Giant Schnauzer Health Care & Feeding
By Michele Welton, Dog Trainer, Breed Selection Consultant, Author of 15 Dog Books
Start your Giant Schnauzer 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
Giant Schnauzer Health Problems
Or check out my advice for raising a healthy Giant Schnauzer puppy or adult dog:
Dog Health Care – The Sensible Way
Read my advice on daily health care so your Giant Schnauzer 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 Giant Schnauzer are... [read more]
A Quick Way To Make Homemade Dog Food
Your Giant Schnauzer 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 Giant Schnauzer 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 Giant Schnauzer 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 Giant Schnauzer? 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 Giant Schnauzer 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 Giant Schnauzer health problems
The most common health problems in Giant Schnauzers are orthopedic, especially hip dysplasia. The Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of 4700 Giant Schnauzers and found 18% dysplastic. That's bad, and the true rate is even higher because most of the obviously bad X-rays were not sent in for official evaluation.
Of nearly 700 elbow X-rays, 8% were dysplastic.
Other orthopedic diseases in Giant Schnauzers, all of which cause pain and lameness, include osteochondritis, panosteitis, and hypertrophic osteodystrophy.
According to the Michigan State University Thyroid Database, up to 23% of Giant Schnauzers have thyroid disease.
Eye diseases in Giant Schnauzers include progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) and retinal dysplasia. Cataracts can appear in puppyhood, or later at 6-7 years old.
As with all deep-chested breeds, Giant Schnauzers are at higher-than-normal risk for the emergency gastrointestinal syndrome called bloat.
Blood-clotting diseases are a concern in Giants, especially von Willebrand's disease and thrombocytopenia.
Skin diseases include allergies (which cause itchy skin and often lead to pyoderma), seborrhea, and vitiligo.
Other serious health issues in Giant Schnauzers include epilepsy, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, heart disease, and cancer of the toes (digital squamous cell carcinoma).
Some Giant Schnauzers cannot produce Vitamin B12, which is essential for brain and body function. A Giant affected with Vitamin B12 malabsorption becomes weak and disoriented. Fortunately, supplementing the vitamin solves the problem.
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 Giant Schnauzer 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.