1. Genetic Disorders
Shih Tzu

2. Introduction
When choosing any breed of dog you must be aware of
potential health concerns
All dogs mixes and pure bred can have health concerns
The more popular breeds and their mixes will have more
genetic problems listed and more likely to have puppies
with problems .
Although more serious in dogs under 6 lbs all sizes of
Shih Tzus can have any of these health concerns.
Make sure your breeder offers a written health guarantee
good for one year.
Have the puppy heath checked at your Veterinarian.

3. Eye Disorders
Exposure keratopathy syndrome (exophthalmos, lagophthalmos, and/or mac
)
With this syndrome, there is chronic irritation of the surface of
the eye (the cornea) because of increased evaporation of tears
and increased corneal exposure. This is a result of a
combination of anatomic features including exophthalmos
(protrusion of the eyeball), lagophthalmos (inability to close the
eyelids completely) andmacroblepharon (an exceptionally large
eyelid opening, often associated with lower lid entropion). The
result is inadequate blinking, and therefore reduced protection
for the eye. Affected dogs experience chronic discomfort and
are prone to ulceration of the cornea.

4. Eye Disorders
Retinal dysplasia: The condition is present from birth. At 3 to 4
weeks of age, the breeder may notice that severely affected pups
are less active and frequently bump into objects. A veterinarian will
be best able to examine the pup's eyes for this condition with an
ophthalmoscope at 12 to 16 weeks of age, when the retina is
mature.
Cataracts: Can be congenital, juvenile or as a result of old age
Keratoconjunctivitis sicca KCS or "dry eye" is an eye disease
caused by abnormal bulk of the tears.
Entropion : Entropion is the inward rolling of the eyelid, most
commonly the lower lid. This irritates the surface of the eye (the
cornea) and may ultimately cause visual impairment.

5. Eye Disorders
Progressive retinal atrophy: deterioration of the retinal cells causes blindness.
Generalized PRA - early onset: The first sign is generally failing night vision, as
early as 6 weeks of age, and this progresses to complete loss of vision by about 1 - 2
years of age. Collies may retain some vision until the age of 2 - 3 years. In miniature
schnauzers, poor night vision usually develops later (6 months to a year) and there is
advanced loss of vision by 3 to 4 years. Affected Alaskan malamutes are day-blind
(hemeralopia) at 8 to 10 weeks of age; night vision is never affected.
Generalized PRA (progressive rod-cone degeneration) - late onset: Generally
night blindness is noticed between 2 and 5 years of age (depending on the breed)
progressing to total blindness within a year or so. Peripheral vision is lost first.
Central PRA (CPRA) - retinal pigment epithelial dystrophy (RPED): Loss of vision
occurs much more slowly than in generalized PRA, without initial night blindness.
Affected dogs may not lose vision completely. Because the changes are in the centre
of the retina, affected dogs initially have trouble locating still objects in bright light.

6. Eye Disorders
Ectropion Ectropion is a defect of conformation in which there is a
sagging or rolling-out (eversion) of the eyelids. This results in
abnormal exposure of the eye, which often leads to irritation.
Eyelash abnormalities Normally the eyelashes (or cilia) grow
from follicles in the eyelid. Abnormalities of the eyelash are a
common hereditary problem in dogs. The three types are:
distichiasis, in which extra eyelashes grow from abnormal
follicles located on the inside edge of the eyelid. They may be
singular or multiple.
ectopic cilia, in which the extra eyelash grows through the
eyelid to the inside.One or more ectopic cilia may be present.
trichiasis, in which eyelashes growing from normal sites turn
inward. The eyelashes are often abnormally long.

7. Eye Disorders
Third eyelid (nictitating membrane) abnormalities - "cherry eye" A
prolapse of the gland or "cherry eye" occurs when the base of the
gland (embedded in the cartilage) flips up and is seen above and
behind the border of the third eyelid. The prolapsed gland becomes
swollen and inflamed. The condition frequently occurs in both eyes
and is most common in young dogs

8. Heart Disorders
Tricuspid valve dysplasia Dogs with a mildly or even moderately
malformed tricuspid valve routinely live normal lifespans. However,
dogs with severe tricuspid valve malformations, even as pups, may
develop symptoms of congestive heart failure, especially a bloated,
pot-bellied appearance due to fluid pooling in the abdomen
(ascites), difficulty breathing due to fluid retention in the chest cavity
(pleural effusion), or both. Such severely affected dogs require
medications to reduce the impact of the problem and maintain an
acceptable quality of life

9. Cleft Lip /palate
Cleft lip/palate This is an opening in the lip or the roof of the
mouth that occurs due to failure of normal fusion processes
during embryonic development. Cleft palate and cleft lip may
result from either hereditary or environmental causes (such as
the use of certain drugs during pregnancy).
Affected pups are born with the condition. A minor defect will
cause little or no problem, while a more severe defect will
cause signs such as a chronic nasal discharge (that may
include food), poor growth, aspiration pneumonia (from
inhalation of food), or even death.

10. Musculoskeletal Disorders
Intervertebral disk disease Intervertebral disk disease (IVDD) occurs
when the jelly-like inner layer protrudes, or herniates, into the
vertebral canal and presses on the spinal cord. Compression of the
spinal cord may be minimal (causing mild back or neck pain) to
severe (causing paralysis, loss of sensation, and lack of bladder and
bowel control) and may be irreversible.
Problems are most commonly seen in the thoracolumbar (lower
back) region of the spine, and are also seen in the cervical (neck)
region. IVDD is seldom a concern in the thoracic (upper back)
region, because extra ligaments connect the ribs and help to
reinforce the annulus fibrosus
Patellar luxation: Slipping kneecap. Should be noticeable puppy
vet check prior to sale

11. Nervous System Disorder
Hydrocephalus: an abnormal build-up of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in
cavities in the brain (the ventricles). This results in increased pressure on
the brain. Puppies with severe hydrocephalus often die at a very early age
due to pressure from the increased fluid in the brain. In other less severely
affected pups, the signs gradually become apparent over the first few
months of life, and in some mild cases the condition is only diagnosed later
in life.
The types of signs seen with this condition include lack of thriftiness (smaller
than littermates, slow to grow), a domed skull (which gradually becomes
more pronounced), abnormal movement behaviour (e.g., restlessness,
aimless walking), problems with vision, and seizures. These pups are very
slow to learn - it may be extremely difficult to housetrain them for example,
or they may lose their housetraining.
Generally the signs gradually worsen, although by 2 years of age they may
stabilize. To minimize brain damage, the condition must be recognized and
appropriate treatment begun early. However, affected animals will likely
always be slow and have a limited ability to learn.

12. Skin Disorders
Dermoid sinus Dermoid sinus is present from birth, although the
condition is usually not noticed until later. The tracts contain debris
from the skin - sebum (waxy lubricating substance), dead skin cells,
and hair - and commonly become infected and painful. If the tract
extends to the spinal canal, infection may cause meningitis or
myelitis, resulting in various neurologic signs such as local or
general spinal pain, stiffness, or weakness (depending on the
location of the sinus).
sebaceous adenitis This is a perplexing condition in which the
sebaceous glands in the skin become inflamed for unknown
reasons, and are eventually destroyed. These glands normally
produce sebum, a fatty secretion that helps prevent drying of the
skin.
Clinical signs vary with the severity of the condition

13. Urinary Disorders
Familial kidney disease In many of these disorders, the kidneys are
apparently normal at birth but begin to deteriorate early in life (less
than 1 year of age). While the underlying problem in the kidneys
varies between breeds, the end result is the same - kidney failure for
the dog, generally by 5 years of age, although the severity and rate
of progression vary between breeds and between individual dogs
In Shih Tzu the disorder is renal dysplasia
Urolithiasis: a condition in which crystals in the urine combine to
form stones, also called calculi or uroliths. These can be found
anywhere in the urinary tract, where they cause irritation and
secondary infection. Most end up in the bladder or in the urethra,
where they may cause obstruction, which is a medical
emergency. Several different types of uroliths have been
identified, with struvite stones (magnesium ammonium
phosphate) the most common.

14. Respiratory Disorders
brachycephalic syndrome Problems associated with this syndrome
range in severity, with most brachycephalic dogs snuffling and
snorting to some degree. Some will have no further difficulties, but
many will have problems such as increasingly noisy breathing,
coughing and gagging, fainting or collapsing episodes, and a
decreased tolerance for exercise (ie. they tire easily). Over the long
term, this also puts an increased strain on the heart.
Overheating is especially dangerous because increased panting (the
normal mechanism for cooling in dogs) can cause further swelling and
narrowing of the already constricted airways, which will increase your
dog's anxiety. Excitement, exercise, or warm weather (and especially a
combination of these factors) can trigger this vicious cycle. These
dogs can also have gastrointestinal problems, because of difficulties
coordinating swallowing when they are working so hard at breathing.
This can result in vomiting gagging because of swallowing so much
air, or aspiration pneumonia, because of breathing in saliva or food
particles.They have an increased risk associated with sedation and
anesthesia
,.

15. In Conclusion
Shih Tzus have 19 health concerns Disorders relatively common in
this breed are : Exposure Keratopathy syndrome
Note above disorder(s) is very common in this breed. Do not take
lightly the other disorders. Some are very serious .
Information for this presentation as a public service provided by:
www.delayrekennel.com with information provided by :
A joint initiative of the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre at the
Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, and
the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association..
Permission is granted to reprint pages from the database, provided
that credit is given as follows: Crook A et al. 2011. Canine Inherited
Disorders Database
Wikipedia Photos

16. About your Presenter
Member of the Canine Ambassador Program with Orange Empire
Dog Club. Educating people in the joy canines bring into our lives
through their relationship, interaction, and unconditional love.
Pet Professional specializing in the training of puppies in Sun Valley
since 1974 .
Breeder of Silky Terriers and Wire Fox Terriers
My boarding, training and breeding kennel was awarded Small
Business of the Year 2000
Better Business Bureau A+ rating
I have owned and/or bred 21 Conformation Champions including 6
International Champions
Member and former Vice President of the City of Angels Silky
Terrier Club
Past President of Sun Valley Chamber of Commerce
Have also served on the boards of Associated Terrier Breeders,
Animal Safe Haven Foundation, United Chambers of Commerce