Health Issues in the Australian Shepherd

When we got our first Aussies, Sheila and Brumby, we were completely unaware of some fairly major health issues plaguing the breed. As luck would have it, our first Aussies are 'poster dogs' for poor breeding practices and suffer from:

	Epilepsy (Sheila)
	Hip Dysplasia (Sheila and Brumby)
	Allergies (Brumby)

Other health issues include poor temperament, juvenile cataract, auto immune disorders, cancer, collie eye anomaly, deafness & blindness due to merle x merle breeding.

Any and all of these defects can be avoided or their incidence significantly reduced by simply following sound breeding practices. This means:

	researching your own lines and knowing what defects have occurred.
	not breeding affected dogs/bitches you own.
	following up on your progeny over the years & keep tabs on what may surface.
	investigate potential breeding dogs/bitches and avoiding crosses that may double up on recessive genes.
	be open about any problems in your own lines
	educate, educate, educate!

Here are some helpful links in educating yourself or others on these health issues

Australian Shepherd Health & Genetics Inst.
This is your "one-stop shopping" site for information about genetics and hereditary disease in Australian Shepherds.

Canine Health Information Center
The Canine Health Information Center, also known as CHIC, is a centralized canine health database jointly sponsored by the AKC/Canine Health Foundation (AKC/CHF) and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).

Aussie Genetics Fact Sheet
by C.A. Sharp