Dufenhof Swissies

All dogs, purebreds and mutts alike, are at risk for various health problems.  It is essential to understand that while ethical breeders of purebred dogs will do all they can to make educated choices in an effort to minimize the potential health problems in future generations, no one, no matter how careful, can eliminate all risks.

The risk of perpetuating some health problems can be minimized through health screenings of the parents or by waiting to breed until the sire & dam are mature individuals. However, this can only reduce, not eliminate, the risk of selected problems.

Unfortunately in many cases there really is no reliable screening method available at this time and all anyone can do is to breed only healthy dogs and to know as much as possible about the overall health of the dogs in the pedigrees they are dealing with in particular, as well as the breed in general.

Prospective Swissy owners need to educate themselves about the various health problems experienced in the breed and understand that even a puppy bred by the most responsible breeder could unfortunately be affected by one or more of these problems. On average, the percentage of Swissies afflicted with any particular health problems is below 10%, however, no one has a crystal ball to accurately predict which individual dogs will be the ones affected, so it is best to be aware of them all so that you are prepared should your Swissy be one of those affected.

So what are the biggest health-related concerns for Swissies? I posed this question to a group of Swissy owners that included both breeders and pet owners, all of whom have owned 3 or more Swissies and most have been involved in the breed for 15 years or more.  Their dogs represent a wide cross-section of the breed, coming from breeders all across the US and Europe.

While a highly unscientific survey, the health concern everyone had at or near the top of their list was Epilepsy. One reason for this is the fact that there is no way to pre-screen for epilepsy, no definitive way to "diagnose" epilepsy beyond ruling out some of the other causes of seizures and the treatments avilable for affected dogs are limited and not always succesful.

The other health problems most frequently mentioned were Gastric Torsion (Bloat), Splenic Torsion and Hip Dysplasia. Although these four were not the only problems listed, they were overwhelmingly the most frequently mentioned.  Of these health concerns, only isolated Splenic Torsion is a problem rarely seen in non-Swissies.

Other problems that warranted multiple mentions included Elbow Dysplasia, eye problems (entropion, distichiasis and cataracts), Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD) of the shoulder and digestive issues (licky fits, food sensitivities). Incontinence among females spayed too young was also a concern, as were cruciate injuries & other health concerns related to spaying or neutering before maturity.

While not a health concern per se, temperament problems were also mentioned frequently. This is a topic that should be discussed between breeders and puppy buyers before a puppy joins the household.

Although some problems are more common in a breed than others, it is best to remember that Swissies are not exempt from the risks of other health problems that can affect dogs. While Swissies do not have a high rate of any particular type of cancer, they, like all other dogs, can be afflicted by any of the various types of cancer. The same is true for many other diseases, injuries and medical conditions that affect dogs.

Please use the links to the right for more information about the problems mentioned above and discuss your concerns with any breeder from whom you are considering purchasing a Swissy. 

Health Links

For general information regarding health concerns facing the GSMD please see the health pages of  the GSMDCA website.

For information about these specific health matters, please use the following links.

Epilepsy  & Seizures

Splenic Torsion

(please note isolated splenic torsion is rare in other breeds, but it is NOT rare among Swissies. ALL Swissy owners MUST educate themselves AND their vets about this health matter -- most vets will NOT be familiar with this uniquely presented problem, so ALL Swissy owners MUST be!)

Bloat or Gastric Torsion

P2Y12 Platelet Disorder

Hip Dysplasia

Elbow Dysplasia

Distichiasis

Entropion

Cataracts

Osteochondrosis or OCD 

Incontinence & Juvenile Spaying

Cruciate Injuries & Juvenile Spaying or Neutering

Cancer