Golden Retriever Health Problems Suspected To Be Inherited

Epilepsy: Characterized by seizures, epilepsy can result from environmental sources and viral
infections. While watching your Golden Retriever go through a seizure is very uncomfortable, it
may not be dangerous to your dog's long-term quality of life. You can get medications from your
vet to control the seizures. Do not breed a Golden Retriever that has seizures to avoid the
chance of passing the disorder on to its puppies.

Skin Allergies: The most common medical problem that Golden Retrievers experience is skin
allergies, although it's difficult to know if they are genetic or environmental in nature. Your
Golden may have skin allergies if it obsessively bites or scratches. It can even create bald spots
in its coat if it goes untreated. Skin allergies are a natural reaction to flea, mite, and tick bites
and can be reduced or avoided by regular grooming and shampooing with commercial flea and
tick products. Your Golden could also be allergic to mold and other indoor air pollutants. Regular
house-cleaning should reduce the problem. Diet can be very important to treating and avoiding
allergic reactions in Golden Retrievers, so do your research to find the appropriate feeding
regimen for your dog.

Hypothyroidism: Golden Retrievers affected by this failure of the thyroid gland to function
properly may be obese or have problems maintaining a healthy coat. Some Golden's with
hypothyroidism will also have seizures. However, most problems should resolve upon the
administration of oral medicines. Assuring your Golden is generally healthy by providing a
balanced nutritious diet, plenty of exercise, and a safe living environment will do much to
prevent or reduce the impacts of hypothyroidism. Goldens with this problem may have more
difficulty breeding than you'd expect, although it is recommended that you do not even try to
breed a Golden Retriever with this or other hereditary conditions.

Tips on Selecting and Caring for Your Golden Retriever
These are a few of the medical problems often found in Golden Retrievers. It's an unfortunate
irony that the more popular a dog is, the more likely breeding is to bring out health problems
specific to the breed. One way to avoid these problems is to be very careful in selecting the
breeder, shelter, or pet store that supplies your dog. Insist on reviewing the dog's records, and
inspect the facility. Knowing that the offerer has a passionate love for Golden Retrievers is one
way to assure your Golden is not plagued by the problems that result from breeding and overbreeding
unhealthy dogs.

No matter what symptoms your Golden Retriever exhibits, the careful pet owner does not jump
to conclusions or make uneducated diagnoses. If you are concerned about your Golden, be
sure to take it to the vet as soon as you can. Rely on the education and experience of a certified
veterinarian in identifying health problems and treating them.