Samoyed Health Care & Feeding
By Michele Welton, Dog Trainer, Breed Selection Consultant, Author of 15 Dog Books
Start your Samoyed 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
Samoyed Health Problems
Or check out my advice for raising a healthy Samoyed puppy or adult dog:
Dog Health Care – The Sensible Way
Read my advice on daily health care so your Samoyed 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 Samoyed are... [read more]
A Quick Way To Make Homemade Dog Food
Your Samoyed 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 Samoyed 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 Samoyed 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 Samoyed? 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 Samoyed 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 Samoyed health problems
Eye diseases are a serioud problem in Samoyeds:
- Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) leads to blindness.
- Cataracts can appear at 6-36 months old and can lead to blindness.
- Glaucoma usually leads to blindness.
- Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease is a rare disease that causes severe eye and skin problems.
- Retinal dysplasia can be mild or can lead to blindness.
Retinal dysplasia in Samoyeds also suggests that the dog may be a carrier of a severe syndrome called OSD (OculoSkeletal Dysplasia). Such a dog won't have OSD himself but can pass it on to his puppies if bred. Samoyed puppies born with OSD have skeletal malformations, such as dwarfed legs, and go blind at an early age.
- Other eye diseases in Samoyeds include persistent pupillary membranes, eyelash abnormalities, and corneal dystrophy.
A variety of heart diseases (subaortic stenosis, pulmonic stenosis, tricuspid valve disease, and septal defects) are a concern in Samoyeds.
Epilepsy (seizures) is another health issue that's becoming a worry in Samoyeds.
The orthopedic disease of most concern in Samoyeds is hip dysplasia. The Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of over 17,000 Samoyeds and found 11% dysplastic. Plenty of room for improvement there.
Other orthopedic diseases in Samoyeds include elbow dysplasia (2% rate), panosteitis in young Samoyeds, osteochondritis, and luxating patella (loose knee joints).
Hormonal/endocrine system diseases are real problems in Samoyeds, especially diabetes (very common) and hypothyroidism. According to the Michigan State University Thyroid Database, up to 15% of Samoyeds have low thyroid levels. Also reported are Addison's disease and Cushing's disease.
As with all deep-chested breeds, Samoyeds are at higher-than-normal risk for the emergency gastrointestinal syndrome called bloat.
Allergies cause itchy skin and often lead to bacterial skin infections (pyoderma).
Other skin diseases in Samoyeds include follicular dysplasia, sebaceous adenitis, zinc-responsive dermatosis, and lick granuloma.
Kidney disease can be severe in young Samoyeds.
Blood-clotting diseases in Samoyeds include von Willebrand's and hemophilia A.
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 Samoyed 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.