The Border Collie breed suffers from a number of common health problems.

  • Canine Hip Dysplasia
  • Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA)
  • Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
  • Epilepsy
  • Elbow Dysplasia
  • Deafness
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Trapped neutrophil syndrome (TNS)
  • Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL)
  • Fleas and Ticks

border collie health

Many dog owners do not realize the toxic chemicals they put on their dog to kill fleas. These harmful flea control products can easily have negative effects on your dog’s health. The good news is that there are safe products that kills fleas and the kill-on-contact formulas can be totally odorless and non-toxic. Recommended tips for effective flea treatment and control on border collies. Though most people will use brand name flea medications, it is good to know that there are green alternatives to the toxins found in most flea killing products for pets..

One of the most problematic border collie breed’s health problems is knows as Canine Hip Dysplasia. Canine Hip Dysplasia is very common affliction for medium and large sized dogs of most breeds. Border Collies seem especially prone to Canine Hip Dysplasia which causes mild to severe lameness. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and PennHip can test whether a Border Collie dog have Canine Hip Dysplasia. Your veterinarian can take a Radiograph of your Border Collie and send the results to OFA and PennHip to determine the dog’s hip and elbow quality.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) causes a central loss of vision that occurs in some dogs at around the age of 2. The PRA progressively worsens over time and can lead to total blindness.

Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA) is caused by a malformed optic nerve which can lead to blindness. This affliction appears to be occurring increasingly more often in Border Collies. CEA is a congenital, inherited eye disease that affects the retina, choroid, and sclera. Generally speaking, CEA in Border Collies is relatively mild and often does not impair the dog’s eyesight very much. DNA tests are now available to detect this disease so breeders can be certain they will not have puppies with Collie Eye Anomaly.

Epilepsy is a neurological seizure disorder that occurs in a small percentage of dogs. Unfortunately, the rate of occurrence in Border Collies appears to be increasing.

Hopefully your Border Collie will not develop these health problems and common diseases but they do occur regularly in the dog breed. Regular veterinarian check-ups and proper diet and exercise can make a big difference in the overall health of your border collie.