Looking for answers, she entered 3-year-old Nicodemus, who's perfectly healthy, into a national study of nearly 3, golden retrievers. The goal is to understand why the cancer rate is so high. Nicodemus even has something called a "whistle" that stays with him all the time so it can record his activity and sleep. Even while he's giving blood, that tail keeps on wagging. Campesi hopes the study will eventually help all dogs including hers to live longer lives.
If your dog has a seizure, carefully prevent him from injuring himself, but don't try to control his mouth or tongue. It won't help him, and he may bite you accidentally! Note the length of the seizure, and call us at or call an emergency hospital. Some Golden Retrievers inherit a heart condition known as aortic stenosis.
This disease causes a partial obstruction to the blood flow leaving the heart, which means the heart must work harder to pump enough blood to the body. If the condition is severe, your dog may faint or seem to run out of energy during exercise. He may also have difficulty breathing, cough frequently, or have stunted growth. Diabetes mellitus is a fairly common disease in dogs. Any breed can be affected, but Goldens have an above average incidence.
Dogs with diabetes are unable to regulate the metabolism of sugars in their bodies and require daily insulin injections. Diabetes is a serious condition and one that is important to diagnose and treat as early as possible.
Symptoms include increased eating, drinking, and urination, along with weight loss. If he shows signs, we will conduct lab tests to determine if he has this condition and discuss treatment options with you.
Treatment requires a serious commitment of time and resources. Well-regulated diabetic dogs today have the same life expectancy as other canines. Your Golden is more likely than other dogs to have a liver disorder called portosystemic shunt PSS. Some of the blood supply that should go to the liver goes around it instead, depriving the liver of the blood flow it needs to grow and function properly.
If your friend has PSS, his liver cannot remove toxins from his bloodstream effectively. Surgery may be needed, but in some cases, we can treat with a special diet and medication. Your Golden Retriever is prone to a bleeding disorder called hemophilia. This is an important test as we may not otherwise know whether your pet has hemophilia until severe bleeding occurs during surgery or after a serious injury.
Signs can include dry skin and coat, hair loss, susceptibility to other skin diseases, weight gain, fearfulness, aggression, and other behavioral changes. Treatment is usually as simple as replacement hormones given in the form of a pill. Much of what you can do to keep your dog happy and healthy is common sense, just like it is for people. Be sure to adhere to the schedule of examinations and vaccinations that we recommend for her.
Another very important step in caring for your pet is signing up for pet health insurance. There will certainly be medical tests and procedures she will need throughout her life and pet health insurance will help you cover those costs. Build her routine care into your schedule to help your Golden live longer, stay healthier, and be happier during her lifetime.
We cannot overemphasize the importance of a proper diet and exercise routine. Any abnormal symptom could be a sign of serious disease or it could just be a minor or temporary problem. The important thing is to be able to tell when to seek veterinary help and how urgently. Many diseases cause dogs to have a characteristic combination of symptoms, which together can be a clear signal that your Golden Retriever needs help.
Give us a call for an appointment if you notice any of these types of signs:. Seek medical care immediately if you notice any of these types of signs:. Visit our office to get the latest in top-quality veterinary care along with unparalleled service. Phone: Email: [email protected]. Skip to main content.
Please text us at when you arrive so we can get you checked in. For more on this, click here. Open today from am - pm Monday: 8am - 7pm Tuesday: 8am - 6pm Wednesday: 8am - 6pm Thursday: 8am - 7pm Friday: 8 am - 6 pm Saturday: 8 am - 4 pm. Contact Us. Your Golden Retriever's Health We know that because you care so much about your dog , you want to take good care of her. Infections Golden Retrievers are susceptible to bacterial and viral infections — the same ones that all dogs can get — such as parvo, rabies, and distemper.
Obesity Obesity can be a significant health problem in Golden Retrievers. Parasites All kinds of worms and bugs can invade your Golden's body, inside and out.
Spay or Neuter One of the best things you can do for your Golden is to have her spayed neutered for males. Genetic Predispositions for Golden Retrievers Cancer Cancer is a leading cause of death in older dogs. Hemangiosarcoma is a type of bleeding tumor that affects Golden Retrievers at greater than average incidence.
These tumors commonly form in the spleen, but can form in other organs as well. Unbeknownst to a pet owner, the tumor breaks open and internal bleeding occurs. Some tumors can be volleyball-sized or larger before signs of sickness show. We often find clues that one of these tumors is present during senior wellness testing, so have his blood tested and an ultrasound performed at least yearly.
Lymphoma or lymphosarcoma is a type of cancer that afflicts Golden Retrievers more than other breeds. This disease makes the body form abnormal lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell.
Because white blood cells can be found throughout the body, this cancer can show up almost anywhere. Lymphoma is a very treatable form of cancer with an excellent success rate in dogs receiving chemotherapy. Luckily, lymphoma is one of the few types of cancer that can often be found with a blood test, so we may recommend a complete blood count twice yearly.
Mast cell tumors are a particularly nasty type of skin cancer found more often in Golden Retrievers than other breeds. The sooner these tumors are surgically removed, the better. When you do that you create issues in the genes that predispose you to a variety of different things and one of them is cancer.
In fact, several studies -- both in Europe and North America -- have shown golden retrievers develop cancer at far higher rates than most other dog breeds. One study , published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine , looked at the cause of death in more than 72, dogs in North America by breed.
It found golden retrievers ranked second on the list of 82 breeds for cancer deaths -- with at least half the goldens studied succumbing to neoplastic disease. A study published in the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association found, in a five-way comparison of breeds, that golden retrievers and boxers died significantly more often from cancer than German shepherds, Labrador retrievers or Rottweilers.
Finally, a Dutch study from BMC Veterinary Research determined golden were not only at increased risk for tumor development -- but that certain tumors were more common in the breed than others. In fact, London said goldens typically develop four types of cancer: hemangiosarcoma, an aggressive, often fatal malignancy of the lining of blood vessels, osteosarcoma or bone cancer, lymphoma and mast cell tumors. Cancer in dogs can be treated -- sometimes with good results. Among those options: clinical trials at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.
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