Writing this section on health issues has been quite difficult. First, I am not a veterinarian and don’t want to mislead anyone. Secondly, the Gordon breed is actually a very healthy one and I don’t want to alarm people by mentioning concerns that only arise infrequently. Thirdly, each breeder has their own perceptions on what is important and that has influenced the issues I’ve listed here. For many of these topics, there are extensive resources available on the internet and I have listed many of my favorites on my links page. For more information on any of these topics, please consult that page for these references.

BLOAT

Bloat (Gastric Torsion) is a serious, life-threatening problem which has been seen in most breeds but more often in the larger, deep-chested breeds. While, proportionately, the chances of you ever experiencing it are remote, prior knowledge is your best prevention - following the guidelines regarding feeding, never exercising your dog immediately before or after eating and being aware of the signs of bloat. Only one of my dogs has ever had an attack (almost 20 years ago). However, I know of many Gordons who have had attacks or have died of bloat. Unlike the more dramatic symptoms found in most dog books, all I saw was a slight swelling on the left side of the stomach and an obviously unhappy dog. This is an emergency situation. We were fortunate and an immediate trip to the vet saved our Gordon’s life and he was with us for an additional 10 years without a repeat incidence. Our current feeding regime (soaking food prior to feeding, feeding more frequently, and not feeding after or before exercise) was developed after that and we always check on the dogs about an hour after feeding time. Many of these practices (such as soaking the food and feeding smaller meals have not actually been proven to have any relationship - I'm just not prepared to change at this point.) Research into this problem has been ongoing and it is still not known whether there is a genetic basis to it but most suspect there is a familial predisposition. Perhaps that's because a deeper chest may be a shared trait within a family. Regardless, awareness of the potential is the best tool in ensuring your dog's continued good health.

JRD Congential Renal Disease (or Juvenile Renal Disease)

Please see my links on the link page for a more comprehensive description of variations of this disease. The short description is renal failure leading to premature death (often seen as early as 3 months or much later in life but prior to old age).

Congenital renal disease has been determined to be inherited in several breeds of purebred dogs. The mode of inheritance and clinicopathologic description varies with each breed. In other breeds, the observation of similar renal lesions that follow familial lines may suggest an inherited condition. However, the mere discovery of a congenital renal lesion does not support the conclusion that the condition was necessarily inherited.

Gordon Setters are one of the many breeds of purebred dogs that suffer from small gene pools. Some Gordons have been implicated in producing litters of puppies diagnosed with juvenile renal disease over the past decade. Since this information has not been widely known by the veterinarian community, the absence of breed-specific evidence of JRD has led to the speculation that the individual situation is just that - individual. A problem, but not one that’s genetic. While that may end up being the case, to not look at the possibility of a genetic basis could mean that we lose the opportunity to work towards a solution while the problem is still relatively infrequent in the breed.

A project was undertaken by Dr. Debbie Boyd, DVM and Bev Holoboff, with the endorsement of the GSCC, to investigate the possible genetic influence in juvenile renal disease in the Gordon Setter. Later, in conjunction with Dr. Jerold Bell, DVM and other recognized experts in the field, the scope of this project was expanded and is now in their hands. Should JRD prove to be heritable in Gordon setters, providing reliable information in the form of pedigree risk analysis will help the individual breeder avoid perpetuation of this condition and protect the breed for future generations.

HIP DYSPLASIA

This is a bone disorder having a genetic or hereditary basis which may cause slight to major problems for the dog as arthritis builds up in a poorly structured hip joint. Once thought to be mainly a concern in larger breeds, now even small toy dogs are found to experience the disease. Although a seriously afflicted dog may have obvious signs of pain, some dogs with the disease will show no signs whatsoever and will only be diagnosed by x-ray. A breeder may use one (or more) of many acceptable organizations to evaluate the hip status of breeding animals, among them OFA, OVC, PennHipp, AVA, BVA. Unfortunately, even dogs with seemingly normal hips can produce hip dysplasia which is one of the reasons, despite testing that the disease is still quite prevalent in the breed. Please see any of my references on the links page for more information on this.

LAMENESS

Although very infrequent, large breeds such as Gordons may encounter problems which show up as limping in the younger dog. One, which may cause slight lameness in the front is OCD (osteochondritis dissecans). This is a difficult problem to deal with and may require surgery. (Very uncommon but does occur.) The other, panosteitis, is the canine version of growing pains. This may occur in one or all legs, particularly if the dog grows quickly. Check with your vet to verify the diagnosis. Dogs with this problem recover on their own but may need a pain reliever during its onset. I mention these problems reluctantly, but, with the increasing concern over hip dysplasia, I have found that people may suspect hips first and not look for other sources of the problem. Since both of these other ailments affect Gordons, you should be aware of them.

PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy)

PRA begins with a gradual loss of sight (usually starting with night-blindness) leading to eventual blindness. While it was first diagnosed in Gordon Setters, and cases still occasionally are reported to CERF, it is not a common occurrence. This problem is known to be inherited and is caused by a simple recessive gene. In other words, both parents must either be affected by the disease or be "carriers" of the disease. Unfortunately, there is currently no test for carrier-status for our breed and a dog can only be tested to determine if it is afflicted. This means that a dog carrying the gene may have no signs and the breeder may be completely unaware of a problem until it surfaces in a puppy. The only way to try to avoid the problem is for continual testing of all breeding stock and the sharing of information on any offspring that may develop a problem. To determine the existence of the disease, it is necessary to have a veterinary opthamologist examine the dog. The vet will provide a certificate and/or the breeder may choose to send the results to CERF (Canine Eye Registry Foundation).

THYROID DEFICIENCY

This condition is caused when the thyroid gland functions inadequately. It can cause the coat to become dull, thin and brittle. As well, if left untreated, symptoms can be lethargy, obesity, drooping of the eyelids, mental dullness and irregular heat cycles. The signs normally develop slowly and can take some time to become evident. The tendency toward this is thought but not confirmed to be genetic. A blood test can be used to assess the thyroid efficiency of a dog and, if a problem is detected, proper levels can be established easily and inexpensively by giving the dog daily medication (normally in the form of a small pill). This condition is seen occasionally in most breeds and is not specific to Gordon Setters. As a rule, it is not considered life threatening if treated promptly and there are dogs who have this condition who live long, healthy lives.

DUNGd

DUNGd (this information was taken from the site of a Gordon breeder who has been a major force in bringing attention to this disease).
DUNGd is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder in which the pups in an affected litter seem fine until approximately 3 weeks of age. At that time those pups which are "affected" by the disorder do the following:
1. they begin to exhibit "crooked" necks, and to carry their heads very low, moving them strangely;
2. they have a slightly stiffened posture, begin an abnormal staggering gait, lose their balance and fall over;
3. the pupils of their eyes respond to light, but it is felt that they are functionally blind;
4. they begin to cry - sometimes incessantly;
5. they weaken dramatically and eventually lose all muscle tone and control, and lapse into a moribund state, being unable to even turn over or swallow;
6. they die by the age of 5 to 6 weeks
While Gordon breeders are concerned about this problem and effort is ongoing to develop a pedigree risk analysis for intended breedings, it is of more concern to the breeder than the purchaser. No afflicted dog would end up in a purchaser’s home since the age of death is prior to it leaving the breeder’s home.

SEBACEOUS CYSTS

The Gordon Setter seems to be fairly susceptible to these cysts and, from comments I’ve heard, it would appear that the problem is international. They are basically follicular cysts that appear as a lump under the skin, small or as large as a walnut. All lumps forming on your dog should be investigated by a veterinarian but this is a non-threatening one. Occasionally a cyst erupts – a thick white cheesy-like mass – and will close up afterwards. However, this is usually temporary and the cyst will expand again. The usually correction is surgical removal.