HIP DYSPLASIA:Hip Dysplasia is a common problem in large breeds,although any breed or cross breed may be affected.It is caused by looseness in the hip joint,which is a ball and socket joint.

What this means is whenever the dog runs or jumps there may be an impact between the ball and the socket.This continual trauma can cause transient soreness,and will at an early age stage cause severe arthritis.Once arthritis is present,there is nothing that can be done to reverse the changes.

Prevention of Hip Dysplasia:Hip Dysplasia is partially a genetic problem and partially dependant on how the dog is raised.If buying a purebred dog,ask if the parents and their parents have been tested for hip dysplasia.Dogs are given hip dysplasia scores to determine if their hips are affected by hip dysplasia,and these should be known to you.It is ideal to have no parents or grandparents carrying hip dysplasia genes.

A dog that is genetically prone to hip dysplasia may be prevented from having severe problems by controlling their diet.Equally,a dog that is not genetically prone to hip dysplasia can develope it if not fed properly in the initial months of its life.Exercise can also play a part.

Overfeeding and an unbalanced diet are the main enviromental causes of hip dysplasia.Puppies under 12 weeks should be fed 3 times daily,and not in between.Their diet should be balanced either by using canned and dry foods,or by feeding a varied diet of meat,pasta/rice and vegetables.An all meat diet is the most common diet to cause hip and other joint problems.Pups over 12 weeks should be fed the same food,but often twice daily is sufficient.Weight checks at vaccination times are important to monitor the growth of your pup.

Some exercises should also be avoided.Jumping from and to high places should be avoided.While it would be unfair to stop puppies from playing,it should be kept in mind that "high impact" activities make your pup more prone to hip dysplasia.

BLOAT: A major problem in the Weimaraner  Bloat or gastric dilation is a common problem in the middle aged or older Weimaraner and has been more frequently seen in those that are nervous or highly strung.

Bloat is often seen to begin after a large meal or after a large drink,particularly after excercise.The dog often presents with the following systems.....hunched abdomen,drooling,restlessness,pacing,groaning and making attempts to vomit.Internally the stomach is very distended and may have twisted.This prevents gas and food moving into the small bowel or being vomited back up.Significant changes in bllod flow and shock soon set in and without treatment the dog soon dies in distress.

If there is to be a reasonable chance of survival veterinary attention should be sought immediately

The exact cause of bloat is unknown but it is believed that it involves a problem with abnormal stomach motility.With a motility defect,food has a longer than normal stomach retention time leading to distention.Over time,repeated distention of the stomach leads to stretching of the ligaments which normally hold the stomach in place.If the ligaments are no longer able to stabilize the stomach,it is free to rotate when distended and this leads to Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus.Treatment of the condition is very complicated and consists of several steps.These steps are decompression,shock management,surgical stabilization and recovery.Treatment of each dog is undertaken on an individual basis and is dependant upon the response to the previous step. 

IMMUNODEFICIENCY: One of the inherited problems that can affect your puppy is "Immunodefiiency".This disease affects the dogs immune system and can cause problems when that system is challenged by an infection or following a vaccination.There is no specific cure for this inherited disease.

What sort of problem will I see? The infection may take many forms,and may include:

Pneumonia and Upper airway infections

Gastro-enteritis,Vomiting and diarrhoea

Dermatitis,dry or weepy infections,or Parasitic infestations

Generalized Lympth node enlargement (enlarged glands)

Arthritis,recurrent fevers of unknown origin

This may result in a puppy which has retarded growth,and generalized wasting.

The hallmark of this disease appears to be the recurrent nature of the infection (s) and therefore the puppy or dog will be seen to be forever getting one infection after another.Research suggests that these dogs have a white blood cell problem which prevents them from successfully coping with infections that from time to time occur in normal dogs.

When will the disease appear? The age of onset ranges from 3-42 months,with most dogs first exhibiting systems from 3-10months of age.It may be very difficult for a veterinarian to pick up this disease in the early stages as it mimics a simple infection.It is the recurrent nature of these infections which alert the well informed veterinarian to the possibility of "Immunodeficiency".  

VON WILLEBRAND DISEASE: vWd isn't so much a disease as a condition of all the inherited bleeding disorders in animals (and humans)it is the most common.The defect isn't autosomal (sex linked) so both male and female can suffer from the 'disease'.It must be remembered that just because a dog doesn't show symptoms of vW,it doesn't mean it can't be a carrier. The illness is linked to a missing factor in the bloods clotting ability.Modern research has found vW doesn't lower the number of platelets (the factor in the blood that causes clotting) but changes the platelets actual make-up.

Often vW will show no clinical signs until the dog begins bleeding for some reason.This reason could be something as simple as a nail trim,spay or neuter or a heat cycle in females or even teething in a puppy.While some dogs never show clinical signs of the disease,others may have nosebleeds or vaginal or penile bleeding-bleeding from the urinary tract,gums or other mucous membranes and hemorrhaging under the skin are all common symptoms of vWD.Females vW may experience bleeding after whelping (giving birth).

There is no cure for vWD

vWD isn't an automatic death sentence to dog's.Many of the dogs that have the condition will live normal lives with no complications.For those that show clinical signs,there are always options for the owner to guarentee the best quality of life the pet can have. 

VITILIGO:With this condition there is patchy loss of pigment in the skin (leukoderma), particularly in the facial area. There may be whitening (leukotrichia) or graying (poliosis) of the hair. It may be that the immune system targets the melanocytes - the cells that produce pigment.

Vitiligo may be inherited or it may be acquired, secondary to an injury for example.

This condition does not affect your dog's general health.

A skin biopsy can help to rule out acquired causes of vitiligo such as inflammation. Taking a biopsy is a simple procedure, done with local anesthetic, in which your veterinarian removes a small sample of your dog's skin for examination by a veterinary pathologist.

Nutritional supplements may help to restore pigment but there have been too few cases to draw conclusions.

Breeding advice:It is recommended that affected dogs not be bred.

MRD - Multi Focal Retinal Dysplasia: Multi-focal (the most common) Retinal Dysplasia [MRD] is a non progressive congenital condition which is widespread in several gundog breeds.Usually there is no more than one or two small folds in the retina that cause no problems whatsoever to the dog.However,in a small number of cases the retina can be partially or completely detached (geographic dysplasia).

Normally MRD is caused by a simple recessive gene passed from both parents but in a tiny number of cases can be caused by the dam coming into contact with,for instance,parvovirus or herpes during pregnancy.

Puppies can be screened for MRD before leaving the breeder.Those affected should not be bred from but the condition,so long as the sight is unaffected,makes no difference to the dog's ability to be a worker or pet.

**MRD is a recessive disorder and is carried the exact same way the Long Hair gene is carried.Parents may have their eyes checked for the disease but there is no way of identifying a 'carrier'.The only way for a carrier to be found is through a DNA test - a test which has not been developed.

Breeding advice:It is recommended that affected dogs not be bred. 

Photo: Aust Ch Weijarra Daman Has Style

           Age: 10mths

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