When looking for a dog, most owners have a specific breed in mind. The good thing about purebred dogs is that there’s lots of research on training, raising, and behavior of the dog. However, purebred dogs are often the most unhealthy dogs and can develop some of the worst health conditions.
Certain breeds of dogs have a high chance of developing hereditary issues due to improper breeding or inbreeding. In study of nearly 28,000 dogs, the
dogs with the least amount of health issues were mixed breeds.
Be sure to check your breeder’s reputation, and ask if the parents had any health issues throughout their life. Anyone looking for a certain breed of dog should steer clear of these problematic breeds, or prepare themselves for the oncoming health problems your dog will likely have.
English Bulldogs
Bulldogs are playful and a popular dog breed. These dogs have shorter legs and a wide chest. However, their flat faces along with decades of improper inbreeding have led the English bulldog to develop some of the worst hereditary health issues.
Bulldogs only live for about 6 years and have one of the highest
COI (coefficient of inbreeding) levels. Dog breeds with flat faces often develop breathing issues early on. Bulldogs can also develop other health issues such as:
- Mating and natural birthing problems
- Atopy
- Demodicosis
- Heart disease
- Hip and elbow dysplasia
- Primary splenic torsion
- Haemophilia A
- Hypomagnesaemia
- Cranial cruciate ligament disease
- Osteochondrosis
- Panosteitis
- Swimmer puppy syndrome
- Hypothyroidism
- Patellar luxation
- Distichiasis
- Keratoconjunctivitis sicca
- Deafness
- Intervertebral disc disease
- Discospondylitis
- Idiopathic head tremor syndrome
- Cherry eye
- Corneal ulceration
- Cancer
- Dystocia
- Tracheal hypoplasia
Pugs
Similarly to bulldogs, pugs also give off that lovable and playful personality. They’re preferred as lap dogs, but this also makes them prone to developing weight problems. Although the solution to this would be to just get your pug to exercise more, pugs cannot stand hotter conditions for very long as they already have several breathing problems.
Pugs live to be about 12 years old. During this time, owners must also take extra precautions around the activeness of their pug, as their flat nose and wide eyes make them prone to injury and infection. Although there’s little grooming with a pug, a pug’s body rolls can carry dirt and grime without owners even noticing, leading to high risk of skin laceration and infection. In addition to weight and breathing problems, pugs commonly develop:
- Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome
- Eye problems
- Cataract
- Hemivertebrae
- Demodicosis
- Skin fold dermatitis
- Constrictive myelopathy
- Portosystemic shunt
- Spinal bifida
- Cancer
- Tracheal collapse
- Patellar luxation
- Epilepsy
- Legg-Calve-Perthes disease
- Diabetes mellitus
- Distichiasis
- Dry eye
- Persistent pupillary membranes
- Urolithiasis
- Lung lobe torsion
- Dystocia
- Intervertebral disc disease
- Von Willebrand’s Disease
Golden Retrievers
Golden Retrievers is one of the most popular dog breeds in America. Symbolically, they’re seen as a sign of family unity across the nation. They’re easy to train, great with kids, and very playful, making them an ideal addition to the family for up to 12 years.
However, due to their popularity, they often experience quite a bit of health problems from years on inbreeding. Golden Retrievers have a very high chance of developing cancer and often have health problems with:
- Atopy
- Pyotraumatic folliculitis
- Cranial cruciate ligament disease
- Idiopathic epilepsy
- Osteochondrosis
- Heart disease
- Muscular dystrophy
- Hypothyroidism
- Megaesophagus
- Congenital portosystemic shunt
- Haemophilia
- Spectrin deficiency
- Cranial cruciate ligament disease
- Horner’s syndrome
- Uveodermatological syndrome
Labrador Retriever
Labs are also popular family dogs. They’re incredibly friendly and can be extremely well-trained. You often find Labs as working dogs or assistance dogs. Labradors live for around 12 years.
They’re at a higher risk of obesity which also puts them at-risk for muscle and joint issues along with several other problems linked to weight. Labs commonly develop growths, which are mostly harmless, but can lead to higher chances of cancer. Labs also commonly have problems with:
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy
- Cystinuria Type
- Dwarfism
- Degenerative Myelopathy
- Malignant Hyperthermia
- Narcolepsy
- Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency
- Asymptomatic Macrothrombocytopenia
- Hyperuricosuria and Hyperuricemia
- Alexander Disease
- Nasal Parakeratosis
- Centronuclear Myopathy
- Macular Corneal Dystrophy
- Achromatopsia
- Myotubular Myopathy
- Oculoskeletal Dysplasia
- Skeletal Dysplasia
- Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome
- Coat colour dilution Alopecia
- Thrombocytopenia
Boxers
Boxers are strong dogs with lots of energy. They need lots of stimulation and need an owner with a strict hand. They’re willing to learn, however, owners will need to have a good sense of humour when it comes to raising them, as they are known to get into mischief.
Boxers don’t have the same level of health issues as some of the other dogs on this list, but they are at a higher risk of developing cancer along with these other health issues:
- Dilated cardiomyopathy
- Epilepsy
- Canine follicular dysplasia
- Cushing’s Disease
- Hypothyroidism
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Pancreatitis
- Splenic disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Inflammatory myopathy
- Cranial cruciate ligament disease
- Metaphyseal osteopathy
- Osteochondrosis
- Central vestibular disease
- Discospondylitis
- Steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis
- Renal disease
- Dystocia
- Eye disease
- Juvenile kidney disease
- Polyarthritis or meningitis syndrome
- Polymyositis
- Muzzle furunculosis
- Panosteitis
- Lumbosacral disc disease
French bulldogs
Similarly to the English Bulldog and pug, French Bulldogs are also at a higher risk of breathing problems. French Bulldogs are popular for their adaptability to any lifestyle, and generally have a fun and easy going personality.
French Bulldogs thankfully have a lot of tests that can determine which diseases they’re at-risk for. Frenchies live for around 10 years, and possibly longer if you catch their health problems early enough. French Bulldogs also have health issues with:
- Ulcerative colitis
- Skinfold dermatitis
- Patellar luxation
- Cancer and brain tumours
- Cherry eye
- Hemivertebrae
- Intervertebral disc disease
- Incomplete ossification of the humeral condyle
- Congenital deafness
- Corneal ulceration
- Urolithiasis
- Cleft lips
- Heart disease
- Atopy
German Shepherds
German Shepherds have great handling and training capabilities, and live to be about 10 years old. In addition to them being one of the strongest dog breeds, they also have a high work-drive. This is why you often see German Shepherds as police dogs or guard dogs.
Years of inbreeding have resulted in common issues with hips and multiple drug resistance. In addition to these issues, German Shepherds can also develop:
- Degenerative myelopathy
- Dwarfism
- Ectodermal Dysplasia
- Mucopolysaccharidosis
- Primary Lens Luxation
- Hyperuricosuria
- Von Willebrand’s Disease
- Scott Syndrome
- Achromatopsia
- Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency
- Renal Cancer Syndrome
Great Dane
Great Danes are gentle giants who love to play, but need lots of space and exercise. Most people will recognize these dogs from their iconic role as Scooby Doo. Great Danes, like most larger dogs, will develop issues with blood circulation and their bones. These dogs live to be about 10 years old, but can live a full and happy life with proper care.
Health issues common in Great Danes include:
- Heart disease
- Demodicosis
- Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita
- Addison’s disease
- Hypothyroidism
- Chronic hepatitis
- Calcium phosphate deposition
- Panosteitis
- Cancer
- Osteochondrosis
- Wobbler syndrome
- Ectropion
- Cherry eye
- Deafness
- Glaucoma
- Hypertrophic osteodystrophy
- Myasthenia gravis
Basset Hounds
Basset Hounds were originally used as hunting dogs. Despite them being smaller, they can sniff out any prey for miles! Nowadays, Basset Hounds make great family pets with minimal grooming.
However, minimal grooming does not mean no grooming. These dogs can develop serious ear infections, which they’re quite prone to given the pure size. Their body rolls can also hide dirt and can develop skin infections too. Basset Hounds commonly also have issues with:
- Epilepsy
- Cancer
- Gastric torsion
- Panosteitis
- Cervical vertebral malformation
- Eye Disease
- Malassezia dermatitis
- Intervertebral disc disease
- Dystocia
- Urolithiasis
- Patellar luxation
Getting
pet insurance can be tricky if your dog has a pre-existing condition. It’s almost impossible to tell when your pet will develop a health problem. However, knowing what issues commonly occur in your dog’s breed and getting pet insurance as soon as possible will help cover the costs of pet care.
It’s vital that pet owners read over their pet insurance policy to see if their policy covers congenital or hereditary conditions, and if there limits and caps to the coverage. Certain breeds, especially purebred dogs can experience increased health problems due to inbreeding or improper breeding.
Want to know how much coverage you have? Call Quote Purple today to get the most competitive rates, or to ask one of our partners a question about your pet insurance.
