Border Collie Health Care & Feeding
By Michele Welton, Dog Trainer, Breed Selection Consultant, Author of 15 Dog Books
Start your Border Collie off on the right foot by feeding the right food, giving the right vaccinations, finding the right vet, and if you're going to spay or neuter, don't do it too early.
Jump down to this list of
Border Collie Health Problems
Or check out my advice for raising a healthy Border Collie puppy or adult dog:
Dog Health Care – The Sensible Way
Read my advice on daily health care so your Border Collie lives a long, healthy life and seldom needs to see the vet... [read more]
3 Best Ways To Feed Your Dog Healthy Food
You can dramatically increase your dog's chances of living a long, healthy life by feeding the right food. Cutting right to the chase, the best foods for your Border Collie are... [read more]
A Quick Way To Make Homemade Dog Food
Your Border Collie will love real chicken, turkey, beef, fish, eggs, yogurt, broccoli.... this is not just "people food" and I'll tell you why... [read more]
5 Best Kibble and Canned Dog Foods
Some are better than others, but I must be honest – I'm not a huge fan of dry or canned dog food. Here are my concerns... [read more]
Vaccinations and Booster Shots: Needed or Not?
How many vaccinations does your Border Collie puppy really need? Does your adult dog need yearly booster shots? The vaccination guidelines have changed! Find out what some vets aren't telling you... [read more]
Spaying Your Female Dog: Pros and Cons
Should your female Border Collie be spayed? Current research says, "The AGE at which you spay can be vitally important to your dog's future health." So what's the best age? [read more]
Neutering Your Male Dog: Pros and Cons
Have you been told that you must neuter your male Border Collie? Current research shows that the issue is not so simple. Pet owners are not being told about some risks associated with neutering male dogs, especially neutering too early... [read more]
Make Sure Your Vet is the Best!
Is your current veterinarian really the best choice for your dog? Here's how to tell... [read more]
Assisi Loop Review
Does your Border Collie suffer from arthritis, hip dysplasia, disk disease, colitis? My honest review of a veterinary device you can use at home to reduce inflammation and pain. [read more]
Complete list of Border Collie health problems
Hip dysplasia is the most common orthopedic disease in Border Collies. The Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of 13,000 Border Collies and found 11% dysplastic. That's high for a medium size dog. Another orthopedic disease found in Border Collies is osteochondritis.
The most common eye disease is collie eye anomaly. It is estimated that about 2.5% of Border Collies in North America are affected with CEA, with another 25% being carriers. Other eye diseases in Border Collies include cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), lens luxation, corneal dystrophy, and coloboma.
Epilepsy (seizures) is being reported more and more often in Border Collies – this is a growing concern.
Allergies cause itchy skin and can lead to bacterial skin infections (pyoderma).
According to the Michigan State University Thyroid Database, up to 17% of Border Collies have hypothyroidism (low thyroid levels).
Other health issues that occur in the Border Collie are heart disease (patent ductus arteriosus), cerebellar ataxia, lysosomal storage disease, and inherited deafness in Border Collie puppies with a lot of white on their head.
Border Collies and other collie-type breeds often react adversely to certain drugs such as ivermectin (in heartworm prevention products such as Heartguard), Imodium A-D, flagyl, and certain anesthetics. If your dog has a mutant gene called mdr1, he cannot pump these drugs out of his brain, which results in neurological toxicity. Don't give any of these drugs to your Border Collie unless he has been tested for this mutant gene. It's a simple DNA test offered by the Washington State University Veterinary School.
Preventing health problems
Some health problems are inherited. For example, if your dog inherits from his parents the genes for an eye disease called PRA, he will go blind and there's nothing anyone can do about it.
But most health problems can be prevented by the ways you raise your dog.
FREE eBOOK! My free online health care program, 11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy shows you how to raise your Border Collie in all the right ways that help prevent health problems. Become your dog's health care champion!
About the author: Michele Welton has over 40 years of experience as a Dog Trainer, Dog Breed Consultant, and founder of three Dog Training Centers. An expert researcher and author of 15 books about dogs, she loves helping people choose, train, and care for their dogs.
My best-selling books – now available FREE on my website
Respect Training For Puppies: 30 seconds to a calm, polite, well-behaved puppy is for puppies 2 to 18 months old. Your puppy will learn the 21 skills that all family dogs need to know. Click here to read for free.
Teach Your Dog 100 English Words is a unique Vocabulary and Respect Training Program that will teach your adult dog to listen to you and do what you say. Click here to read for free.11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy helps your dog live a longer, healthier life. Get my honest advice about all 11 Things before you bring home your new puppy, because some mistakes with early health care cannot be undone. Click here to read for free.