Belgian Shepherd Health Problems and Raising a Belgian Shepherd 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 Belgian Shepherds:

There are four varieties of Belgian Shepherd: the longhaired black Groenendael (inexplicably called Belgian Sheepdog by the AKC – as though the other three varieties aren't also Sheepdogs), the shorthaired fawn Malinois, the longhaired fawn Tervuren, and the uncommon, shaggy fawn Laekenois. Since the varieties are seldom interbred, some of their health problems are a little different.

Inherited epilepsy is the most frightening health problem in Belgian Shepherds. It occurs in all four varieties, but is especially common in Belgian Tervurens, with up to 17% of the breed affected.

Compared to other large breeds, hip dysplasia is not considered a serious problem in the four Belgians.

• The Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of 1680 Belgian Malinois and found 6% dysplastic, the highest rate of the four varieties. That's not bad for a large breed, though the true rate is higher because most of the obviously bad X-rays were not sent in for official evaluation.
• The rarest variety, the Belgian Laekenois, with only 56 X-rays submitted, was rated as 5% dysplastic. Good.
• The Belgian Tervuren (4400 X-rays submitted) was evaluated at less than 4% dysplastic and the Belgian Groenendael aka Belgian Sheepdog (3200 X-rays submitted) had the best rate at less than 3%. Excellent.

Elbow dysplasia is a different story for two of the four varieties. Here the Belgian Laekenois has an alarmingly high 25% rate of elbow dysplasia. The Belgian Malinois had the second-highest rate at 10%. The Groenendael /Sheepdog is at a much better 5% and the Tervuren has the lowest rate at 4%.

Other orthopedic diseases in Belgian Shepherds include osteochondritis, panosteitis, and luxating patella.

Eye diseases affect about 15% of Belgian Shepherds. Most common is cataracts, which appear in adult dogs. Persistent pupillary membranes are fairly common in the Belgian Tervuren. Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) and retinal dysplasia have been reported in Belgian Shepherds.

Skin diseases include allergies (which cause itchy skin and can lead to pyoderma) and demodectic mange. In Tervurens, a rare skin disease called vitiligo has been reported.

Like most breeds, Belgian Shepherds are often victims of cancer. The most common cancers in Belgian Shepherds are lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, and osteosarcoma.

Other health issues of concern in the Belgians include hypothyroidism (most common in the Belgian Malinois), bloat, heart disease (cardiomyopathy), degenerative spinal myelopathy, colitis (inflammatory bowel disease), and pancreatitis.

Can you prevent health problems from happening to YOUR Belgian Shepherd?

Yes, often you can.

1. Some health problems are genetic, which means inherited from parents. Genetic health issues are common in Belgian Shepherds today because of unwise breeding practices. My book, Dog Quest: Find The Dog Of Your Dreams, shows you how to find a Belgian Shepherd 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 Belgian Shepherd puppy (or adult dog) in all the right ways.

Here are my dog health tips for raising a healthy Belgian Shepherd puppy or adult dog:

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

The Best Dog Food For Feeding Your Belgian Shepherd
The best diet for feeding your Belgian Shepherd 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 Belgian Shepherd
If you can't (or won't) feed what your Belgian Shepherd 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 Belgian Shepherd puppy really need? Does your adult Belgian Shepherd 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 Belgian Shepherd.

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

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