Beagles are generally considered to be a rather healthy breed of dog and make amazing family pets. Beagles thrive in active households and love to be involved in everything that’s going on at home. They love long walks and sniffing every smell they find along the way. That said like most pure breeds, common health concerns must be considered. Some of the common health problems in a beagle include ear infections,ingrown eyelashes and worms. One way to help minimise the potential risks of future health issues is to purchase your Beagle puppy from a breeder associated with the Kennel Club. These puppies will have had extra screening to meet Kennel Club standards and its lineage will be visible for several generations leading to a more traceable family health history.
What are common day to day things to look out for, in a beagle?
- Ear infections. As Beagles have long ears that can trail in long wet grass or water bowls it is important to try and dry your dog’s ears if they get wet for extended periods of time to prevent infections after rainy day walks and so on.
- In growing eyelashes, or Cherry eye. Both treatable with medication and a trip to see your vet.
- Worming. Keeping on top of your regular worming routine and vaccination program will help prevent most common health issues.
What are potential long-term health conditions, in a beagle?
- Hypothyroidism, A dog’s digestive system not being a able to produce enough of the chemical needed to break down its food to energy.
- Epilepsy, similarly to that in humans.
- Cancers, as in life cancer can be an issue over time.
There are also four genetic conditions that the Kennel Club breeder should check the puppy’s mother for.
- Musladin-Lueke syndrome or (MLS), this can affect the development of pups
- Factor VII Deficiency, not enough clotting agent is produced leading to excessive bleeding.
- Imerslun-Gräsbeck Syndrom (IGS), affects vitamin B12 absorption.
- Neonatal Cerebellar Cortical Degeneration (NCCD) – affects the ability to move and overall balance.
The above bullet points are not meant to concern you, it’s just a list of things to lookout for when considering buying any puppy in general. Good health screening can save on future expensive vet bills that said it’s not fool proof- and health issues can arise no matter how rigours a screen process is done.
Like we stated earlier beagles are a very active and affectionate breed that make an excellent addition to any family home. They love company and will generally be gentle when playing. Beagles love long sleeps after exercise and usually like several sleeping spots or beds through your home. They can be loud especially if you get a howler so you may want to warn your close neighbours. On the whole beagles are a great choice for firs time dag owners, they are generally low maintained needing just a brush of the coat and regular nail clipping to keep them in tip top shape.