Smooth & Rough Collie Health Care & Feeding

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Collie Health Problems

Or check out my advice for raising a healthy Smooth or Rough Collie puppy or adult dog:

Complete list of Smooth & Rough Collie health problems

Eye diseases are high on the list of health problems in Collies:

• Collie eye anomaly, in particular, is so entrenched in this breed that up to 95% have or carry CEA. Fortunately, this disease usually doesn't affect vision – but sometimes it leads to more serious eye diseases such as coloboma or retinal detachment.
• Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) can appear in Collies as young as 6 months old, and always progresses to total blindness by 1-2 years old.
• Cataracts can occur at birth, or at 3 – 5 years old.
• Other eye diseases in Rough and Smooth Collies include corneal dystrophy and persistent pupillary membranes.

Skin diseases are high on the list of Collie health problems – allergies, bacterial skin infections (pyoderma), demodectic mange, and nasal solar dermatitis.

Other skin conditions in Rough and Smooth Collies stem from autoimmune diseases, where the immune system is defective and attacks its own skin. Autoimmune diseases that attack the skin include pemphigus and lupus. Also dermatomyositis, in which the skin (derma) and muscle (myo) become inflamed (itis). This rare disease affects Sheltie and Collie puppies at 3-6 months old. Crusty skin lesions come and go, and the puppy grows slowly, with spindly legs and muscle wasting. Mildly affected dogs may outgrow the condition, though some will have permanent scars. In severely affected dogs, the disease is progressive, and if severe muscle atrophy makes it impossible for them to chew or swallow, they will have to be put to sleep. Skin lesions become worse when exposed to ultraviolet light, so keep affected dogs indoors as much as possible.

As with all deep-chested breeds, Scottish Collies are at higher-than-normal risk for the emergency gastrointestinal syndrome called bloat. The Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine reports that the Collie is among the top ten of all breeds likely to develop bloat.

Two serious diseases that are becoming more common in Rough and Smooth Collies are epilepsy and heart disease (patent ductus arteriosus).

Hypothyroidism occurs in the breed, as well, at a rate of about 15%.

Inherited deafness can occur in Collie puppies.

Fortunately, orthopedic diseases are not very common in Collies. Hip dysplasia does occur, but the Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of 3100 Rough and Smooth Collies and found less than 3% dysplastic, which is good. Elbow dysplasia is less than 2%. Osteochondritis and hypertrophic osteodystrophy are other orthopedic diseases occasionally reported in Collies.

On some older Collies, you might see what looks like a growth on their gums, covering some of their teeth. This is fibrous gum tissue and the condition is called gingival hyperplasia. If the enlarged gums interfere with chewing or become damaged from chewing, the excess tissue may need to be surgically removed.

Other health issues in Scottish Collies include colitis, pancreatic insufficiency, cerebellar ataxia, and blood-clotting diseases (von Willebrand's and hemophilia A).

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 Collie unless he has been tested for this mutant gene. It's a simple DNA test offered by the Washington State University Veterinary School. Testing has shown that 55% to 75% of Rough and Smooth Collies HAVE this defective gene.

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 Smooth & Rough Collie in all the right ways that help prevent health problems. Become your dog's health care champion!