Standard Schnauzer Health Problems and Raising a Standard Schnauzer Puppy to be Healthy

Quiz – How Long Will Your Dog Live?
How To Raise a Healthy Dog
Feeding the Best Dog Food
Feeding the 2nd Best Dog Food
Vaccinations: Needed or Not?
Are You Sure Your Vet Is Good?

The most common health problems in Standard Schnauzers:

Orthopedic diseases include hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and osteochondritis. The Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of 3300 Standard Schnauzers and found 9% dysplastic. This is high for a mid-sized breed (the Miniature Schnauzer is less than 3%), and the true rate is even higher, because most of the obviously bad X-rays were not sent in for official evaluation. Of 34 elbow X-rays, 6% were dysplastic.

The most serious eye disease is cataracts, which usually appear by 12 months old and often lead to blindness. Dry eye and retinal dysplasia also occur in Standard Schnauzers.

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

Heart disease (pulmonic stenosis) and epilepsy have been reported in the breed.

Skin problems include allergies (which cause itchy skin and can leading to pyoderma), non-tumorous growths, and tumorous growths (such as perianal adenoma and melanoma).

Can you prevent health problems from happening to YOUR Standard Schnauzer?

Yes, often you can.

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

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

How Long Will Your Dog Live? – Take This Quiz!
Based on your dog's breed and how you're raising him, this personalized quiz will help you understand how long your dog might live – and most importantly, how you can increase his life expectancy.

Dog Health Care – The Sensible Way
Read my advice on daily health care so your Standard Schnauzer lives a long, healthy life and seldom needs to see the vet.

The Best Dog Food For Feeding Your Standard Schnauzer
The best diet for feeding your Standard Schnauzer 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 Standard Schnauzer
If you can't feed homemade dog food, here are your next-best choices.

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

The Type of Veterinarian I Recommend
Is your veterinarian really the best choice for your dog? Learn about the differences between vets who practice conventional, holistic, and alternative veterinary medicine.

Spaying Your Female Dog: Pros and Cons
Advantages and disadvantages of spaying your female Standard Schnauzer.

Neutering Your Male Dog: Pros and Cons
Advantages and disadvantages of neutering your male dog.

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