Bloodhound Health Problems and Raising a Bloodhound 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 Bloodhounds:

Bloat is a major killer of this breed. The Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine reports that the Bloodhound is the THIRD most likely breed to bloat (behind the Great Dane and Akita).

Cancer (especially osteosarcoma and lymphosarcoma) is another leading killer of Bloodhounds.

Orthopedic diseases, especially hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia, are of grave concern in Bloodhounds. The Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of 2300 Bloodhounds and found an extremely high 26% dysplastic. And the true rate is even higher because most of the obviously bad X-rays were not sent in for official evaluation. A whopping 16% of 660 elbow X-rays were dysplastic – the 12th worst rate of 82 breeds. And again, the true rate is higher.

Other common orthopedic diseases in Bloodhounds are osteochondritis and luxating patella.

With their long heavy ears, Bloodhounds are extremely prone to ear infections and ear hematoma.

Hypothyroidism is common in the breed. According to the Michigan State University Thyroid Database, up to 15% of Bloodhounds have low thyroid levels.

Heart disease (cardiomyopathy) and epilepsy are being reported more frequently in Bloodhounds.

Allergies cause itchy skin and can lead to bacterial skin infections (pyoderma). Occasionally calcinosis has been reported in the Bloodhound.

Eye diseases include cherry eye, eyelid abnormalities (ectropion and entropion), dry eye, and cataracts.

Can you prevent health problems from happening to YOUR Bloodhound?

Yes, often you can.

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

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

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

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

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

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