American Staffordshire Terrier Health Problems and Raising an American Staffordshire Terrier Puppy to be Healthy

How To Raise a Healthy Dog
Feeding the Best Dog Foods
Vaccinations: Needed or Not?
Spaying and Neutering: Pros and Cons

The most common health problems in American Staffordshire Terriers:

Though many breeders pretend it isn't so, hip dysplasia is a major problem. The Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of 2200 American Staffordshire Terriers and found 25% dysplastic. That's just terrible.

Elbow dysplasia is another serious problem. Over 330 X-rays of American Staffordshire elbows were examined and 16.5% were dysplastic – the 11th worst rate of 82 breeds.

Other orthopedic diseases that occur in the AmStaff are luxating patella and osteochondritis.

According to the Michigan State University Thyroid Database, American Staffordshire Terriers have the 18th highest rate of hypothyroidism of 140 breeds (up to 20% affected).

Heart disease (especially subaortic stenosis, but also cardiomyopathy) is occurring more frequently in AmStaffs.

Skin problems are common in the American Staffordshires, especially allergies that cause itchy skin and can lead to bacterial skin infections (pyoderma). Demodectic mange is very common in American Staffordshire Terrier puppies and teenage dogs. Tumors (especially mast cell tumors) and cancer are a big concern in the AmStaff.

Serious eye diseases in the breed are progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), cataracts, and entropion.

Inherited deafness can occur in American Staffordshire Terriers puppies who have a lot of white on their head.

Can you prevent health problems from happening to YOUR American Staffordshire Terrier?

Yes, often you can.

1. Some health problems are genetic, which means inherited from parents. Genetic health issues are common in American Staffordshire Terriers today because of unwise breeding practices. My book, Dog Quest: Find The Dog Of Your Dreams, shows you how to find an American Staffordshire Terrier puppy who is genetically healthy.
2. Other health problems are environmental – caused by the way you raise your dog. My best-selling dog health book, 11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy shows you how to prevent environmental health problems by raising your American Staffordshire Terrier puppy (or adult dog) in all the right ways.

Here are my dog health tips for raising a healthy American Staffordshire Terrier puppy or adult dog:

How To Raise a Healthy Dog – My Philosophies
Read my advice on sensible feeding and health care so that your American Staffordshire Terrier lives a long, healthy life and seldom needs to see the vet. An excellent goal, yes?

The Best Dog Food For Feeding Your American Staffordshire Terrier
The best diet for feeding your American Staffordshire Terrier is real food. Real chicken, turkey, beef, bison, venison, fish....This is not "people food" and I'll tell you why.

The Second-Best Dog Food For Your American Staffordshire Terrier
If you can't (or won't) feed what your American Staffordshire really needs, the best I can do is to point out what to look for – and look out for – when choosing a brand of kibble or canned dog food.

Vaccinations and Booster Shots: Needed or Not?
How many vaccinations does your American Staffordshire Terrier puppy really need? Does your adult AmStaff need yearly booster shots? The vaccination guidelines have changed. Find out what many vets aren't telling you.

The Type of Veterinarian I Recommend
Does your veterinarian belong to the AVMA or the AHVMA? They're not the same at all, and which one you choose can make a world of difference to the future health of your American Staffordshire Terrier.

Spaying and Neutering: Pros and Cons
Advantages and disadvantages of spaying your female American Staffordshire or neutering your male.

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