What diseases are Australian Shepherds prone to?

1. Hip Dysplasia: Hip dysplasia is one of the most common skeletal diseases seen in dogs. Hip dysplasia is caused by a joint that has grown abnormally or is misshapen. The abnormal shape prevents the joints and sockets from properly meeting one another, resulting in rubbing and grinding instead of sliding smoothly. 

1. Elbow Dysplasia: Unlike hip dysplasia, where the main problem is joint instability, the abnormalities seen in elbow dysplasia often result in pieces of bone and/or cartilage breaking loose and irritating the joint tissues. Over time, the rubbing from dysplasia can cause a variety of issues, such as pain, lameness and secondary osteoarthritis. Surgery can be done to fix the joint if diagnosed before the onset of arthritis. 

1. Eye problems: These include a detached retina; cataracts, a common eye condition that causes cloudiness in the eye and obstructs vision; distichiasis, abnormal growth of eyelashes on the margin of the eye, resulting in irritation to the eye; collie eye anomaly, a congenital defect that causes abnormalities or unusual changes in the eye and may lead to blindness; progressive retinal atrophy, a progressive degenerative disease affecting the retina that eventually leads to blindness; epiphora, an issue that causes excessive eye watering; and persistent pupillary membranes, a condition in which remnant strands of fetal tissue cross over the iris.

1. Hypothyroidism: Australian Shepherds may also experience hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid becomes underactive and does not produce enough body-regulating hormones.

1. Other health issues: Allergies; drug sensitivity; and cancer. Australian Shepherds are also the most common breed to be affected by epilepsy.