My new puppy and Lab Blue Heeler mix: What health issues to watch for?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dogs. I find heelers to be hardy dogs. I have seen obesity and subsequent joint problems. Mainly I see behavioral issues. They are very intelligent dogs and need both physical and mental stimulation. If an owner is unable or unwilling to provide this, problems can result. Labradors are powerful chewers and will eat anything. I see a lot of foreign objects ingested that require surgical removal. As far as the chiweenie, dental disease will be a huge issue with that breed combination. I would start brushing her teeth daily now so that she becomes accustomed to it. You should also plan on her first professional dental cleaning (under anesthesia) around one year of age. If you commit to her oral health it will make a huge difference for her in the longterm. The other problem that could arise is back pain. Having a longer back, could make her more prone. Keeping her at a healthy weight is the best prevention. Congratulations on your new dogs and I hope this information helps!

Chihuahua are typically healthy dogs but a few common problems associated with the breed include patella luxations, collapsing trachea, and dental disease. The best thing would be to have him examined by a vet for a check-up to identify any abnormalities. I also recommend having him neutered.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is a bit harder to predict how mixed breed dogs are going to turn out. However, generally both Shepherd type dogs and Labradors tend to be good dogs for large families. In terms of possible health issues, it is the same thing, it is hard to predict how a mixed breed dog is going to turn out. However, both Shepherd type dogs and Labradors tend to be more prone to issues like hip dysphasia, cancer, laryngeal paralysis, among some other conditions. Good luck and have a great day! Nothing like getting a dog!

Hello and thank you for your question. Congratulations on adding Puppy to your family. You are not finding much information because this is not a breed of dog. This is a mixed bred dog. Mixed bred dogs can exhibit any range of behaviors or traits because they are inheriting these from the purebred parents. That is why you are finding so much variation. Likely this puppy will be at least 50lbs. You will want to feed her a large breed puppy food. She will likely be athletic and active. It's impossible to know her temperament however because huskies and labs tend to be very different. She will likely be somewhere in the middle. Reading about both breeds will better prepare you for owning a mix of the two. While mixed breed dogs tend to avoid the inherited health risks of purebred dogs, they can still have them. She may be prone to the same orthopedic issues that all large breed dogs are susceptible to. Lastly, beware of back yard breeders who are purposefully breeding mixed bred puppies. The USA has a significant problem with pet over population and thousands of healthy mixed breed dogs are euthanized every year in shelters because there are not enough homes. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It would certainly be very nice of you to adopt two special needs dogs. You should however be prepared to have some medical expenses in the future if you do intend on doing something like this. My suspicion is that the chihuahua's knee cap is not actually missing but simply sliding in and out of place which is known as a luxating patella, an extremely common condition in very small breeds of dog. Depending on the severity of the luxation it might just be left alone or could potentially require surgical procedure to fix it at some point. IN terms of bleeding from the ears I am not aware of any sort of genetic abnormality that would cause this sort of clinical sign but that is not to say that it's not possible. In general genetic abnormalities can certainly happen in multiples but there is no guarantee either way.

There are a number of things these breeds are prone to, and I will list a couple for each. Yorkies: -Legg-Perthes disease (a disease of the hip joint where there is inadequate blood supply) -Retinal dysplasia -Luxating patella -Collapsing trachea -Portosystemic shunt -Epilepsy Schnauzers: -Hip dysplasia -Elbow dysplasia -Osteochondritis -Cataracts -Retinal dysplasia -Hypothyroidism -Heart disease -Skin issues

Syn is a cutie! You are correct that there are common health issues specific to certain breeds of dogs, but that is found in purebred dogs due to inbreeding. She is a mixed breed, so there aren't really any breed specific health issues for her but that doesn't mean she isn't susceptible to health issues such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, or cancer among others. It certainly is possible she could be suffering from hypothyroidism if she is gaining weight, but that's usually occurring in middle aged dogs (4-10 years of age). It could be that she is getting too much food and not enough exercise leading to her weight gain. I would have her seen by a vet for this weight gain. The vet can do blood tests to determine if she is suffering from hypothyroidism, and can treat her if she does have it. If she is medically normal, then the vet can discuss a diet and exercise program for her. I hope this helps!