Tibetan Mastiff Health Problems and Raising a Tibetan Mastiff 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 Tibetan Mastiffs:

Hypothyroidism is extremely common in Tibetan Mastiffs, with about one-third of the breed affected.

Orthopedic diseases are a seriousl problem, especially hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia. The Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of over 600 Tibetan Mastiffs and found 12% dysplastic. The true rate is even higher because most of the obviously bad X-rays were not sent in for official evaluation. 10% of 176 elbow X-rays were also dysplastic.

Osteochondritis and panosteitis also occur in Tibetan Mastiffs, and hypertrophic osteodystrophy has been reported.

Eyelid abnormalities (entropion and ectropion) are common in Tibetan Mastiffs. Other eye diseases include cataracts and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA).

Allergies cause itchy skin and can lead to bacterial skin infections (pyoderma). Food intolerances, especially to soy and wheat, are common in this breed and can cause chronic skin conditions – Tibetan Mastiffs should not be eating an artificial diet of kibble or canned food.

The TM's small ear canals are subject to chronic ear infections.

Heart disease and epilepsy are becoming real concerns in the breed.

A serious nervous system disease affecting Tibetan Mastiffs is polyneuropathy (canine inherited demyelinative neuropathy, or CIDN).

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

Can you prevent health problems from happening to YOUR Tibetan Mastiff?

Yes, often you can.

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

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

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

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

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

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