How to keep your hound healthy
Now that you have started thinking about training or entering events with your dog, keep in mind that a healthy hound is a happy hound. There are many things you can do to keep your budding athlete healthy and happy.
A good first step is to consider health testing. By identifying any underlying health issues, you can make sure your dog is getting the proper care to live a normal healthy life which allows them to participate in dog sports. There are certain "standard" health test that cover the basics. Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF) - a painless eye exam is performed on your dog to determine if they show signs of any inheritable eye diseases. For more information about CERF, click here. A list of CERF clinics can be found here. Congenial Cardiac Exam (Cardio) - an exam with a board certified veterinary cardiologist where the arterial and venous pulses, mucous membranes, and precordium should be evaluated. Heart rate should also be obtained. For more info on the Cardio exam, click here. Thyroid testing - a blood test to determine levels of thyroglobulin autoantibody formation. By analyzing those levels they can determine if the dog has autoimmune thyroiditis, the heritable autoimmune disease that progressively destroys the thyroid gland. For more information on the test, click here and here. Snap 4Dx Test - a blood test to determine exposure to Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, Erhlichiosis and Heartworm disease. For more information on this test, click here. |
A great resource for clinics where these test may be available can be found at the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) website.
There is also a great list of health clinics through CavalierHealth.org |