Weimaraner Puppies Blog

Athletic and built for hunting, the Weimaraner is a breed suitable for people with high levels of energy. In spite of its appearance and personality, some health issues afflict this canine. Let us look at these health concerns so that we can properly detect and manage them.

Dysplasia – This is the dislocation of the bone from the joint. The most common joint affected by this would be the hip. Signs and symptoms of this would be limping and difficulty in walking. Weight management should be the focus when treating this disorder. The diet should be balanced and fatty foods should be low to none. Brisk walking and jogs are best exercises for the Weimaraner to relieve it from excess energy and calories.

Bloat – Medically termed as gastric torsion, it is the condition where the stomach balloons because of gas build up then turns. The twisting motion of the stomach prevents the gas from escaping and may result in instant death to the Weimaraner. An intervention for this would be to feed the dog at least twice daily. Vigorous activity should be avoided right before and after eating. In addition, the feeding dish should not be placed in a high platform. This will prevent air from entering the stomach and discourage the dog from quickly finishing its meal.

Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy – This is a bone disease with unknown causes. It usually occurs in fast growing dogs such as the Weimaraner. HOD occurs in the leg bones and is evident as deformed structures because of decreased blood supply in these areas during bone formation. Early detection is very important for this disorder so regular check up with the vet is necessary. Dogs that are experiencing this should be given a comfortable area to rest. Once believed to be beneficial, supplementing vitamin C is contraindicated because of increased calcium in the blood and may possibly worsen the condition.

The proceeedure, some believe, enhances a dog’s safety. Hunting dogs like the Weimaraner often work in thick vegetation and brambles and have a very high risk of injury to their tails. These injuries are very painful and difficult to treat afterwards. Interestingly enough, tail docking seems to be fashionable for certain breeds in the USA. In many countries tail docking is not encouraged and in some cases it is also against the law. In Australia Wiemeraners still have their tails intact, so although the breed standard often expects it to be..in certain countries one can see Weimaraners whith their tails are intact.

Accoding to the American Kennel Club, the tail has to be docked. At maturity it should measure approximately 6 inches with a tendency to be light rather than heavy and should be carried in a manner expressing confidence and sound temperament. A non-docked tail will be penalized.

Weimaraners are prone to bloat and are rather gaseous. It is therefore a good idea to feed these dogs 3 smaller meals a day, instead of 1 big one. They are a hardy breed that experiences few diseases, but hip dysplasia should be kept in mind. Due to favorable breeding practices, consciousness breeders have reduced the percentage of hip dyspasia by 8 %. The may also be prone to growing too fast, so please do keep these in mind and take your beloved Weimaraner to the vet regularly.