Mixed Breed Dog Health Care & Feeding

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Mixed Breed Health Problems

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Mixed breed dog health problems

Over 300 genetic health problems occur in PUREBRED dogs.

Orthopedic diseases like hip dysplasia, disk disease, loose kneecaps that pop out of their sockets. Heart diseases. Epilepsy. Eye diseases like cataracts and glaucoma, that can result in blindness. Inherited cancers. Autoimmune diseases. Diabetes and thyroid disease. Inherited kidney and liver diseases. Digestive diseases like colitis, pancreatitis, and bloat. All manners of skin diseases and chronic allergies.

Now, mixed breed dogs can inherit most of those diseases, too. But frequently the risk is lower in mixed breeds than in purebreds.

Why is the risk lower in mixed breeds?

1. First, because most mixed breeds have a normal dog shape. Whereas many purebreds have been manipulated by breeders to have unnatural and unhealthy shapes.
   • Squashed faces that snort and snuffle and can't breathe when they run around in the heat
   • Protruding eyes vulnerable to being scratched
   • Short crooked legs prone to joint diseases
   • Loose folds of wrinkled skin prone to bacterial infections
   • Long backs with weak vertebrae
   • Long narrow ear canals prone to ear infections
   • Tiny mouths without enough room for healthy teeth
   • Massive bodies that break down in less than 10 years

   Shame on breeders for deliberately inflicting these deformities (and their associated health problems) on purebred dogs. Thankfully, most mixed breeds don't look like that.

2. Second, geneticists tell us that greater genetic diversity (a greater variety of genes) is one of the best predictors of good health. On the other hand, less genetic diversity over time leads to poor health.

   Mixed breed dogs typically have FAR more genetic diversity than purebred dogs.

   Why? Because in purebreds, the goal is to make all of the individuals within the breed look (or act) as much alike as possible. To accomplish that, breeders don't want varied  genes. They want a small limited set of genes so all of the members of that breed share the same small set of traits.

   For example, Bichons are small, white, fluffy, and don't shed much. Why? Because every pup inherits the genes for being small, white, fluffy, and light-shedding. Those are the only genes there are in Bichons. There aren't any Bichon genes for being big or black or smooth-coated.

   In purebreds, that limited set of genes keep getting recycled with each generation. This is called inbreeding or linebreeding and geneticists say it leads to physical and mental defects, a weaker immune system, greater susceptibility to illness, and a greater likelihood of hereditary health problems spreading rapidly through the breed.

   Sadly, that's exactly what is happening in many purebred dogs.

So if your mixed breed dog has a pretty normal dog shape and good genetic diversity....

....he has a lot going for him!

That's the good news.

But there is some bad news, too.

In purebred dogs, responsible breeders perform specific health screening tests (x-rays, ultrasounds, blood tests, DNA tests) before breeding two dogs together.

These screening tests can detect a number of hereditary health problems. If those problems were found, those two dogs would not be bred together.

Unfortunately, people who breed crossbred dogs seldom do any health screening tests.

And people who breed mixed breed dogs never do those tests. That means your mixed breed, even with his normal shape and diverse genes, could have inherited a genetic health problem from his unscreened mother or unscreened father.

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 mixed breed dog in all the right ways that help prevent health problems. Become your dog's health care champion!