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Health Information The Miniature Bull Terrier is a very sound, healthy canine, but as with all dogs, they are susceptible to certain diseases. Regular check ups by your veterinarian, along with keeping all shots updated, and awareness of the owner of any changes in temperament or in activity, will help insure the health of your dog.
Lens Luxation In The Miniature Bull Terrier 1. The miniature bull terrier is a relatively healthy companion but the breed is susceptible to a few hereditary problems one of them is Lens Luxation. Somewhere between 2 and 7 yrs old they can develop this and it is painful. Each year starting at the age of 2yrs old the miniature bull terrier should start his/her annual visit to an Ophthalmologist for an eye test which is called a CERF. The lens of the eye is situated behind the iris, the colored part of the eye. In the condition of luxation (dislocation), the lens breaks away from its retaining attachments within the eye and becomes free. In most cases, the lens passes forward and comes to rest between the cornea and the iris, in the anterior chamber of the eye. In just a few cases, the lens will pass into the posterior part of the eye or will float from one area to the other. The term subluxation is used to denote a lens that has partially, but not completely, broken away from its attachments. Luxation of the lens can be primary or secondary. Secondary cases are those produced by some other problem within the eye, such as cataract or glaucoma. Primary luxation is inherited and is not associated with any other eye problems but results from in-born defects in the structures holding the lens in its normal position within the eye. Glaucoma will result from a lens that is displaced into the front part of the eye if the condition is not treated surgically. Here is a couple of links for more information.. http://www.ch-w.demon.co.uk/billy/pll.htm http://www.thedogplace.org/library/articles96.htm
With a simple recessive we have three
kinds of dog. If we use N as indicating the normal gene (allele) and n the
abnormal or lens luxation gene then we have:
1. NN normal dog showing no problems
and producing none.
2. Nn apparently normal dog never
showing the problem but producing it in some offspring or capable of doing
so.
3. nn affected animal. There are
six different kinds of mating that could take place ignoring the sex of
parents. These are shown below with expected proportions of progeny.
MATING Percent
progeny that are
Normal (NN) Carrier (Nn)
Affected (nn)
1.
NN x NN 100 0 0
2.
NN x Nn 50 50 0
3.
NN x nn 0 100 0
4.
Nn x Nn 25 50 25
5.
Nn x nn 0 50 50 6. nn x nn 0 0 100
Heart 2. The issue of heart disease in Miniature Bull Terriers is primarily seen in the form of congenital heart disease. The two forms commonly seen is Mitral Valve Dysplasia and Sub-aortic Stenosis. Heart disease can either be congenital (dog was born with it) or acquired (a problem occurring later in life). Mitral valve dysplasia presents as a "leaking" valve between the two chambers of the heart, the left atrium and left ventricle. Usually the mitral valve does not shut completely which causes the blood that should be pumped entirely into the aorta to supply the body with oxygenated blood from the left ventricle; to leak back into the left atrium. The result is a murmur. It is called Mitral Regurgitation. When the mitral valve is narrowed, it is difficult for the blood to leave the left atrium. This is called Mitral Stenosis. Dogs with this condition can be affected mildly or severely. Most dogs can live active normal lives, but with age the condition can worsen and they can die of heart failure. Sub-aortic Stenosis is the narrowing of the aorta, the major artery carrying the blood supply away from the heart. The condition leads to pulmonary edema which results in left-sided heart failure. There are several tests your veterinarian can perform to screen for these conditions, x-ray series of the chest, ECG or electrocardiography to measure the heart's electrical activity, and a cardiac ultrasound or echocardiography. Many reputable breeders test their dogs with cardiac color Doppler ultrasound for very accurate diagnosis. We start testing our miniature bull terriers at the age of 18 months of age and then have yearly heart examinations.
Kidney 3. Kidney disease In Miniature Bull Terriers is divided into three forms. The first is renal dysplasia which results kidney failure. The disease causes the kidney's cells to develop improperly, resulting in a nonfunctioning kidney/s. The second form is Hereditary nephritis. This is also fatal, but with a slower progression. Research has not been able to determine a specific age to test for because it can range in age from as early as 2 years up to 8 years. The best prevention (until DNA testing becomes available) is testing breeding dogs every year for Urine-Protein/ Urine-Creatinine Ratio. The most recently discovered kidney disease is Polycystic Kidney Disease. You may also hear it as PCKD. It is very common to be seen inconjunction with heart valvular problems. Currently, the most reliable diagnose is made from an ultrasound of the kidneys.
Skin 4. Skin Diseases Some Miniature Bull Terriers, particularly white Miniature Bull Terriers, may have skin problems. Some dogs respond well to dietary changes of a more natural-type foods or raw with few or no chemical additives. Others may require allergy testing along with long-term treatment of antibiotics, food change and possible allergy injections.
Do remember even though the parents of future puppies may have been tested for all of the above health related problems. This does not guarantee that the animal will not later become afflicted with the maladies that we mentioned. Breed Standard Did
you know? General Appearance
The Miniature Bull Terrier must be
strongly built, symmetrical and active, with a keen, determined and
intelligent expression. He should be full of fire, having a courageous,
even temperament and be amenable to discipline.
Height 10 inches to 14 inches.
Dogs outside these limits should be faulted. Weight in proportion
to height. In proportion, the Miniature Bull Terrier should give the
appearance of being square.
The head should be long, strong and deep,
right to the end of the muzzle, but not coarse. The full face
should be oval in outline and be filled completely up, giving the
impression of fullness with a surface devoid of hollows or indentations,
i.e., egg shaped. The profile should curve gently downwards from
the top of the skull to the tip of the nose. The forehead should be
flat across from ear to ear. The distance from the tip of the nose to the
eyes should be perceptibly greater than that from the eyes to the top of
the skull. The underjaw should be deep and well defined. Neck, Topline, Body
The neck should be very
muscular, long, and arched; tapering from the shoulders to the head, it
should be free from loose skin. The back should be short and strong
with a slight arch over the loin. Behind the shoulders there should be no
slackness or dip at the withers. The body should be well rounded
with marked spring of rib. The back ribs deep. The chest should be
broad when viewed from in front. There should be great depth from withers
to brisket, so that the latter is nearer to the ground than the belly. The
underline, from the brisket to the belly, should form a graceful
upward curve. The tail should be short, set on low, fine, and
should be carried horizontally. It should be thick where it joins the
body, and should taper to a fine point.
The shoulders should be strong
and muscular, but without heaviness. The shoulder blades should be wide
and flat and there should be a very pronounced backward slope from the
bottom edge of the blade to the top edge. The legs should be big boned but
not to the point of coarseness. The forelegs should be of moderate
length, perfectly straight, and the dog must stand firmly up on them. The
elbows must turn neither in nor out, and the pasterns should be
strong and upright.
The hind legs should be parallel when viewed
from behind. The thighs are very muscular with hocks well let down.
The stifle joint is well bent with a well developed second thigh. The
hind pasterns should be short and upright. Coat - The coat should be short, flat and harsh to the touch with a fine gloss. The dog's skin should fit tightly. Color - For white, pure white coat. Markings on head and skin pigmentation are not to be penalized. For colored, any color to predominate. Gait - The dog shall move smoothly, covering the ground with free, easy strides. Fore and hind legs should move parallel to each other when viewed from in front or behind, with the forelegs reaching out well and the hind legs moving smoothly at the hip and flexing well at the stifle and hock. The dog should move compactly and in one piece but with a typical jaunty air that suggests agility and power. Temperament
The temperament should be full of fire
and courageous, but even and amenable to discipline. Thank you for taking the time to read about the Miniature Bull Terrier!
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