HEALTH ISSUES           

Miniature Schnauzer Health Issues Based on information from the Miniature Schnauzer Club of Canada. The following information and articles are intended to raise awareness, not to prescribe medical treatment or offer self-diagnostics. If you have encountered any medical condition described here, we encourage you to discuss it and/or print out the information and take it to your Veterinarian. The Miniature Schnauzer Club of Canada assumes no responsibility for your failure to obtain proper Veterinary care. Does the breed have any health problems? Yes, as do all pure-bred dogs, and for that matter, mixed breeds as well. The notion that mixed breeds are healthier than pure breeds is not supported by any research that we know of. Pure bred dogs are bred from a confined gene pool. This means that Veterinary Scientists can identify diseases that are known to occur in a given breed, and breeders can work to screen carriers of the known diseases out of their breeding program. Mixed breeds, on the other hand, can carry the genetic diseases occuring in each of their ancestral breeds. This makes for a totally unknown "genetic soup". Before we go into a short summary of the more notable health problems in this breed, it should be noted that Miniature Schnauzers are overall a pretty healthy lot. Responsible breeders will be aware of the potential for hereditary problems and will try to eliminate known problems from their lines. Mycobacterium Avium Infection (Avian TB) is a relatively new deadly disease discovered in Miniature Schnauzers. See: www.katewerk.com/tb.html and amsc.us/avian-tb.html. Avian TB is related to an immune deficiency in some schnauzers and presents with the following symptoms: enlarged lymph nodes, tonsillary inflammation, and inappetence/anorexia. Other symptoms which have not presented in all cases are: fever, vomiting, bloody stool, breathing difficulty due to compression of lungs by enlarged nodes, and lameness. It is reported that correct diagnosis requires biopsy of the lymph nodes. The infection may be misdiagnosed as lymphosarcoma. At this time, there is no known treatment or cure. C.J.C. or Congenital Juvenile Cataracts are present at birth and progress to cause blindness. Surgery is available but costly. Today there is no excuse for a puppy to be born with this disease. A huge problem just 25 years ago, research and cooperation among breeders resulted in hundreds of Miniature Schnauzers being retired from breeding. Today this defect is extremely rare among dogs from show lines. A warning, no such efforts were made in commercial puppy mills, so dogs who descend from pet store stock are still at risk! This is a defect where having Champion parents is a plus! A Veterinary Opthamologist can diagnose puppies at an early age. Good breeders routinely have all their litters eyes checked. Progressive Retinal Atrophy - P.R.A. causes the retina of the eye to deteriorate slowly. Symptoms may not show until the dog is three years old or older, beginning with night blindness. P.R.A. eventually blinds the dog. It is incurable. An Electroretinograph can be used for early detection, but this tool is not available to most breeders. Annual eye certification of breeding stock is a must if breeders are to reduce the risk. Urinary Tract Infections - Urolithiasis - Bladder Stones occur at a higher rate in Miniature Schnauzers than other breeds. Clinical signs include frequent urination and blood may be present in the urine. Untreated, they can lead to bladder stones (see: www.mscc.ca/stones.html). If severe enough this may cause urinary blockage, which is a medical emergency. To muddy the waters, this problem can occur in dogs for reasons unrelated to heredity. Treatment involves prescription diets, antibiotics and/or surgery. Few breeders would risk breeding any dog with a history of these problems. Also refer to "Canine Urolithiasis, An Owner's Guide": www.mscc.ca/urolithiasis.html, and the Miniature Schnauzer Bladder Stone bulletin board: www.escribe.com/pets/msbs/bb/. Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis (H.G.E.) usually causes a very sudden onset of vomiting, bloody diarrhea, dehydration and depression. Dogs affected by this condition get very sick, very fast, and it can be rapidly fatal. It appears that Clostridium species bacteria may be part of the cause. Most dogs respond very well to treatment with fluids to restore hydration. It is generally necessary to totally restrict oral food and water for one or two days when treating this problem. This makes hospitalization necessary for several days for most dogs with HGE. Immediate treatment with metronidazole (Flagyl) at the first sign of bloody diarrhea can sometimes avert progression of the illness. A veterinarian should be consulted immediately if persistent or bloody diarrhea occurs! Pancreatitis occurs with increasing frequency in Miniature Schnauzers. The exact mechanism is poorly understood, but appears to be associated with the fact that many Miniature Schnauzers have high blood serum lipids (fats). Clinical signs generally include vomiting and diarrhea, abdominal pain, lethargy and depression. It is an emergency situation which warrants immediate veterinary care. Treatment includes intravenous fluids, antibiotics and dietary control. The dog will probably have to be on a low fat diet. Also refer to "Pancreatitis, An Owner's Guide to Pet Care": www.mscc.ca/pancreatitis.html. Cushing's Disease is also encountered with some frequency. Females are more affected than males and often fall within the six to eight year age group. Initial clinical signs are increased thirst and urination and an increase in body weight. Later observable is a change in body type, a pot bellied appearance, thinning of the dog's coat and other changes involving the skin. Sudden blindness is also associated with this (SARD). All of this is related to over production of adrenal cortex hormones. Various medications are available to counteract this over production. Hypothyroidism is the number one inherited disease of dogs in general. The metabolism is affected, causing depression, weight gain, hair loss, lethargy and an intolerance to cold. Untreated, it can lead to immune system, cardiovascular, and reproductive problems. Testing and treatment is relatively easy and inexpensive. Daily medication can give good results and many dogs live healthy lives. When it occurs in young dogs or several members of a family, a genetic cause is likely. Von Willebrand Disease - V.W.D. prolongs blood clotting and can cause complications during surgery, whelping etc. A large number of dogs who test positive for this disease never experience problems, but many breeders screen breeding stock. Schnauzer Bumps (blackheads along the back) or other skin problems This is also called Schnauzer Comedone Syndrome. Some skin problems can be related to allergy, metabolic disorders or simple lack of good care. Good quality diet (lamb, venison, or fish-based, if food allergies are the culprit) and attention to cleanliness and grooming go a long way in preventing skin problems. Omega Fatty Acid supplements may help, as may applying Listerine to the dog's back a couple times a day Dental problems Many Miniature Schnauzers are very susceptible to periodontal disease. Food and plaque are trapped, leading to infection and receding gums. Some individuals may require frequent dental cleanings - or you can get into the good habit of brushing your dog's teeth! Your breeder or veterinarian should be able to show you how to clean and inspect the mouth for problems. Diabetes Diabetes mellitus is a disorder where the body is unable to regulate blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels are controlled, in part, by insulin. The lack of insulin sets up a complicated series of events that result in the signs observed in a diabetic animal: polyuria (excessive urination), polydipsya (excessive water consumption), polyphagia (excessive eating), lethargy, and weight loss. As the disease progresses, the signs include anorexia (loss of appetite), depression, and vomiting. Rapid cataract development often occurs in diabetic dogs. Obese schnauzers are at high risk for developing diabetes. Other potentially genetically caused problems also include hepatic shunts (abnormal routing of the blood vessels in the liver), epilepsy, juvenile kidney failure, and heart defects. These problems occur frequently enough to be mentioned, and may or may not be genetic. If you purchase a Miniature Schnauzer with these or other major disease that your Veterinarian feels could be inherited, you should notify the breeder. If any breeder tries to deny breed problems, or claims that "We haven't had any problems, so don't need to do any testing . . . " they are on very shaky ground. Miniature Schnauzers have their share of inherited problems. As do all purebred dogs - or humans for that matter (there are more than 3,000 known genetic diseases to affect human beings.) Because purebred dogs have a small gene pool (most breeds descend from only a few original dogs) different breeds may have a higher incidence of some inherited diseases - and conversely, no incidence of others. Additional informative and educational information about Miniature Schnauzer health and nutrition can be found  on the "Simply Schnauzer Health and Nutrition" website: www.simplyschnauzer.net.

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