Doberman Pinschers: What a Unique Breed! Your dog is special! She's your best friend, companion, and a source of unconditional love. Chances are that you chose her because you like Dobies and you expected her to have certain traits that would fit your lifestyle: Energetic and playful An affectionate companion and family dog Obedient and devoted Easily motivated and trainable Protective; an excellent guard dog Large, strong, and athletic However, no dog is perfect! You may have also noticed these characteristics: Can be aggressive, fearful, or snappy if not socialized properly Requires vigorous, frequent exercise and space to run Prone to boredom and separation anxiety, with associated chewing and howling behaviors Can be rambunctious and rowdy, especially as a puppy Overprotective of family and territory if not socialized properly Sensitive, matures slowly Is it all worth it? Of course! She's full of personality, and you love her for it! The Doberman is well known as a brave guardian and noble companion. The Dobie is a relatively new breed compared to the ancestry of other canines. In the late 1800s, a German tax collector by the name of Louis Dobermann began to selectively breed a line of dogs to provide owner protection. As the story goes, Mr. Dobermann used his Dobies to protect him while traveling through bandit-filled territories. To this day, Dobies make excellent guard dogs and rarely need additional training in this area. While not usually outwardly aggressive, they do PET MEDICAL CENTER 501 E. FM 2410 ● Harker Heights, Texas 76548 (254) 690-6769 www.pet-medcenter.com General Health Information for your Doberman Pinscher Dental Disease Dental disease is the most common chronic problem in pets, affecting 80% of all dogs by age two. Unfortunately, your Doberman Pinscher is more likely than other dogs to have problems with her teeth. Dental disease starts with tartar build- up on the teeth and progresses to infection of the gums and roots of the teeth. If we don’t prevent or treat dental disease, your buddy may lose her teeth and be in danger of damage to her kidneys, liver, heart, and joints. In fact, your Dobie's life span may even be cut short by one to three years! We’ll clean your dog’s teeth regularly and let you know what you can do at home to keep those pearly whites clean. Infections Doberman Pinschers are susceptible to bacterial and viral infections — the same ones that all dogs can get — such as require proper socialization and training during puppyhood to parvo, rabies, and distemper. Many of these infections are teach them appropriate interaction behaviors. With preventable through vaccination, which we will recommend encouragement, they make a wonderful addition to the family. based on her age, the diseases we see in our area, and other Dobermans are intelligent, almost stealth-like, and have great factors. stamina. Give her a job and lots of exercise and you’ll have a great friend for life! The Doberman Pinscher is a generally Obesity healthy breed with an average lifespan of 13 years. Obesity can be a significant health problem in Doberman Pinschers. It is a serious disease that may cause or worsen joint problems, metabolic and digestive disorders, back pain, and Your Doberman Pinscher's Health heart disease. Though it’s tempting to give your pal food when We know that because you care so much about your dog, you she looks at you with those soulful eyes, you can “love her to want to take good care of her. That is why we have death” with leftover people food and doggie treats. Instead, summarized the health concerns we will be discussing with you give her a hug, brush her fur or teeth, play a game with her, or over the life of your Doberman. By knowing about health perhaps take her for a walk. She’ll feel better, and so will you! concerns specific to Doberman Pinschers, we can tailor a Parasites preventive health plan to watch for and hopefully prevent some All kinds of worms and bugs can invade your Dobie's body, predictable risks. inside and out. Everything from fleas and ticks to ear mites can infest her skin and ears. Hookworms, roundworms, Many diseases and health conditions are genetic, meaning they heartworms, and whipworms can get into her system in a are related to your pet’s breed. There is a general consensus number of ways: drinking unclean water, walking on among canine genetic researchers and veterinary practitioners contaminated soil, or being bitten by an infected mosquito. that the conditions we’ve described herein have a significant Some of these parasites can be transmitted to you or a family rate of incidence and/or impact in this breed. That does not member and are a serious concern for everyone. For your mean your dog will have these problems; it just means that she canine friend, these parasites can cause pain, discomfort, and is more at risk than other dogs. We will describe the most even death, so it’s important that we test for them on a regular common issues seen in Doberman Pinschers to give you an basis. We’ll also recommend preventive medication as idea of what may come up in her future. Of course, we can’t necessary to keep her healthy. cover every possibility here, so always check with us if you notice any unusual signs or symptoms. Spay or Neuter One of the best things you can do for your Doberman is to have This guide contains general health information important to all her spayed (neutered for males). In females, this means we canines as well as the most important genetic predispositions surgically remove the ovaries and usually the uterus, and in for Doberman Pinschers. This information helps you and us males, it means we surgically remove the testicles. Spaying or together plan for your pet’s unique medical needs. At the end neutering decreases the likelihood of certain types of cancers of the booklet, we have also included a description of what you and eliminates the possibility of your pet becoming pregnant or can do at home to keep your Dobie looking and feeling her fathering unwanted puppies. Performing this surgery also gives best. You will know what to watch for, and we will all feel us a chance, while your pet is under anesthesia, to identify and better knowing that we’re taking the best possible care of your address some of the diseases your dog is likely to develop. For pal. example, if your pet needs hip X-rays or a puppy tooth extracted, this would be a good time—it’s more convenient for you and easier on your friend too. Routine blood testing prior to surgery also helps us to identify and take precautions against yellow instead of a normal bright pink color. If the common problems that increase anesthetic or surgical risk. immune system destroys platelets, his blood won’t clot Don’t worry; we’ll discuss the specific problems we will be properly and he’ll have bruises or abnormal bleeding. looking for when the time arrives. We’ll perform diagnostic testing for blood clotting to check for these problems before we perform any surgeries. To slow or stop the immune system’s destruction of cells, Genetic Predispositions for we’ll prescribe steroids and other immune-suppressive Doberman Pinschers drugs. Sometimes an emergency transfusion of red blood cells or platelets is needed. Heart Disease Von Willebrand’s disease is a blood clotting disorder Doberman Pinschers are especially prone to a life-threatening frequently found in Doberman Pinschers. We’ll conduct heart condition known as dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM, in diagnostic testing for blood clotting times or a specific which the heart becomes so large, thin, and weak that it can no DNA blood test for Von Willebrand’s disease and other longer effectively pump blood to the body. As this problem similar disorders to check for this problem before we advances, your pet may act weak or tired, faint or collapse, perform surgery. breathe in a labored way, or cough. We’ll conduct a yearly electrical heart screening (ECG) and/or an echocardiogram to Liver Problems look for abnormal heart rhythms as early as one year of age. If Your Doberman Pinscher is prone to a chronic liver disease indicated, treatment includes medication and dietary called hepatitis, which can develop around middle age. We supplementation. usually diagnose hepatitis with blood testing and liver biopsy, and we can treat it with medication and a special diet. Signs of Neurological Disease liver disease do not usually occur until the liver is already A genetically linked neurological condition, known as wobbler significantly damaged or destroyed, so early detection and disease or wobbler syndrome, causes a wobbly, drunken gait in intervention with routine blood screening are crucial for affected pets. Wobbler disease is the result of a narrowing of detecting problems at an early, more treatable stage. the vertebrae in the neck that pinches the spinal cord and Some Doberman Pinschers can develop a liver disorder associated nerves. When pinched, the nerves do not send called copper hepatopathy. This disease causes toxic levels signals to the brain as they should causing the pet to be unable of copper to build up in the liver, eventually leading to to feel his feet. The first signs you will often notice with liver failure if not treated. Affected dogs usually show wobbler disease are unstable hind legs, stumbling, and symptoms of jaundice (yellow eyes, gums, and skin) by sometimes falling. Treatment options include medications, about two to four years of age.