Not even sure how to assess. But I guess dog breeds not predisposed to common (or uncommon) genetic or physical abnormalities/diseases?
Discussion on large breed thread made me wonder. Smaller dogs generally have greater longevity but just wondering if certain breeds are known for being particularly robust?
Greyhounds are ruthlessly culled and are healthy.
However many get osteosarcoma.
You can look some statistics up on the OFA website. But, of course, you need to be aware that they can be deceptive; if a dog has obvious dysplasia on the xrays, many owners/breeders will not submit the xrays to OFA. So, the % dysplastic statistic is only of those xrays submitted to OFA for grading.
http://www.ofa.org/stats_hip.html
However, it can be useful information anyway. According to this chart, a breed like Siberian Husky is quite clearly less likely to be dysplastic if purchased from a good breeder: SIBERIAN HUSKY Ranked 168th 1551 evaluations from 2006-2010 and only 1.2% dysplastic.
That said, this is just one type of congenital defect; I don’t know how Huskies rank in the other areas, so you would have to do some digging around to determine which breeds have the fewest health issues.
And again - this is assuming you are talking about well-bred dogs; the % may be totally different in the general population if you include all dogs, not just those from breeders that conduct health testing.
I remember reading that Basenjis have very few health issues.
My old groomer had Basenjis. They also have health issues (although right off hand I don’t recall what they are).
Good to know issues within a breed but as noted, the quality of the individual breeder can make a difference in the individual dog.
I learned that 1/5 of all dogs develop cancer. I’ve had several dogs, from a rescued from puppy mill dog to my well bred purchased dogs to my picked up on the road dogs get cancer from ages 3 1/2 to 16 yoa. The puppy mill dogs died young. The mixed breeds and well bred dogs lived the longest.
Buying from puppy mills or backyard breeders increases your chance of getting a dog with a disease that could have been prevented by not breeding dogs with the gene or characteristics. Such as hip dysplasia.
So buy a dog from a reputable breeder, one who shows and has a good reputation or get a dog from the pound. Hybrid vigor sometimes helps with the dogs from the pound.
Great Dane people and those with bigger breeds tell me their dogs do not live as long as other breeds. My aussies have made it to 16 max.
If you want a healthy dog buy from a reputable breeder who’s focus is a WORKING dog.
A friend had a Bernese Mtn. dog, and he died of cancer. My friend was in an online group, and virtually all of that breed died of cancer. Basenji’s have an eye issue, and some anemia of some kind, that’s why some breeders went to Africa to purchase more Basenji’s to expand the gene pool.
From what I can gather, those with large gene pools, and those that are still bred tow work. What that means as far as finding a dog? Hard to say. I’ve been mulling this around a long time, myself.
Anatolian shepherds are a reasonably healthy “breed”. Life expectancy of 13-15 yrs on a giant breed dog - much better then ave.
They are bred to work and many still do.
If you look at conformation, there are no extremes - a very functional animal.
The look is not terribly uniform, there are many colors - so perhaps still benefitting from hybrid vigor or just a large gene pool.
Border collies. Collies.
[QUOTE=Just My $.02;8563837]
Here is a list of the top 10.
http://iheartdogs.com/the-10-healthiest-dog-breeds/[/QUOTE]
Based on what? There are no citations or references on this page. The author has “over 5 years of professional dog training experience with both pet dogs and competition dogs, specializing in managing aggression.” 5 years? Big deal.
English Springer Spaniels are the first breed listed - but they are ranked 79th out of 173 breeds for hip dysplasia with 7.8% dysplastic in the OFA database. I don’t know that I’d call that “super awesome” for hips. And they are well known for major eye and temperament issues.
It’s certainly not the worst, but I’d like some citations to back up this author with 5 whole years of dog training experience before I’d take her list seriously.
[QUOTE=Just My $.02;8563837]
Here is a list of the top 10.
Interesting! Just as I thought Greyhounds were on the list and Basenjies as somebody else pointed out.
This is actually a more difficult question to answer than you might think, if you base it upon actual data and not just anecdotal evidence.
You must realize there is a difference in average lifespan, and the incidence of health problems, which might be bothersome or expensive to deal with, but which do not greatly affect longevity. For example, some of the smaller breeds might live quite a long time, but might have troublesome skin disorders or other problems.
Some of the working breeds are selected for vigor, speed, strength, or other qualities during their working lives, but may be prone to geriatric problems that have a later onset than during the prime working years. We really didn’t know about the high incidence of osteosarcoma in greyhounds before the popularity of retired racing greyhounds at pets, because they were so often dead before they were old enough to develop osteosarcoma. (Incidentally greyhounds are also prone to gastric torsion and cardiac problems as well as other health issues.)
Good data is surprisingly difficult to come by, at least in the US. Breed clubs do health/longevity surveys, but these are subject to various types of response bias.
One excellent source of information is the insurance companies in Scandinavia, where something like 90% of dogs - both purebred and mixed- have health insurance. One company, Agria, has compiled data on the longevity and incidence of various health issues and reasons for veterinary visits for all the breeds. I have the CD for Irish Wolfhounds and a few other breeds. Of course, it is possible that the gene pool of dogs from Sweden differs from the US, but it might be a good start for comparison.
The vet schools in the US compile data, but they are more likely to see the sick dogs in the population, and those owners who are willing to spend more money, so may not be truly representative, but that would be a start.
Anyway, if you are truly interested in an answer to this question, just be aware that finding the answer might be more complicated than you might at first think.
[QUOTE=Where’sMyWhite;8563612]
My old groomer had Basenjis. They also have health issues (although right off hand I don’t recall what they are).
Good to know issues within a breed but as noted, the quality of the individual breeder can make a difference in the individual dog.[/QUOTE]
I’ve had basenjis for the last 30 years. I love the breed and mine have all lived to at least 15 and beyond. Faconi syndrome is the one basenji health issue that you should look out for. I have no personal experience with it with any of my dogs, but believe it can be managed.
As with other breeds, the key is to buy from a reputable breeder who screens dogs for health issues BEFORE breeding them.
[QUOTE=JanM;8563761]
A friend had a Bernese Mtn. dog, and he died of cancer. My friend was in an online group, and virtually all of that breed died of cancer. Basenji’s have an eye issue, and some anemia of some kind, that’s why some breeders went to Africa to purchase more Basenji’s to expand the gene pool.[/QUOTE]
Actually, the basenji club of American went to Africa to expand the gene pool because virtually all dogs in the US were descended from the same 30-ish dogs. A reason that you don’t see too many basenjis still. I’ve heard nothing of either eye issues or anemia. Faconi syndrome, more like diabetes, is associated with basenjis.
My healthiest dog was a Tibetan Terrier. Her teeth were cleaned twice, she was sick because she ate sunflowers in the bird seed, developed a heart murmur at ten, had an age related seizure at 14 and was humanely euthanized.
One Cavalier King Charles Spaniels has syringomyelia, he’s 10, the other just developed a heart murmur this year, he’s 4, and lastly my Brussels Griffon, aged 8, is healthy but his teeth need cleaning frequently causing him to lose some.
I don’t think by and large dogs are as healthy as they once were.
Whippets: all the advantages of Greyhounds, but without the high incidence of bone cancer. They do tend to be plaque builders, though.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
