Chow Chow
Breed description - see AKC for detailed standard
life span 12 yearsBreed problems can be both inherited or diseases and disorders seen frequently in a breed and mode of inheritance unknown. Both are listed.
Breed problemsCleft palate, elongated soft palate
Entropion
Distichiasis
Keratoconjunctivitis
Hip dysplasia, Elbow displasia
Hypothyroidism
Cerebeller Hypoplasia
Bloat
Glaucoma: abnormally high pressure in the eye. This is a condition where the pressure of the fluid in the eye increases until the sight is gone in that eye. If it strikes one eye, the other eye is likely also to be affected. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in dogs. Any underlying problem that increases the fluid pressure inside the eye is the culprit; most of the time this is due to inadequate drainage of fluid from the eye (as opposed to overproduction of fluid). In some breeds, including the Chow, glaucoma has been found to be hereditaryProgressive retinal atrophy: (PRA): a degenerative disease of the retinal visual cells which progresses to blindness. This abnormality may be detected by electroretinogram before it is apparent clinically. In all breeds studied to date, PRA is recessively inherited.
Intestinal malabsorption: a disease where the intestinal tract does not absorb nutrients properly. Also known as protein- losing enteropathy as a consequence of inflamatory bowel disease. In Chows, there can also be a wheat-sensitive and/or soy-sensitive and/or corn-sensitive enteropathy.
Cervical vertebral instability
Growth hormone-responsive and adrenal sex-hormone dermatoses
Persistent pupillary membranes
This page was last edited 04/29/08
