Golden Retriever Diseases

Your Golden Retriever is just as prone to dog diseases as any other breed. Locomotive diseases caused by growth When Golden Retrievers are around 5 months old they start to limp. X-rays show bone and joint inflammations in the limbs. This panosteitis is very painful for the dog and has to be treated. For the dog's motive power to develop well, it's convenient that he isn't too fat nor that he grows too fast.

Hip dysplasia (CHD): As all big breeds, the Golden Retriever is also prone to hip dysplasia. Although in the Clubs they try to limit this disease by means of controlled breeding, it can not be completely excluded. To determine the how sever it is there is the following scale: CHD-A = free; CHD-B = suspicion of CHD; CHD-C = mild CHD; CHD-D = intermediate CHD; CHD-E = severe CHD. In a free-CHD dog the femoral head (ball) fits well into place. The femoral head is round and the cavity is narrow and therefore the femoral head moves around without friction. When there is a hip dysplasia, depending on how severe, this optimal articulation is no longer possible. If the femoral head hits against a part of the cotilodea cavity with every step the dog makes, then arthrosis begins to form, producing acute pain. If you see the dog walking a little awkwardly, it could be a sign that he has CHD, but you can only get a precise diagnosis by means of an X-ray.

Elbow dysplasia (ED): Not only do Golden Retrievers that are used for breeding have to be checked for hip dysplasia, but also for ED. A joint in the elbow with modifications can lead to a very painful formation of arthrosis, which can usually cause the dog more problems than CHD. Dogs afflicted by this disease often start limping in their youth, but only an X-ray can give a correct diagnosis, along with the evaluation of the vet.