Hereditary Diseases in Welsh Corgis (Part I)
Corgis are pretty healthy and the Welsh Corgi breeds are considered two of the healthiest breeds of dogs in the Herding group. But unfortunately, they are not untouchable, and are prone to several hereditary diseases, including hip dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy, progressive retinal atrophy, and sadly, a few more that I will describe in a following post.
Hip Dysplasia: is the condition resulting from the separation of the ball from the socket within the hip joint. With time, hip dysplasia can also trigger osteo-arthritis of the joint, which is painful, and also the dog will get weak in the rear end.
Although there is no cure for hip dysplasia, the pain caused by this disease can be alleviated with the help of anti-inflammatories, acupuncture and nutriceuticals. In some cases, if the pain is too severe and no other medicine is working, the vet can suggest surgery, or euthanasia.
In order to prevent, or rather to hold off the onset of hip dysplasia, Corgi owners, as well as other medium to giant breeds owners, need to make sure that they don’t over-feed their dogs, since it is believed that an overweight dog is more likely to develop this condition.
If your Corgi already has hip dysplasia, then exercises, such as jumping and running, should be avoided.
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM): is a progressive illness of the spinal cord, for which an exact cause and a cure have not yet been determined. DM has been seen is dogs 5 to 14 years old, but it most often occurs in dogs over 8 years old.
DM is a progressive disease that develops slowly and can be wrongly diagnosed as hip dysplasia. A dog sick with DM will gradually loose its ability to move his hind legs. Some of the first signs of this disorder are “knuckling over” of the back paws and also dragging of the hind claws.
This disease progresses until the dog loses all control of his back legs and becomes incontinent, at which point the owner has to consider euthanasia.
There is no treatment for Degenerative Myelopathy, but exercise, vitamins and therapy have been shown to slow the progression of this terrible disorder.
Some of the breeds that can suffer from DM are: Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, German Shepard, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and Irish Setter.
Welsh Corgi with DM
Progressive Retinal Atrophy: is an inherited disorder that destroys the pigment cells in the middle of the retina. Both eyes of the dog can be affected, and at first, the dog won’t be able to see immobile objects. As the illness advances, the dog is likely to develop night blindness and will begin bumping into stationary objects.
Annual veterinarian check ups are important, since they can help detect any disorder your dog might have. Also, if your dog is acting different than the usual, get him to the vet as soon as possible.
Hi there, I’m glad to see that you are posting information on hereditary diseases. Like other reputable breeders,I test all of my dogs for these diseases, so that we don’t pass them on down the line.
The one that we really need to get the word out on is DM (Degenerative Myelopathy) The gene that causes the disease was discovered back around 2007 and there is a DNA test avail. to see if your Corgi is “at risk, a carrier or Clear”. I DNA test all of my adult dogs and puppies, so that I can do my part in stopping the spread of DM.
Right now according to OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) 52% of Pembroke welsh Corgis are “At Risk” for developing this disease in their later life. So Sad!!! Only 9% of Corgis do not carry the gene and therefore will Never pass the disease on to their puppies. Approx. 39% are Carriers of one copy of the “bad” gene, but will never get the disease. So, if your dog is a carrier, they won’t get the disease but, they can pass it on to their puppies if bred to another carrier or at risk Corgi. We as a kennel are doing what we can by selectively breeding and testing for DM to try and eventially have a line of dogs that will never have to worry about having their life cut short by this disease. If you are going to purchase a Corgi puppy PLEASE ask the breeder if they test their dogs for DM and then ask to see the certificate proving that they test their dogs. We CAN make a difference in the fight to stop DM!
I Googles Corgie diseases and came across your site and was interested to see the symptoms DM our 14 /12 year old Corgi is showing symptoms of ie knuckling over” of back paws over the past two weeks. You mention “therapy” and “vitamins” could delay the disease. What what that entail, please?
I am not very familiar with DM, and as far as I know, sadly, there is no cure discovered for it yet. If you think your Corgi is suffering from this disease, your vet is qualified to diagnose him and then he/she can recommend physical therapy and vitamins, but as it is mentioned in that article, this will not cure DM, it will only delay it.
I just lost my corgi of 12 years back in January. She lost the use of her hind legs and the vet said it was from a compressed disk. After researching, Ive come to the conclusion she had DM.She used a cart to walk for about a year and a half, but eventualy the paralisis spread and she couldnt move at all.
I am very very sorry for your loss!
I have a 10 year old female Corgi. When standing, her hind legs tremble. She has been doing this for years but otherwise she is fine and appears to have no pain. What cause this?
Hi, Martha. It might be arthritis. Senior Corgis usually have joint problems. What does your vet say about it? I suggest giving her a Glucosamine supplement, but ask the vet before, just to be sure. We have a 4 year old, and we’re giving him this supplement for his joints. Andreea