Breed Health

Gastric Dilatation (GD) or Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV), both commonly called bloat, can be one of the most frightening emergencies you will ever experience with your dog. “While simple to diagnose, the pathological changes GDV causes in the dog’s body make treatment complicated, expensive, and not always successful.” ~ The Dog Owner’s Guide  What is bloat? It’s when the stomach (a gastric organ) expands, becoming dilated (dilatation) giving the G and the D of the acronym. The expa… Read More

In this ever-changing world we live in, any number of bone disorders can come up. This Guide To Recognizing Bone Diseases may prove beneficial in getting that limp that has suddenly appeared properly diagnosed. Some of the more common ones affecting Spinoni are listed below. Canine Hip Displaysia (CHD) Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) is a common problem in nearly all breeds of dogs. It is a joint disease that can be painful and often crippling. The diagnosis of canine hip dysplasia requires a c… Read More

Cerebellar Ataxia (or CA), also known as spinocerebellar ataxia when the spine is involved, is a neurological disorder that attacks young Spinone as well as other breeds. Spinoni were found to have a specific DNA linkage, which became known as ITPR1, and for which an effective test was developed. The information below was provided by Pat Fendley and was last updated in 1999. It is being retained for historic purposes and there are updates posted to the right.DO, however, read the information … Read More

Epilepsy refers to repeated seizures over a period of time. Anything that damages the brain in the right area can cause epilepsy.  Idiopathic means we cannot find the underlying cause of the seizures. Idiopathic epilepsy is, in a number of breeds, believed to have a genetic link. For more information, the American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Health Foundation has a great article on Understanding Canine Epilepsy. If your dog is having seizures:Please talk to your vet, and because i… Read More

Many breeds of dogs are affected with hereditary eye problems. Some of the more common conditions seen in the Spinone include: EctropionDistichiasisPersistent Pupillary Membranes (PPM)Cataract The OFA-CHIC’s Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER) has established a means for testing and certifying these conditions.  Their 2019 publication, Ocular Disorders Presumed to be Inherited in Purebred Dogs (“The Blue Book”), contains a lot of information on hereditary eye problems. From their website,… Read More

Thyroid problems are a fairly common occurrence in dogs. Thyroid levels can be high — hyperthyroidism (which is more common in cats than dogs) — or low. Hypothyroidism is fairly common in dogs and is the condition that occurs when not enough thyroid hormone is produced, causing a wide variety of symptoms including trouble with weight gain, hair loss, and skin problems. “The good news is this disease isn’t life-threatening, it’s easy to diagnose with a blood test, and it’s fairly easy and inexp… Read More