Siberian huskies are great dogs as they are friendly and playful. Even though huskies are used as sled dogs, people still have huskies for pets, and they make a great member of the family. If you have a Siberian husky and it is getting older, you need to watch out for health problems, including the two problems below.
1. Cataracts
A cataract is a film that develops over the eye resulting in blurry vision. In the beginning stages, the cataract is small and does not affect the dog's sight. Over time the cataract gets thicker and grows wider, and at this point, the dog starts having blurry vision. The dog will eventually become completely blind if the cataract is not taken care of. The cataract may be in one eye, or it could be in both eyes.
If you think your husky has cataracts, take them to a veterinary ophthalmologist. This type of doctor has the right training to treat this and other eye diseases. The doctor can do surgery on your husky to remove the cataracts. Once this is done, your dog will see normally again. You may notice your dog runs into things if they have cataracts. You can also look at their eyes and see that they look cloudy.
2. Hip Dysplasia
Hip dysplasia in dogs is a skeletal problem that often happens with large breed dogs. The hip joint has a ball and socket. When a dog has hip dysplasia, the joint around the ball and socket wears away. When this happens, the ball and socket rub and grind against each other instead of moving smoothly. Over time, the joint will completely deteriorate.
Hip dysplasia is often hereditary but can also be caused by being overweight, being too sedentary, and not eating good, nutritious dog food. If your dog is overweight, cut back on how much food they eat and let them have more exercise. Talk with your veterinarian about the best type of dog food to feed your dog.
If your dog has hip dysplasia they will have a decrease in range of motion of their hips, problems getting up from a lying down position, problems running, and have a hard time climbing stairs. Your dog will also feel pain in the hip areas that can become severe if not treated. Your dog's veterinarian can do an X-ray to determine if your dog has hip dysplasia. There are many types of treatment for hip dysplasia from making changes in your dog's lifestyle to surgery.
Talk with a vet office like Jones Animal Health Clinic about these two health conditions to learn much more about them.
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