The Golden Retriever, a player and adventurous, is one of the most popular breeds with families and athletes. When they are raised in a family who is concerned about their well-being, these robust and warm dogs can live for a long time, actively and in good health.
As with all breeds of dogs, there are health risks that are more frequent in Golden Retrievers than in other breeds.
Here are some common health problems to monitor at your Golden Retriever 👇
1. Skin & allergies problems
The Golden Retrievers are sensitive to allergies, which can cause other health and discomfort problems. Allergies are most often manifested in terms of legs, belly and ears and generally appear between the age of 1 and 3 years for most Golden Retrievers.
Symptoms of allergies include
- Licking legs, which can cause redness and infections,
- Fat of the face and ears
- frequent otitis.
Their dense and insulating sub-point, covered with a longer external coat, also creates an ideal environment for the growth and development of bacteria, which can lead to the pyodermite.
A bath and regular grooming with the adapted products, can help relieve your Golden in the event of too annoying itching.
If the itching persists and intensify, consult without delay veterinary voting.
2. Hip dysplasia
Depending on the database on hip hip dysplasia of the orthopeDic Foundation for Animals, 19.6 % of Golden Retrievers have abnormal or dysplastic hips.
Hip dysplasia means that The bones do not fit properly. This anomaly can be very disabling for your dog who could start to be limited and have DIfficulturalies to perform simple tasks, such as putting stairs or jumping on a chair
How does this disease occur and how to remedy it?
Here are four possible causes of dysplasia at your Golden Retriever ::
- Genetic factors
- Excessive or unsuitable exercise
- Overweight
- Bad nutrition
In serious cases, especially in young animals, surgery can be envisaged, but this kind of intervention can cost the family very expensive.
To another extent, hip dysplasia can be treated in various ways, in particular by an appropriate diet, a Food supplements cure (minimum 3 months), anti-inflammatory drugs and weight loss.
3. Catactes
The Golden Retrievers are subject to genetic eye conditions, such as cataracts, which can lead to blindness if they are not correctly treated.
Juvenile cataract often appears in the Golden Retrievers between 1 and 3 years old. Symptoms often include opacification of the lens giving a gray-blue or white coloring. The cataract can lead to a blurred vision and, if not treated, can lead to blindness.
Many dogs with cataracts have signs of alteration of vision: they come up against objects, are clumsy, have difficulty finding their food or their bowl of water, or catching a toy or a treat as We throw them. Although of a genetic nature, cataracts can also be caused by diabetes, aging, nutritional imbalance and ocular trauma.
As in humans, the Golden Retrievers can be operated on cataracts using an ultrasonic device that removes the opacified lens from the dog's eye. An artificial lens implant is then placed in the eye to allow a clear vision.
4. Hypothyroidism
Goldens are subject to hypothyroidism, a low concentration of thyroid hormones responsible for metabolism and temperature control. Thyroid diseases most often occur in dogs, and in particular in Golden Retrievers, due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
The most common symptoms of hypothyroidism in Golden Retriever are lethargy, weight gain, thinning of the hair and intolerance to prolonged exercise. Hypothyroidism can also lead to a drop in body temperature, which encourages the dog to look for hot places to go to bed.
Treatment of hypothyroidism in dogs often uses food supplements that can treat symptoms and promote long and healthy life.
5. The bloating
he Golden Retrievers are subject to bloating, which most often occur in dogs in deep and narrow chest. The bloating kills 30 % of dogs affected, even after intensive treatment, making it one of the most serious health problems among the Golden Retrievers.
The bloating occurs when the dog's stomach fills with air. The resulting pressure accumulation can prevent the blood of the rear legs and the abdomen from going back to the heart. The blood accumulates at the back of the body, which reduces the overall blood volume and puts the dog in shock.
Symptoms of bloating include swollen abdomen, agitated behavior, high-heart or high-heart and a position of prayer. The bloating can occur when the dog eats too much at the same time and ingests too much air. It is often treated by emergency surgical intervention aimed at deflating the stomach, which is then surgically fixed to the abdominal wall to prevent it from twisting.
6. Some cancers
The cancer rate at the Golden Retriever is unfortunately the highest in all dog breeds. It is estimated that 56 % of females and 66 % of males will die from a malignant tumor.
Hemangiosarcoma is a form of aggressive and rapidly growing cancer observed in dogs in general and in Goldens in particular.
It develops from blood vessels and can be diagnosed under a microscope at an early stage.
The other forms of cancer often observed in the Golden Retriever are lymphosarcoma, osteosarcoma and mastocytoma.
The key to prevention and successful management of these conditions is vigilance as for all cancers, early detection makes it possible to obtain better results.
6. Heart and respiratory diseases
Like the other large breeds, the Golden Retriever is exposed to various affections of the heart, lungs and blood circulation.
There Sub-valve aortic stenosis (SAS), a narrowing of the vessel that carries the oxygenated blood from the heart to the body, is one of the most common and most harmful.
The narrowing or partial obstruction of the aorta obliges the heart to work more than it should and can have serious, even fatal consequences.
If your animal has signs of lethargy, weakness or breathing difficulties, immediately consult your veterinarian to rule out the possibility of an airlock.
