Are Newfoundlands healthy?

• Hip and/or elbow dysplasia: Hip and elbow dysplasia are two of the most common skeletal diseases seen in dogs. They are similar diseases in which either the hip or elbow joint has grown abnormally or is misshapen. The abnormal shape prevents the joints and sockets from adequately meeting one another, resulting in rubbing and grinding instead of sliding smoothly. Though the main complication with hip dysplasia is joint instability, the abnormalities present in elbow dysplasia often result in pieces of bone and/or cartilage breaking loose and irritating the joint tissues. Over time, the rubbing from dysplasia can cause a variety of issues, such as pain, lameness, and secondary osteoarthritis. Surgery can be done to fix the joint if diagnosed before the onset of arthritis.

• Subaortic stenosis: Subaortic stenosis is an inherited heart condition that is most common in larger breed dogs and is present at birth. It occurs when a dog is born with an abnormally narrow aortic valve, which controls blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta. The narrowing makes it difficult for blood to flow properly through the heart and can cause fainting and even sudden death. Your vet can detect it and prescribe the proper treatment.

• Cranial cruciate disease: The cranial cruciate ligament is an important stabilizer in the knee joint. Cranial cruciate ruptures cause joint instability and are the most common cause of hind leg lameness in dogs. Surgery is recommended to prevent the tear from progressing to more severe joint disease.

• Wobbler’s syndrome: More formally known as “cervical vertebral instability,” this condition is suspected to be genetically passed down in Newfoundlands. Dogs affected by wobbler’s syndrome suffer from a malformed spinal canal or instability of the cervical vertebrae. Extreme symptoms are neck pain and paralysis of the legs, but not all dogs are seriously affected. Surgery is available as a treatment option, though the condition recurs in some dogs.

• Eye issues: Newfoundlands may develop cataracts, a common eye condition that causes cloudiness in the eye and obstructs vision, and cherry eye, a condition where a gland on the lower eyelid known as the third eyelid pops out and swells causing a red oval mass on the inner corner of the eye.

• Cystinuria: Cystinuria is an inherited kidney defect in which the amino acid cystine is not properly filtered by the kidneys. The body does not properly reabsorb cystine and causes kidney and bladder stones. If the stones are left untreated they can create fatal urinary blockages. Symptoms of cystinuria are similar to a regular urinary tract infection and include frequent attempts to urinate without much coming out and blood in the urine.

• Others: Newfoundlands may also develop gastric dilatation-volvulus, a sudden, painful, and life-threatening swelling and twisting of the abdomen; epilepsy; and cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that causes an enlarged heart and could lead to heart failure and cancer.