What diseases are Briards prone to?

• Hip and/or elbow dysplasia: Hip and elbow dysplasia are two of the most common skeletal diseases seen in dogs. They are similar diseases in which either the hip or elbow joint has grown abnormally or is misshapen. The abnormal shape prevents the joints and sockets from adequately meeting one another, resulting in rubbing and grinding instead of sliding smoothly. Though the main complication with hip dysplasia is joint instability, the abnormalities present 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 fix the joint if diagnosed before the onset of arthritis. If you are rescuing a Briard, have them checked out by a vet to see if they are prone to dysplasia.

• Eye issues: Stationary night blindness; cataracts, a common eye condition that causes cloudiness in the eye and obstructs vision; and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), a progressive degenerative disease affecting the retina that eventually leads to blindness.

• Von Willebrand disease: Von Willebrand's disease (vWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder seen in dogs. It happens when a dog does not produce enough of a specific protein that helps the blood cells used in clotting stick together. This results in dogs that are unable to clot properly and could cause hemorrhages or other bleeding issues. The deficient protein is called von Willebrand factor (vWF).

• Hypothyroidism: This thyroid malfunction results in low hormone production and could cause obesity, low energy, and a brittle coat.

• Gastric dilatation-volvulus: This is a sudden, painful, and life-threatening swelling and twisting of the abdomen.