epilepsy is genetic or inherited thus it is sometimes called true epilepsy. A dog with primary epilepsy may have his first seizure between the ages of six months to five years. On the other hand, secondary epilepsy refers to seizures caused by health issues such as degenerative and developmental diseases, toxicity, infections and metabolic, nutritional and traumatic issues.

If you suspect your border collies may be affected with one of the diseases mentioned, you should seek out your vet's attention at once. Proper tests and medication, if there is any, should be done to help your dog. Border collies deserve more than just painful diseases. Have them checked and treated to make your beloved pets happy and healthy.