This breed of dogs has the fewest health problems of all breeds. With proper care Siberian huskies can live healthy full and active lives of between twelve to fifteen years. Their health issues are mostly genetic, meaning they are inheritable from their parent and their family lines. The two major areas of concern when it comes to Siberian husky health problems are hip dysplasia and inheritable eye disease.
Hip Dysplasia
Hip dysplasia may not be present at the birth of a Siberian husky but could develop within the first two years of birth. It is a condition where the hip joint has a problem. The problem occurs if the femur does not fit well into the pelvic joint socket. This condition may be present in one or both hips. Hip dysplasia causes pain, inflammation and arthritis of the hip in Siberian huskies. Hip dysplasia can be made worse by strenuous exercise or climbing stairs. Being one of the common Siberian husky health problems you should ensure your Siberian husky avoids these activities if he has developed hip dysplasia or is genetically predisposed to hip dysplasia. This problem can also be avoided by buying the husky from dog breeders who can prove that both parent dogs have passed the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals standards for breeding. Hip dysplasia is not such a frequent health problem so there is no need to worry so much.
Eye Disorders
Another of the Siberian husky health problems is eye disorders. These ones are serious. They are the most common health problems found in Siberian huskies. There are different types of eye disorders. They are hereditary or juvenile cataracts, corneal dystrophy and glaucoma. Here are some interesting facts about these eye disorders: Cataracts in Siberian huskies develop as early as three months old. The peculiar thing about corneal dystrophy is that it mostly affects females. It has no treatment so far but hardly affects the dog’s vision. Glaucoma is the most serious and can affect a dog as early as 5 months. This eye disorder is also gender selective and mostly affects males. These eye problems are not so common but are the ones most likely to affect a Siberian husky. When they do occur they are very serious. They can result in blindness or even other life threatening disorders.
Treatments and corrective surgeries of the Siberian husky health problems that involve eye problems are very expensive. The best thing is to avoid these eye health problems where they can be avoided and get the problems detected early before they become too advanced requiring comprehensive treatment which is more costly. When you have a Siberian husky, yearly eye checkups are a must.
Most Siberian huskies are all round healthy and do not require that much frequent visits to the vet. In fact huskies are among the healthiest dogs. Nevertheless, before you get a Siberian husky it is important to find out from your breeder if there have been any health problems in your Siberian husky’s family line. This way you may avoid Siberian husky health problems and probably opt for another husky.