Pembroke Welsh Corgi: Health

Pembrokes are generally healthy, but like all breeds, they're prone to certain health conditions. Not all Pembrokes will get any or all of these diseases, but it's important to be aware of them if you're considering this breed.

If you're buying a puppy, find a good breeder who will show you health clearances for both your puppy's parents. Health clearances prove that a dog has been tested for and cleared of a particular condition.

In Pembrokes, you should expect to see health clearances from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) for hip dysplasia (with a score of fair or better), elbow dysplasia, hypothyroidism, and von Willebrand's disease; from Auburn University for thrombopathia; and from the Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF) certifying that eyes are normal. You can confirm health clearances by checking the OFA web site (offa.org).

• Hip Dysplasia: This is an inherited condition in which the thighbone doesn't fit snugly into the hip joint. Some dogs show pain and lameness on one or both rear legs, but others don't display outward signs of discomfort. (X-ray screening is the most certain way to diagnose the problem.) Either way, arthritis can develop as the dog ages. Dogs with hip dysplasia should not be bred--so if you're buying a puppy, ask the breeder for proof that the parents have been tested for hip dysplasia and are free of problems.
• Cataracts: This affliction causes opacity on the lens of the eye, resulting in poor vision. The dog's eye(s) will have a cloudy appearance. Cataracts usually occur in old age and sometimes can be surgically removed to improve vision
• Cutaneous Asthenia: Also known as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, dermatosparaxis, or dominant collagen dysplasia, this condition causes defective connective tissue in the skin to become fragile, loose, and stretchy. Blood vessels are also affected, leading to excessive bruising and blood blisters.
• Cystinuria: This is a condition where high levels of a protein, called cystine, are excreted in the urine, and may indicate stone formation. This is usually a problem only in males.
• Degenerative Myelopathy (DM): This is a progressive degeneration of the nervous and supportive tissue of the spinal cord in the lower back region. It causes rear leg lameness, weakness and eventual paralysis and is often misdiagnosed as disk disease.
• Epilepsy: Epilepsy is a neurological condition that's often, but not always, inherited. It can cause mild or severe seizures that may show themselves as unusual behavior (such as running frantically as if being chased, staggering, or hiding) or even by falling down, limbs rigid, and losing consciousness. Seizures are frightening to watch, but the long-term prognosis for dogs with idiopathic epilepsy is generally very good. It's important to take your dog to the vet for proper diagnosis (especially since seizures can have other causes) and treatment.
• Intervertebral Disk Disease: Because of their long backs, Pembrokes are prone to ruptures in a spinal disk. Symptoms include unsteadiness, problems with going up or down stairs and furniture, knuckling over of limbs, weakness, and paralysis.
• Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) with Pulmonary Hypertension: PDA is a congenital defect of the vascular system that allows unoxygenated blood to bypass the lungs. It is usually detected in puppies during veterinary examination. Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure within the lungs and is a rare part of the PDA disease. PDA can be surgically corrected.
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA): is a family of eye diseases that involves the gradual deterioration of the retina. Early in the disease, affected dogs become night-blind; they lose sight during the day as the disease progresses. Many affected dogs adapt well to their limited or lost vision, as long as their surroundings remain the same.
• Retinal Dysplasia: This is an abnormal development of the retina. Sometimes the retina may detach and cause blindness.
• Von Willebrand's Disease: Found in both dogs and humans, this is a blood disorder that affects the clotting process. An affected dog will have symptoms such as nosebleeds, bleeding gums, prolonged bleeding from surgery, prolonged bleeding during heat cycles or after whelping, and occasionally blood in the stool. This disorder is usually diagnosed between three and five years of age, and it can't be cured. However, it can be managed with treatments that include cauterizing or suturing injuries, transfusions before surgery, and avoidance of specific medications.

« Size | Next: History »