Coonhound Health Care & Feeding
By Michele Welton, Dog Trainer, Breed Selection Consultant, Author of 15 Dog Books
Jump down to this list of
Coonhound Health Problems
Or check out my advice for raising a healthy Coonhound puppy or adult dog:
Dog Health Care – The Sensible Way
Read my advice on daily health care so your Coonhound 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 Coonhound are... [read more]
A Quick Way To Make Homemade Dog Food
Your Coonhound 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 Coonhound 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 Coonhound 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 Coonhound? 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 Coonhound 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 Coonhound health problems
The coonhounds I cover are the Redbone Coonhound (pictured), Black and Tan Coonhound, Bluetick Coonhound, Plott Hound, Treeing Walker Coonhound, English Coonhound, and American Leopard Hound.
The vast majority are kept as kenneled hunting dogs. Many are unregistered and many breeders don't test dogs before breeding. So health statistics are few and far between.
But the most common health problem in Coonhounds is hip dysplasia. The Orthopedic Foundation of America has evaluated the hip X-rays of over 800 Coonhounds and found between 15 to 21% of them to be dysplastic. That's high.
The most common eye diseases in Coonhounds are eyelid abnormalities (entropion and ectropion) and cherry eye. Occasionally cataracts and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) occur in Coonhounds.
With their long heavy ears, Coonhounds are very prone to ear infections, ear mites, and hematoma (a large blood blister on the ear flap).
As with all deep-chested breeds, Coonhounds are at higher-than-normal risk for the emergency gastrointestinal syndrome called bloat.
Skin diseases include allergies and skin infections (pyoderma), especially in individuals with heavy skin folds – which are typically Coonhounds from show lines rather than hunting lines.
According to the Michigan State University Thyroid Database, up to 16% of Coonhounds have hypothyroidism.
Rare lysosomal storage diseases have been reported in Bluetick and Plott Coonhounds, and a serious blood-clotting disease (hemophilia B) can occur in Black and Tan Coonhounds.
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 Coonhound in all the right ways that help prevent health problems. Become your dog's health care champion!
My best-selling books – now available FREE on my website