Mary Allen
Beagles are gentle, lovable, and fun. If they don’t make you cry with their cheeky behavior, then they will make you laugh. Beagle people spend a lot of time getting beyond the thinking of their dogs and often they have to use food as a tool to get their Beagles obedient for the moment.
Like any dog, the Beagle needs early socialization – exposure to lots of different people, sights, sounds, and experiences – while it’s young. Socialization helps ensure that your Beagle puppy grows into a mature dog.
#1 Not all Beagles will get any, or all, of these diseases, but it’s important to know about them if you’re toying with the breed.
Disc Disease: The spinal cord is surrounded by the spine, and between the bones of the spine are intervertebral discs that act as shock absorbers and allow the vertebrae to move normally.
The disks consist of two layers, an outer fibrous layer, and an inner jelly-like layer. Disc disease occurs when the jelly-like inner layer protrudes into the spinal canal and presses against the spinal cord.
Compression of the spinal cord can be minimal, causing neck or back pain, or severe, causing loss of sensation, paralysis, and incontinence. The damage from spinal cord compression can be irreversible.
Treatment depends on several factors, including location, severity, and length of time between injury and treatment. Confining the dog can help, but surgery is often necessary to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord. Operations are not always successful.
#2 Hip dysplasia
Hip dysplasia is an inherited disorder in which the femur is not securely attached to the hip joint. Some dogs will show pain and lameness in one or both hind legs, but there may be no symptoms at all in a dog with hip dysplasia. Arthritis can develop in aging dogs.
The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, like the University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program, perform x-ray techniques for hip dysplasia. Dogs with hip dysplasia should not be used for breeding. When you purchase a puppy, get proof from the breeder that they have been tested for hip dysplasia and that the puppy is otherwise healthy.
#3 Prolapsed nictitating gland
In this condition, the gland protrudes from under the third eyelid and looks like a cherry in the corner of the eye. Your vet may need to remove the gland.