The most common diseases of the Siberian husky.
It is a breed of dog similar to wolf, and its appearance and personality have become very popular in recent years. They are cheerful and active animals, which need a lot of attention and care to stay healthy and become faithful companions of humans. In addition, the emergence of Siberian Husky as we know it today is the product of a well-defined choice, making it a strong and robust animal with no tendency to contract viral or infectious diseases.
- However.
- Purebred animals are known to have certain diseases inherent in their genetic content.
- And Siberian Husky is no exception.
- That’s why.
- In Animal Expert.
- We’ll show you the most common diseases of Siberian Husky.
- So you can easily spot any disease in your four-legged friend.
The Siberian husky is a breed of northern dog that descends from the wolf. In the past, he was trained to shoot sleds in the snow, so he developed a great resistance that remains in the genetic load of today’s dogs.
This breed is characterized by a cheerful, playful and in turn dominant personality. They are usually extroverted and get along very well with children and strangers, as long as they are properly trained, so they are not recommended as guard dogs. On the other hand, they are extremely intelligent animals that learn easily and create a very strong bond with the family that they consider their herd, so that instinct leads them to remain faithful to their group. His nature is extroverted and free.
Like other breed dogs, the Siberian Husky tends to suffer from certain diseases, either hereditary or because its morphology and physical characteristics affect them more easily. It is one of the breeds of dogs with different colors. For years, breeders have struggled to eliminate these diseases once and for all, and although they have not yet been successful, they have been able to reduce the level of incidence in dogs. However, there are still certain conditions that are very likely to affect your Siberian husky and are divided into eye diseases, skin diseases and hip disorders. Then we’ll explain what they’re all about.
Eye diseases affect the Siberian husky regardless of gender and age and can sometimes lead to total vision loss. They affect the animal, whether the color of its iris is brown, blue or a combination of both.
Husky is predisposed to four diseases: bilateral cataracts, glaucoma, corneal opacity and progressive retinal atrophy. The incidence of these diseases in Husky is 5%, but they are considered serious, so in case of discomfort, the dog should be taken to the veterinarian as soon as possible.
Hereditary disease characterized by the appearance of crystalline opacity. Although the disease is operable, the dog’s sight does not fully recover. If the situation gets worse, it can lead to blindness, so it’s important to have annual checkups to check for the disease early.
They are called juvenile cataracts when they appear in puppies. There are also developmental cataracts, a type of degenerative type caused by toxicity, eye damage or systemic diseases suffered by the animal.
The disease can occur at any age, even if it tends to evolve legendaryly, to the point of blinding the Husky in some cases. How is it transmitted through the eye? Cataracts affect the lens of the eye, the structure responsible for forming the image in the retina through the rays of light. As it becomes opaque, the amount of light that enters decreases, as does the ability to see. As the problem worsens, the opacity size increases.
This occurs when the channel that controls the inner pressure of the eyeball becomes narrower, so the pressure increases as the channel crashes. When a husky is one year old, a test is needed to rule out the presence of the disease and repeat this test every year, as glaucoma in dogs can cause blindness.
It starts in the cornea, but extends to the rest of the eye, preventing vision. It can affect both eyes, even if not at the same time or with the same degree of severity.
How does it evolve? The dog’s eye begins to produce a series of cone-shaped crystals that cover the cornea until it reaches the surface of the eye. It is an inherited disease and can occur at any age in the Siberian husky.
It is an inherited retinal disease that causes blindness in animals and is therefore considered another of the most common diseases of Siberian Husky. It affects not only the retina, but also its inner wall, which is sensitive to the light entering the eyeball.
There are two types of progressive retinal atrophy
The Siberian husky has a very nice thick coat, but you have to be aware of any skin infection that affects its appearance and the health of the dermis. For skin diseases, the most common in Siberian Husky are nasal dermatitis, zinc deficiency and hypothyroidism.
It is caused by zinc deficiency or is usually a symptom of zinc deficiency. Your symptoms are:
This deficiency is genetic in Husky, which prevents you from absorbing the zinc that food contains in the amounts you need. To diagnose this disease, the veterinarian performs a biopsy with tissue removed from the skin. Zinc treatment prescribed by the veterinarian may be administered for life.
Symptoms of zinc deficiency include
It occurs when the thyroid stops generating thyroid hormones in the amounts the dog’s body needs to stabilize its metabolism. To treat this failure, you may receive medications for the rest of your life.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism in dogs include:
Finally, if at some point you are thinking of cutting your dog’s fur, since it is a Nordic breed, it is best not to do it, since you will expose your Husky to skin infections that protect your fur. , such as allergies, parasites and sunburn.
If you think the heat is bothering your Husky, it’s best to allow you to access an air-conditioned area or cooler areas of the house in the summer.
Hip dysplasia is an inherited abnormality that affects many breeds of dogs, including the Siberian Husky, which suffers from five percent. It consists of removing the femur from the acetabulum, a bone that belongs to the pelvic joint where it must be attached. It appears before two years in 95% of cases, being easy to detect because it causes difficulties to use stairs or change position. When it appears in the Husky, it is unable to perform tasks that require resistance, as intense exercise only worsens the condition with pain, arthritis and inflammation of the area.
The abnormality is transmitted from parents to children as follows: if the male has it, it provides the genes of dysplasia, if the female suffers from it, provides the complementary genes to cause the disease in her offspring. It can be improved during the growth phase of the dog with some exercises for dogs suffering from hip dysplasia, adequate feeding and weight control of the animal, but in both cases can transmit the disease to its puppies by being a carrier dog.
At Husky’s birth, the hip seems perfectly normal and the disease only occurs during growth. Four levels of dysplasia are detected when the tests are performed:
Siberian husky is usually between free and light. On the other hand, in dogs with this disease a low-fat diet without vitamin supplement is recommended to avoid excessive weight gain. In addition, it is advisable to avoid violent jumps and movements during games and workouts, which only worsen the state of the bones.
Always consider seeing the veterinarian for signs of the most common diseases in the Siberian Husky or strange behaviors, discard them or, conversely, be diagnosed and begin the most appropriate treatment.
Have you recently adopted a puppy? See our list of names for husky dogs.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Prevention section.