Rottweiler Health Issues And Problems

Common Rottweiler Health Problems-According to the AKC (American Kennel Club), Rottweiler is the 8th most popular out of the 194 dog breeds. They are the most loyal dogs, come from a long lineage of working-class canines, and love to be with family. These dogs are a wonderful protector and usually loves to be on the room couch.

Generally, these dogs are well ranked in every facet on the dog spectrum. Rottweiler is a quick learner, easy to train and love to learn new things. They are big in the size but they don’t require massive amounts of exercise. All dogs have the potential to develop genetic health problems, so Rottweiler can be prone to canine health problems. While most live healthy lives, & you can expect your Rottweiler to live around 8-12 years. You must be aware of the full range of Rottweiler health issues & how to mitigate them.

Common Rottweiler Health Problems

Progressive Retinal Atrophy

Rotties can be affected by one of the most common conditions that are called Progressive Retinal Atrophy. Rottweilers can develop progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), cataracts, eyelid deformities, & other vision & eye problems. Rottweilers have the most vulnerable eyes from their genetics. The reason for the occurrence of PRA is when the photoreceptors in the back of the eye begin to fail. That first causing night vision to be affected before daytime vision that makes Rottweiler difficult to see at night. After that, it affects daylight vision as well, & it makes dogs go blind completely. While this PRA can’t be cured, but you can diagnose your dog at an early age. I mean you have time to prepare blindness.

Cataracts

This is one of the common rottweiler health problems. Well, this is another one eye-related condition, opacity is one of the reasons for its occurrence. Eyes & cameras are the same things & require a lens to shift in & out of focus. The most common progression stages are incipient, immature, mature, & hypermature.

An incipient cataract is normally good, & while it is an opacity, it doesn’t conflict with the vision. An immature cataract is a common type that can be found in dogs, it can be seen on the outside & it also clouds their vision. A hyper mature cataract can completely cloud the eye & shrivel the lens, which could lead to blindness. Most severe can be found out there, & you can always correct them by the surgery.

While there are many ways to treat cataracts in dogs ( or at least can be reduced their growth rate), but often they need surgery. Unfortunately, these surgeries are quite expensive as they need special tools. unlike PRA, cataracts are not an end-all canine eye disease, most of the time, removing the opacity is one of the most rewarding procedures for veterinarians & give the eyesight to the dogs again.

Aortic Stenosis

Aortic stenosis is a heart disease that can occur when there is a partial difficulty in the flow of blood to the heart (specifically the left side). The aortic valve is the valve through which blood leaves the heart, traveling to the rest of the body of the dog. Because of this difficulty, the heart of the Rottweiler has to work double-time for keeping healthy & steady blood flow, that cause exhausts the organ.

That can cause the heart attack, which normally gets the owner by wonder because they were didn’t know a condition was ever-present at the outset. Tests can be used to confirm whether or not the Rottweiler’s heart has an abnormal rhythm. At their puppy years, you can do chest X-rays and Doppler echocardiography to make sure there’s no heart murmur. Many breeders out there are testing their dogs from the heart specialist as they don’t want to breed puppies at risk of heart disease.

Hip Dysplasia

You must be aware of this health issue as it often affects heavier set, lethargic canines & Rottweiler is one of the largest dog breeds. A displacement between the hip joint & the thighbone can cause Hip Dysplasia. When the two do not sit flush, then the hip’s strength & mobility can be decreased, which in the end brings a variety of symptoms. Some canine begins to show signs of hip dysplasia as they get pain during walking, an abnormal gait, extreme tenderness, & fragility, lameness in the hind end, & looseness in the joint.

We are currently recommending early screening for hip dysplasia. Almost all the breeders know about this problem & at first, they make sure if the canine is affected or not by this issue before breeding them. Hip dysplasia can be treated in many ways, ranging from lifestyle modifications to surgery. However, you must be aware that a Rottweiler who has hip dysplasia will usually develop a gait that supports their weak hip, & live a perfectly healthy life ongoing.

Elbow Dysplasia

The displacement between the joint & the bone can cause elbow dysplasia in dogs. It doesn’t cause complete dislocation like patellar luxation, however, it can give much pain & might be so complicated if serious enough. It has the same symptoms of hip dysplasia, like much pain, lameness in legs, immobility, trouble straightening the arm, an abnormal gait. There are many treatments of this condition but it depends on the seriousness of the problem if Rottweiler having much pain or elbow dysplasia is preventing mobility then you must go for surgery, most of the time these surgeries are successful & give your Rottweiler a healthy life.

Osteochondritis dissecans

Osteochondrosis concerns is an unusual growth of the cartilage on the end of a bone in the joint in the dogs. It can occur when the diseased cartilage separates from the underlying bone & most commonly affects bigger boned dogs. It takes place typically between 6 & 9 months of age when the bones are stretching out.

Because of the faster growth of bones without proper alignment can cause bones to break. This condition has similar symptoms of the elbow and hip dysplasia but, dislodging or breaks can be the reason of much pain, in which pieces of the bone can sit in sockets or open spaces. To detect breaks or misalignments you should X-ray & correct them with surgery, although OCD affects some dogs to the point that surgery is not a choice.

Cancer

According to the recent study, Cancer is one of the most common causes of death for a Rottweiler, most commonly lymphoma but, spleen, liver, & bone cancer are also common. Unfortunately, the causes of cancer in dogs are unknown. But fortunately, we can cure cancer as we remove the tumor via radiation therapy or chemo.

While this is one of the most hated diseases & nobody ever wants their dogs to go through, but these days this disorder can be treated. Symptoms of cancer are can be found vastly and differently in dogs, constantly examine your dog can be the best way & make sure to determine whether or not tumors are forming by checking him up in a routine. Nowadays some breeders prefer to give vaccines to dogs to prevent cancer.

Allergies

Rottweiler’s are commonly healthy dogs but like any dog breed, they can have some allergies during their lifetime. The most common allergens for dogs are foods, inhalent & skin allergies. You must suspect the symptoms of common allergies in your Dog. If you notice that your dog is undergoing allergy signs you should visit the veterinarian quickly to learn the cause.