See below for a collection of useful links......
ANAESTHETIC & YOUR BELGIAN SHEPHERD - EMERGENCY, FIRST AID, POISONING, BEREAVEMENT - INFORMATIVE. EDUCATIONAL, MEDICAL & VETERINARY SITES - HIPS, ELBOWS & OTHER JOINT RELATED SITES - EYES & EARS - SEIZURES & EPILEPSY - NATURAL DIET, HERBAL REMEDIES, HOLISTIC, FLOWER ESSENCE

Breed Predisposition to Disease and Congenital Conditions: Some of the conditions known to occur in the Belgian Shepherd; are Epilepsy, Hip Dysplasia (HD), Elbow OCD, Eyes - Cataracts & PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy), Neoplasia, Vitiligo, Gastric carcinoma, * Anaesthesia Sensitivity.


Hip Dysplasia (HD) - Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) is the most common, heritable orthopaedic problem seen in dogs. It affects virtually all breeds of dogs but is especially problematic in large and giant breeds. Clinically, the disease manifests itself in one of two ways:

• A severe form that typically afflicts the younger animal and is usually characterized by marked pain and lameness, or:
• A more chronic form with more gradual onset of clinical signs such as mild intermittent pain, stiffness and restricted range of motion in the hips as the dog ages.
  

In Australia, Hip scores and Elbow scores are usually obtained after a dog is 12 months of age, the dog is x.rayed by a vet and the x.rays are then scored by the AVA or your vet if they are qualified. The x.ray is a once off procedure and requires the dog to be fully anaesthetised when being x.rayed. For more info on how Hips are scored and a comparrison chart of scores in different countries please visit OFA Hip Grade

PennHIP - A New Scientific Method for Early Screening of Canine Hip Dysplasia - dogs can be scored earlier than 12 months. More info can be found on PennHIP on our vet's website here Monash Vet


Eyes - Eye testing certificates are valid for 12 months, eye problems known in Belgians are often late onset issues that can occur from 2 to 4 years. Eye testing can be done as early as 7.8 weeks of age, it is recommended that breeding stock be eye tested yearly. A specialist ophthalmic vet does the eye testing, which involves putting drops into the dog's eyes to dilate the pupils, in order for the vet to perform a visual check deep into the eye. A Final Eye Certificate may be given to dogs over 8 years old, problems that occur after this age are considered to be normal old age issues and not hereditary conditions.

PPM's are not considered a health issue/problem within the breed, for further info on PPM's or other eye conditions please refer to www.eyevet.org


Epilepsy - Epilepsy simply refers to repeated seizures. Seizures may occur as a one time event in an animal from a variety of causes, but only if the seizures repeat again and again over a period of time do we call it epilepsy. Whilst we can X-ray Hips and test eyes, unfortunately there is not yet a test available for epilepsy. In the BSD (Belgian Shepherd Dog) it appears to be an inherited disease, although the mode of inheritance is not well understood and so far difficult to eliminate by selective breeding, as often it may not appear until the dog is 5 years of age and at this age many dogs have already been bred from. There is currently an epilepsy study being conducted in the USA, using DNA from samples sent in from breeders around the world, with the hope that a suitable screening program can be developed for the future. See Idiopathic Epilepsy in the Belgian Tervueren (and other varieties)
As with humans, in many instances, depending on frequency and severity of the seizures, the condition can be largely controlled by careful management and medication.

Note: It can be difficult to determine whether a dog is having seizures due to epilepsy, thyroid problems, an accident, or even a reaction to vaccines or poisons etc. If a dog, of any breed, starts to suffer from 'fits' a vet should be consulted.

Understanding Your Pet's Epilepsy - by Dennis O'Brien, DVM, PhD, Diplomate, ACVIM, Specialty of Neurology, University of Missouri, College of Veterinary Medicine.
"Epilepsy simply refers to repeated seizures. Seizures may occur as a one time event in an animal from a variety of causes, but only if the seizures repeat again and again over a period of time do we call it epilepsy. Seizures are a sign of brain disease the same way a cough is a sign of lung disease. Saying an animal has epilepsy is like saying it has a chronic cough; it is a sign of a problem which isn't going away. Anything which damages the brain in the right area can cause epilepsy. If we can identify the cause of the seizures, say a brain tumor or a stroke, then we say the pet has symptomatic (or secondary) epilepsy. That is, the seizures are a symptom of a disease process we've been able to identify. If we've looked and can't find the cause, then we call it idiopathic (or primary) epilepsy. The term idiopathic simply means that we don't know the cause. It may be that the cause has escaped our attention; for example, a stroke that is too small to detect with routine brain scans or damage that occurred during whelping.

Many of the idiopathic epileptics have inherited epilepsy: epilepsy caused by a mutation in a specific gene which they inherited from their parents. Dogs with idiopathic epilepsy frequently begin seizing at between one and three years of age, and certain breeds are predisposed to develop epilepsy. A few breeds have proven hereditary epilepsy, while in most it is just a strong suspicion. One of the goals of the Canine Epilepsy Project is to identify genes responsible for epilepsy in dogs. This will allow us to positively diagnose the hereditary form and take steps to decrease the incidence of epilepsy in dogs."

For the rest of this article and more info please refer to www.canine-epilepsy.net

* Anaesthesia Sensitivity - Although not a disease, something that must also be considered in this breed is that many Belgians have been found to be highly sensitive to anaesthesia. Owners and vets should be aware that Belgians have died under anaesthesia and that careful monitoring during and in the immediate recovery period after general anaesthesia is important. It is recommended that Vets follow the same anaesthesia protocol as for sighthound breeds. Information on Belgians and Anesthetic A MUST READ

Resourses:
http://www.canine-epilepsy.net/basics/basics_index.html
http://www.abtc.org//health_ed/seizintro.htm
Http://www.eyevet.org
http://www.monashvet.com.au/
http://www.offa.org/hipgrade.html
A collection of useful links can be found on our health page here http://lumineux.darkpaws.com/Links2.htm

Cancer in dogs

SEIZURES, EPILEPSY

Understanding Your Pet's Epilepsy - *** Highly recommended!

Epilepsy [HomeVet© Natural Pet Care]

Canine Epilepsy and diseases that cause seizures in dogs

Clinical and Genetic Advances - Canine Epilepsy by George J Brewer MD

Canine Epilepsy Network

Canine Epilepsy Resource Centre

Facial Mal Seizures in Dogs

Canine Epilepsy

Epilepsy Study

Canine Epilepsy FAQ from the Internet FAQ Archives

Seizure Disorders - The Pet Health Library

Table of Contents - Canine Epilepsy Guardian Angels If your dog should have a seizure, please make sure your veterinarian draws blood for a "thyroid test"

OFA Genetic Databases - Thyroid Database

Canine Aitoimmune Thyroid Disease - by W Jean Dodds DVM

What's The Big Deal About the Little Thyroid

Behavioral changes associated with thyroid dysfunction in dogs

Hypothyroidism F.A.Q.

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