Quote:
Originally posted by thetalady
Absolutely!
Labs- allergies & hip problems
Bulldogs- horrible allergies & ear infections
Cocker spaniels- serious ear & eye problems
Pugs- breathing & eye problems
Great Danes- bloat
and on & on & on......
Many breeds have problems inherent with their physical characteristics which are the fault of human design. Many breeds are basically man-made, concocted for human vanity rather than functionality.
Other problems can occur due to poor breeding and inbreeding. I am a Lab lover, myself. With this breed, hip dysplasia is simply a common fact of their lives, sort of like arthritis with us.
The AKC site given earlier is good for identifying common problems. I also agree that mixed breeds often seem to be healthier overall than many pure breds. Just depends on the dog. I do have a couple of "All American" dogs myself!
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add on:
Labs-bloat
bull dogs-elongated soft palates, breathing problems, labor problems (for those stupid people that "breed" them)
Great Danes-live to about 8-9 years of age (not long enough for me), hip problems
cocker spaniels-behavior problems (many bite believe it or not), skin allergies, cherry eye
no dog is perfect but you need to find the one for you. For example: if you are looking for a running partner do not get a bulldog or chihuahua (I know this seems common sense but we have had many heat stroked bulldogs-hello people they cannot breath as it is).
make sure you budget at least 100$ per month and put this away for possible medical problems/expenses. I just spent 700$ on my cat that was vomiting and that was 1/2 off at the clinic I work at. Bottom line-animals are an expense, they WILL cost you money.
I highly recommend looking into pet insurance also. This is becoming more and more popular and useful but buyer beware there are some bad companies out there so do your research!
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