Basset Health

Most breeders of pure breed dogs have a common ethic regarding dealing with

congenital and inheritable diseases in their breed. That is, to breed out of their lines,

those "diseases" which can be bred out. 

Certain physical characteristics which define many different breeds,are technically

"diseases", but for obvious reasons cannot and will not be bred out.  

Following is a list of those congenital and inheritable diseases which may affect the Basset Hound. 

Achondroplasia:

abnormal development of cartilage leading to

dwarfism(seen aberrantly in most breeds, but that's what makes a

Basset hound and otherachondroplastic breeds long and low).  

Bloat:

BLOAT is dilation and/or torsion (twisting) of the stomach, which is usually accompanied by gas build up. Bloat can be accompanied by, and often caused by the torsion of the spleen. It is a very rapidly developing and serious condition, which if not treated immediately, can result in a very high mortality rate.   

SIGNS OF BLOAT.  The dog is usually found groaning with a swollen rigid abdomen which when taped sounds hollow, like a drum. The dog is distressed and the breathing very rapid and shallow. The mucous membranes are very pale to blue in colour, indicating a failing circulation system. This vapidly – often within 1 to 4 hours – can cause death due to stress. What actually kills the dog is excessive pressure from the bloated stomach pushing against the diaphragm, in turn causing pressure on the heart. The average dog, particularly an older dog, can only endure this kind of stress for a short time before the circulation collapses and the animal dies.  If noticed very early, the dog may be seen hunched up, vomiting small amounts of frothy liquid, and often attempting to drink quantities of water, which they promptly vomit back.   

FACTORS AFFECTING BLOAT.  Circumstances around BLOAT cases are many and varied; however there are common factors in most cases, which are listed below. Combinations of several of these factors are often observed in presenting cases of BLOAT. 

1.AGE  Usually seen in older dogs (8 years and up), but it can occur at ant age. It is unlikely to occur in a puppy. The older the animal, the poorer the muscle tone of the stomach and the muscles of the abdomen. 

2.CONFORMATION.  BLOAT is more common in deep chested breeds, especially in the excessively deep chested individuals. Commonly affected breeds are German Shepherds, Irish Setters, Great Danes, Bassets, Borzois and the larger breeds. 

3.CLIMATE.  Commonly see during the hottest months of the year, when more water is ingested. BLOAT cases tend to increase after sudden temperature changes e.g. A hot spell. 

4.EXERCISE & EXCITEMENT.  Feeding immediately after excessive exercise, and/or excitement/exercise just after feeding. What happens to the dogs that are still excited from running, is that they are more likely to “hoe” into the water on top of their dinner. Dogs that are allowed to run on top of a meal have more of a chance for the stomach or the spleen to swing around and twist is higher than is desirable.  It may be seen also in dogs that gave suddenly been given an increased amount of exercise from little or no exercise. These have a sudden demand for food, salts etc. The increase in exercise may only be from being near other dogs and running up and down the fence when previously used to being a housedog.   

5.TYPE OF FOOD, THE SALT CONTENT, AND THE RATE OF INGESTION.  BLOAT is most common after the feeding of a large meal, especially if the dog is the type to “bolt” his food very fast. Some dogs may bloat within 5 to 15 minutes of eating a large meal, particularly if they run and jump about. The problem of bloat occurring immediately after a meal appears to be volume and time related, ie. how much arrive in the stomach and just how fast.  The type of food can be a contributing factor. Some people find that large amounts of dry food in the diet may be the causative agent, as the dog may drink a large quantity of water after the meal. The dry food swells considerably after ingestion causing bloat. Personally, I feed a high proportion of dry dog food in a diet and have no trouble, but the dogs are locked up before and after feeding; kenneled but with limited amounts of water.  A high level of soya bean meal in the dry dog food seems to predispose to bloat, as the bean meal ferments rather rapidly. It may also occur when large fatty meals of meat are given.  If the salt content of the food is too high, more water that normal will be drunk. Never exceed 2%. Electrolytes are slightly different. I am referring to straight salt - sodium chloride. 

6.CONCURRENT MEDICAL PROBLEMS.  Many bloat cases tend to have a concurrent medical problem, e.g. pancreatitis – where there is poor muscle tone of the stomach. Gastritis – where there is increased motility of the gastrointestinal tract, and because of this, increased water consumption. Generalised poor muscle tone, ie old age, debilitating diseases such as cancer etc.     

WAYS TO HELP PREVENT BLOAT 

1.If the weather is HOT – feed late at night after it has cooled down, this can be a late as 10-11 o’clock at night. If necessary, give a reduced meal and do not leave large amounts of water around. Lock the dog/dogs up in a confined area – THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. 

2.If the dog is elderly and/or in poor physical/muscle condition, feed twice daily. Soak the dry dog food. This way smaller amounts are eaten in any one meal. 

3.If the dog has muscle wasting and/or lost weight lately, ie, following illness etc., feed small meals often and limit exercise after feeding. Build up the dog’s muscle tone GRADUALLY ie. over several weeks; don’t suddenly increase the dog’s exercise. 

4.Avoid excessively salty foods – usually 2% in the diet is ample. Cheezles, for example, are excessively high in salt content and should not be feed under any circumstances. Corned beef, food preserved in brine, etc/. should only be feed in small quantities.   

ABOVE ALL  •

DO NOT allow the dog to exercise heavily before & after meals – this applies particularly in hot weather•

If your dog “bolts” his food – feed twice daily and leave limited amounts of water. With the taller breeds, it can be beneficial to raise the food bowl so the dog has to stretch its neck up and (hopefully) slow the rate of ingestion.     

GENERAL TREATMENT FOR BLOAT CASES.  The majority of cases are opened up immediately. Some dogs have a tube passed down to the stomach to relieve the gas build-up of pressure – most cases with torsion are unable to be relieved in this manner. If the tube cannot enter the stomach, the dog has to be opened up and the problem surgically corrected.

Many cases are very obviously twisted in the stomach and/or the spleen, in which case tubing is usually not attempted.  Due to the recurrent nature of bloat, many veterinarians elect to routinely remove the spleen, even though the organ may not be twisted. Quite often the spleen is heavily engorged from the pressure build-up from the twisted stomach.  The twisted stomach is often heavily bruised, and many require sections of its wall to be removed due to inarction (lack of blood supply). As the stomach contorts, the blood supply to the stomach twists also. When the spleen has undergone torsion, the ligament and blood supply from the stomach wall is twisted and damaged as well. Damaged areas can be obvious at the time, but occasionally the heavily bruised areas can develop blood clots, in turn reducing blood supply to areas of the stomach wall. 

Some veterinarians elect to suture part of the stomach wall to the wall of the abdomen, in an attempt to prevent further bloat attacks. If the spleen is removed, the change of re-occurrence is greatly reduced. The stomach wall may be stitched down in cases where the animal has already previously bloated. Fluid and steroid therapy with high doses of antibiotics are the normal support therapy during and after the operation.  Despite the best veterinary care, the success rate is not always high. The earlier treatment is initiated the better. Different veterinarians have different regimes for bloat and the circumstances surrounding bloat cases can and do vary greatly.   

AFTER CARE OF BLOAT CASES.  This can be nearly as important as all the work the veterinarian has done to save your dog. 

1.Feeding – for the next few weeks – small meals and often.Older animals and those with continuing medical problems should go onto a fairly rigid routine for the rest of their lives. This includes 2 to 3 small feeds per day, reduced exercise around meal times and not leaving large buckets of water available and additives to the diet to try and reduce gas build-up.

2.Additives include:-•Charcoal tablets – 1 to 3 tablets with every meal.•Oil – cooking or paraffin, to each meal to help prevent rapid fermentation of food. 1 to 2 tablespoon per meal.•A good quality additive with vitamins and minerals, this will fill any holes in the diet, and hopefully improve the muscle tone e.g., “Geribits”.  Other helpful hints may include removing soya-meal from the diet, ie, check on the bags of dry food. If you wish, swap to rice, spaghetti etc., ie/, a “natural food” type diet. Those with permanently poor muscle tone could benefit from the addition of anabolics into their system, even if only given periodically. 

KAREN HEDBERG B.V.Sc.

Gastrictorsion:

a condition where the stomach twists,thereby

impeding input and output.   

Ectropion:

an abnormal rolling out of the eyelids.  

Entropion:

an abnormal rolling in of the eyelid.  

Glaucoma:

abnormally high pressurein the eye.  

Otitis externa:

EAR INFECTIONS.  Infection or inflammation of the ear canal (Otitis) is a common problem. The ears should be checked every time your pet is bathed or groomed. If they are just a bit dirty, then they should be cleaned regardless. But if they are very dirty or there are signs of an infection, then a trip to the vet is needed.  What are the signs to look for?  Ear infections can be quite irritating and painful. Your pet may show any or all of the following signs:•Scratching at their ears or shaking their head•Red, inflamed ears, perhaps with scaly skin•A dirty discharge inside the ear•Ears that are painful to touch•An unpleasant smell!  What are the causes?  Ear problems can be caused by bacteria, fungi, ear mites, allergies,grass seeds or simply a build-up of excessive wax in the canal

This has a lot to do with the shape of the ear canal (see picture) which is deep and curved. Dirt, wax and moisture can accumulate – especially where airflow and drainage is restricted. A dirty, poorly ventilated ear canal provides the ideal environment for the growth of bacteria and yeasts/fungi, which may then cause infection and inflammation. Some breeds are more susceptible than others – particularly those with long floppy ears, or lots of hair inside the ear canal. Dogs with allergies are also at risk.  Diagnosis and Treatment.  Before starting treatment, we need to know just what type of otitis they have. We do this by examining the ear, which includes looking inside the ear canal and an instrument called an otoscope. Because some cases of otitis can be associated with dermatitis or allergies, we may also want to look at the rest of your dog’s skin. In most cases we will also take a swab of the discharge from the ear, and examine it under the microscope. Putting drops directly into the affected ear usually treats otitis. The types of drops used will depend on our examination findings. We often recommend a cleansing solution to remove excess wax and debris from the ear canal and sometimes-antibiotic tablets.  Cleansing the ear.  Cleaning should be done only with a cleaning solution designed for that purpose. We recommend Epi-Otic. Apply it liberally directly into the ear, until it overflows. Then gently massage the vertical canal (it can be felt as a large solid tube lying just under the skin below the base of the ear). Massage for 10 to 20 seconds, to break up the wax – you may hear a squelching noise as you do it. Let the dog shake his head to dislodge some of the dirt and wax from the ear canal. They, get some cotton wool and wipe away the visible dirt and wax. Repeat this process until the fluid coming out no longer looks dirty. If you are very careful, you can use a cotton wool bud to get into the skin folds around the base of the ear.

(Eosinophilic)panosteitis:

a painful inflammatory bone disease

ofyoung, rapidly growing dogs, often characterized by increased

eosinophils in the blood.