Canine hip dysplasia is an orthopedic disease in which an abnormal formation of the hip leads to looseness in the hip joints, which causes friction and leads to arthritis and cartilage damage.  Mild hip dysplasia often goes unnoticed, however, severe cases usually cause crippling effects.  Hip dysplasia is a common issue amoung large breeds.  There are both genetic as well as environment factors involved with hip dysplasia.  Reputable Dogue de Bordeaux breeders will screen their breeding dogs to ensure that they are free from hip dysplasia.  Common hip testing methods include PennHip, OFA, and OVC.   We PennHip certify our Dogue de Bordeauxs.

 

 

As mentioned above, hip dysplasia is an orthopedic disease in which an abnormal formation of the hip leads to looseness in the hip joints, which causes friction and leads to arthritis and cartilage damage.  With that being said, the Neapolitan Mastiff is a very unique breed that normally has fairly loose hips to begin.  Many Neos are often mis-diagnosed with hip dysplasia when in fact, their hips are actually normal for the breed.  Because of this, many breeders do not use the standard hip testing methods, but rather judge their dogs based on the overall movement and function of each dog.

 

 

Dilated cardiomyopathy or DCM, also known as congestive cardiomyopathy, is a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged, and cannot pump blood efficiently.  Dilated cardiomyopathy may have an underlying genetic basis but the disease is not considered a congenital heart defect.  It is most common in large and giant breed dogs.  All of our dogs and puppies have their hearts checked at each vet appointment to look for any obvious irregularities. 

 

Cherry Eye is most common in the Neapolitan Mastiff but it occasionally occurs in the other breeds as well.  Cherry eye is when the gland of the third eyelid swells up and pops out.  It looks similar to a cherry thus the name Cherry Eye. Most Vet's will insist on tacking down the gland since this works with many other breeds.  But tacking WILL NOT work on the Neapolitan Mastiff.   The gland must be removed if it does not recede on its own.  Cherry eye removeal is a very simple and inexpensive surgery.

 

Entropian is a condition where the eyelashes curl inwards and rub on the dogs eyes. The friction from the lashes rubbing on the eye can cause corneal ulcers and can actually lead to blindness if it is not treated.  A simple surgery is needed to correct the issue.  Entropian is most common is dogs with loose skin and heavy facial wrinkles.

 

Patellar luxation is a condition in which the knee cap pops out of place and dislocates.  Patellar luxation is most common amongst small breeds but can occur on occasion in large breeds as well.  Mild patellar luxation in which the knee only pops out on occasion usually doesn't present a huge problem.  However, a severe case where the knee pops out frequently or is permanently out of place will require surgery to correct.  Patellar luxation is considered a hereditary problem, but is easily diagnosed by simple palpation.  All of our dogs and puppies have their knees checked at each vet check-up.

 

Hypothyroidism is a disease caused by the insufficient production of thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland.  Hypothyroidism can cause lethargy, flaky and dull coat, hair loss, balding spots,  and fertility problems.  Luckily hypothyroidism isn't a difficult disease to treat and a simple thyroid tablet given twice daily is usually all it takes to raise the thyroid hormone to a normal level.  Hypothyroidism is considered a hereditary issue. We have thyroid tests performed on all of our Dogue de Bordeaux and Neapolitan Mastiffs.

 

Bloat is a medical condition in which the stomach becomes overstretched by excessive gas content. It is also commonly referred to as gastric torsion and gastric dilatation-volvulus when the stomach is also twisted.  Bloat is one of the top causes of death in large deep-chested breeds.  Some signs that your dog is bloating include swelling of the abdomen, failed attempts to vomit, pacing and reslessness.  If you think your dog is bloating, call your vet immediately!  Bloat is deadly and requires emergency surgery to untwist the stomach and release the built up gas.  If you are unable to get to your vet immediately, there are some first aid steps that you can follow while you wait to hear from a vet.  Click here for a Bloat First Aid Guide.  To help prevent bloating, never exercise your dog or allow rough play within an hour before or after the dog eats.  Break up feeding into two or three smaller meals each day rather than feeding one large meal.