German Wirehaired Pointer Health Problems and Raising a German Wirehaired Pointer 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 German Wirehaired Pointers:

The most common orthopedic disease in the GWP is hip dysplasia. The Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of over 3100 German Wirehaired Pointers and found 9% dysplastic, and the true rate is higher because most of the obviously bad X-rays were not sent in for official evaluation. For comparison, German Shorthairs have less than a 5% hip dysplasia rate. Other orthopedic diseases in the GWP include elbow dysplasia, osteochondritis, and panosteitis.

According to the Michigan State University Thyroid Database, German Wirehaired Pointers have the 4th highest rate of hypothyroidism of 140 breeds (over 25% affected).

Allergies cause itchy skin and can lead to bacterial skin infections (pyoderma).

von Willebrand's blood-clotting disease occurs in German Wirehairs, as does heart disease.

The most common eye diseases are cataracts (appearing by 12 months old), entropion, retinal dysplasia, and occasionally progressive retinal atrophy (PRA).

As with all deep-chested breeds, German Wirehaired Pointers are at higher-than-normal risk for the emergency gastrointestinal syndrome called bloat.

Can you prevent health problems from happening to YOUR German Wirehaired Pointer?

Yes, often you can.

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

Here are my dog health tips for raising a healthy German Wirehaired Pointer puppy or adult dog:

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

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

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

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