health.html

HEALTH

The Portuguese Water Dog could have some health issues that you should be aware of. As with other dog breeds you should do your research and know about possible problems. Although we have testing to help eliminate some issues, there are others that we as a breed are still researching.

Cardiomyopathy: Our breed has Juvenile Dilated Cardiomyopathy or JDC which occurs when a puppy has an enlarged heart and/or weak valves and dies. This usually happens between the ages of 6 weeks and 8 months. Although there is no test currently available this is thought to be a genetic disease.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy: or PRA. This is an eye condition that causes blindness. There is no cure for PRA, however there is a test that can help breeders eliminate this disease. The Optigen test rates dogs on an A, B or C basis. “A” means the dog is clear and can not pass the disease on to its offspring. “B” means the dog may be a carrier but will not develop the disease themselves. A rating of “C” means the dog will probably be affected and go blind. An “A” to “A” breeding or an “A” to “B” breeding would be the most desirable as they will not produce any pups that will go blind from PRA.

Addison's Disease: This is a disease that is found in both dogs and humans. This condition happens when the adrenal glands stop producing certain hormones that control sugar metabolism and maintain salt and water balances in the body. Symptoms are: weakness, vomiting, weight loss, depression and possibly some hair loss. The most common treatment is a monthly shot along with prednisone daily.

GM-1 or Storage Disease: This is a fairly rare neurological disorder that is fatal. This can be avoided because there is a test to help breeders eliminate this. It is a genetic disease so again, non-carriers produce non-carriers, etc.

Hip & Elbow Dysplasia: There is a test through the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals for this disease. It is an x-ray that rates the condition of the dog’s hips and elbows from “excellent” to “severe”. This is a guideline but does not mean that dogs with good hips will produce dogs with good hips.