Entlebucher Health
Entlebuchers are basically a healthy breed. BUT, they can be afflicted with some health problems & that is why is it so important to make sure that the breeder you select has done the health checks prior to breeding and has also kept up with the yearly exams on their breeding animals. This is so important in this breed and any breed you would decide upon. Almost every breed of dogs has some type of health problem that you should be aware of. You should do your research and find out what these problems might be, and decide if it is something that you can live with. If not then, you should decide on a different breed for your family and lifestyle. Entlebuchers can be afflicted with the following diseases:
Hip Dysplasia
Hip Dysplasia literally means an abnormality in the development of the hip joint. It is characterized by a shallow acetabulum (the "cup" of the hip joint) and changes in the shape of the femoral head (the "ball" of the hip joint). These changes may occur due to excessive laxity in the hip joint. Hip dysplasia can exist with or without clinical signs. When dogs exhibit clinical signs of this problem they usually are lame on one or both rear limbs. Severe arthritis can develop as a result of the malformation of the hip joint and this results in pain as the disease progresses. Many young dogs exhibit pain during or shortly after the growth period, often before arthritic changes appear to be present. It is not unusual for this pain to seem to disappear for several years and then to return when arthritic changes become obvious. Dogs with hip dysplasia appear to be born with normal hips and then develop the disease later. This has led to a lot of speculation as to the contributing factors which may be involved with this disease. This is an inherited condition, but not all dogs with the genetic tendency will develop clinical signs and the degree of hip dysplasia which develops does not always seem to correlate well with expectations based on the parent's condition. Multiple genetic factors are involved and environmental factors also play a role in determining the degree of hip dysplasia. Dogs with no genetic predisposition do not develop hip dysplasia. X-ray confirmation of the presence of hip dysplasia is available and I have my dogs' hips x-rayed when they are two years old and have the x-rays sent to Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) for evaluation. You can check their site and see the results of dogs that have passed their hip x-rays.
PRA
Progressive retinal atrophy, or PRA, as it is frequently termed, is a long recognized, hereditary, blinding disorder. It is inherited as a simple autosomal recessive in most breeds. Early in the disease, affected dogs are night blind, lacking the ability to adjust their vision to dim light; later their daytime vision also fails. As their vision deteriorates, affected dogs will adapt to their handicap as long as their environment remains constant, and they are not faced with situations requiring excellent vision. At the same time the pupils of their eyes become increasingly dilated.Cataracts
Cataracts are basically any opacification of the lens of the eye. This cloudiness can range from tiny punctuate cataracts (similar to a piece of dirt on your glasses) to fully mature cataracts, which give the eye a whitish appearance and block vision, causing blindness. I might add that there's a common old age change in the lens called nuclear sclerosis which can give the pupil a bluish/whitish cast, but does not interfere that much with vision. Entlebuchers are afflicted with a Posterior Polar Cataract. You should have your dog's eyes tested yearly by a board certified Ophthalmologist and all breeding animals should be clear of eye diseases prior to breeding. You can check the results of Entlebuchers that are free of any eye diseases by checking the CERF website listed below.At this time there is research being conducted for finding the gene that produces PRA in Entlebuchers. We will eventually be able to determine if our breeding animals are afflicted, clear or carriers of the disease with a simple blood test. If you would like to help with this effort, please send a donation to the following address, together we can make a difference.
Dr. Simon Petersen-Jones (PRA Research)
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
Michigan State University
D-208 Veterinary Medical Center
East Lansing, Michigan MI 48824-1314
Checks should be made out to “Michigan State University” and endorsed “Entlebucher PRA Research.”
Orthopedic Foundation For animals Page