Health

Shelties are generally quite healthy. But there are still things breeders need to keep an eye on for shelties to remain healthy and happy.

Health problems

Hip Dysplasia HD

HD is a developmental malformation or subluxation of the hip joints. The hip joint is a "ball and socket" joint: the "ball" fits into a "socket" formed by the pelvis. If there is a loose fit between these bones, and the ligaments which help to hold them together are loose, the ball may slide part way out of the socket. With time, as this occurs repeatedly, other degenerative changes in the joint occur and your dog will become painful, lame and weak in the hind end. This disease is progressive; that is, it gets worse with time. HD can be affected by genes but can be also caused by lifestyle and/or injuries. Factors that can affect this are excessive weight, bad diet, injuries etc. For shelties hip dysplasia is not a big problem and very few are affected.

Elbow dysplasia ED

ED is a condition involving multiple developmental abnormalities of the elbow joint. The elbow joint is a complex joint made up of 3 bones (radius, ulna, and humerus). If the 3 bones do not fit together perfectly due to growth abnormalities, abnormal weight distribution on areas of the joint occur causing pain, lameness, and the development of arthritis. Same to HD, ED can be cause by genetics and/or lifestyle/injuries and not a usual problem for the breed.

Patellar luxation

The patella, or 'kneecap,' is normally located in a groove on the end of the femur (thigh bone) just above the stifle (knee). The term luxating means 'out of place' or 'dislocated'. Therefore, a luxating patella is a kneecap that moves out of its normal location. Pet owners may notice a skip in their dog’s step or see their dog run on three legs. Then suddenly they will be back on all four legs as if nothing happened.

Patellar luxations are graded from Grade I-IV. Some dogs can tolerate this condition for many years, even for their entire life. However, patellar luxation predisposes the knee to other injuries, such as torn cruciate ligaments. The weight bearing stress on the leg is also altered, leading to changes in the hips, thigh, and shin bones. As the pet ages, arthritis develops and results in not only decreased mobility but joint pain as well. Grade II-IV luxating patella can be corrected by surgery. However luxating patella is rare in shetland sheepdog.

Genetic diseases

All genetic diseases can be tested for and avoided with the right breeding.

Collie eye anamoly CEA

CEA is a disorder of the deep structures of the eye that affects collie breeds around the world. The four main changes are: 1) Inadequate development of the choroid, a thin layer of blood vessels that delivers oxygen and nutrients to the retina (CH) 2) Coloboma - a cleft or defect of the optic disc or adjacent areas 3) Staphyloma - an area of thinning in the sclera which is adjacent to the choroid and 4) Retinal detachment with or without hemorrhage - a complication associated with the other defects. In its mildest form, there are minor changes in the choroid which will have little effect on sight. About 25 per cent of dogs with CEA have colobomas/staphylomas as well as choroidal hypoplasia. Retinal detachments occur in approximately seven per cent of dogs with CEA. Total retinal detachment will cause blindness.

A sheltie can be either free from CEA, carrier of CEA (which means they are not affected) and then there are shelties affected by CEA. A big procentage of shetland sheepdogs are carriers of CEA and some do suffer from it but most are only mildly affected. Mildly affected animals will have no detectable vision deficit.

Progressive retinal atrophy

PRA is a disease where the retina slowly deteriorates, producing night blindness. These diseases affect primarily the photoreceptor cells. Both eyes are similarly affected and dogs eventually become totally blind. [Centralized PRA] Also called RPE dystrophy, the abnormality is in the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE). The photoreceptor cells will also degenerate eventually. The rate of vision loss is much slower than with generalized PRA, and not all dogs become totally blind.

MDR1

The MDR1 (multi-drug resistance-1) gene is responsible for the production of P-glycoprotein, which is normally responsible for transporting certain drugs out of the brain. Dogs that have a mutation in the MDR1 gene, which inhibits their ability to remove certain drugs from the brain and can lead up to a buildup of toxins, may have severe adverse reactions to some common drugs, including seizures, tremors, disorientation, blindness, lack of muscle control or even death. About 15% of shelties are affected by MRD1

More about MDR1

Degenerative myelopathy

Canine degenerative myelopathy (also known as chronic degenerative radiculomyelopathy) is a progressive disease of the spinal cord in older dogs. The disease has an insidious onset typically between 7 and 14 years of age. It begins with a loss of coordination (ataxia) in the hind limbs. The disease is chronic and progressive, and resulting in paralysis. In one study of 58 Shetland sheepdogs tested, 17.2% were carriers of the mutation and 12.1% were at-risk/affected. If a dog has the affected gene, does not mean they will 100% suffer from it. DM is a really rare disease among shelties, so breeders test for it so it will remain really rare.

Von-Willebrand disease type III

Von Willebrand disease (vWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder, which is highly heterogeneous ranging from an asymptomatic laboratory abnormality to a life threatening bleeding. The condition is caused by a quantitative or qualitative deficiency of von Willebrand factor (vWF). Von Willebrand's disease vWD usually comes in two major types, type I and type III. Type III is a severe bleeding disorder with a high risk of spontaneous bleeding as well as a risk of serious bleeding from trauma and surgery. Like DM is vWD extremely rare is shelties but breeders need to keep testing for it to keep it rare.

INHERITANCE