Siberian Husky Health Problems and Raising a Siberian Husky 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 Siberian Huskies:

The serious eye disease to watch out for in Siberian Huskies is cataracts, which affects about 10% of the breed, typically occurs at 6-12 months old, and often progresses to blindness by 2-3 years old. Other eye problems in Siberians include corneal dystrophy and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), and occasionally pannus and glaucoma.

Skin diseases can be problematic in the Siberian Husky, especially allergies (which cause itchy skin and can lead to pyoderma), and occasionally zinc-responsive dermatosis, follicular dysplasia, and lupus. Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease is a very rare disease that can occur in Siberian Huskies and causes both eye and skin problems.

Siberian Huskies are prone to losing pigment on their nose and muzzle – this can be caused by nasal solar dermatitis, vitiligo, or lupus, but most commonly it's a harmless condition called "snow nose" where the nose only loses pigment in the winter.

According to the Michigan State University Thyroid Database, up to 17% of Siberian Huskies have hypothyroidism.

Other health issues in Siberians include heart disease, epilepsy, and laryngeal paralysis.

On a positive note, the orthopedic diseases that are so common in other breeds are less so in Siberian Huskies. Hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, luxating patella, and other orthopedic diseases do occur, but at low rates. The Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of over 14,800 Siberians and found only 2% dysplastic. Similarly, of 121 elbow X-rays evaluated by the OFA, none were dysplastic. Excellent.

Can you prevent health problems from happening to YOUR Siberian Husky?

Yes, often you can.

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

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

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

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

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

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