What diseases are Toy Fox Terriers prone to?

• Patellar luxation: Also known as slipped kneecaps, patellar luxation is a common problem in many dog breeds. It occurs when slight abnormalities cause the knee joint to slide in and out of place. This can cause pain and occasional lameness. Surgical treatment is available for severe cases, although many dogs lead normal lives without treatment.

• Legg-Calve-Perthes: This condition causes the head of the femur (located in the hind leg) to spontaneously degenerate. Over time, this will lead to erosion of the hip joint and arthritis. A Toy Fox Terrier suffering from Legg-Calve-Perthes will become lame, limp while walking, and experience pain when moving the hip joint. Surgery is the most effective treatment for the disorder.

• Congenital hypothyroidism with goiter (CHG): This inherited disease prevents proper thyroid hormone production in young puppies. Puppies born with CHG will not move around as much as normal pups, have abnormally large heads, and exhibit dwarfism in their legs. After a few weeks puppies start to develop swelling near the thyroid gland (on the underside of the neck), which continues to enlarge. This is called a goiter. If caught early, medication can keep the goiter from growing and restricting the airways, but in some cases, the goiter continues to return and eventually leads to death.,

• Von Willebrand disease: Von Willebrand 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).