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As a large breed, GSMDs do face their share of large-breed health issues, such as bloat and various bone/joint diseases. There are also a few other health concerns facing Swissies which are not necessarily linked to their size/stature but are more unique to the breed, such as splenic torsion and urinary incontinence.
Swissies are considered relatively healthy as large breeds go, in that they don't suffer from the heart conditions that some giant breeds do, nor do we see high incidence of some cancers that plague other breeds, like osteosarcoma. The average life-expectancy of a Swissy is approximately 8-10 years of age. Some can live to be as old as 12, 13 and even 14 years of age, with a decent quality of life, while others leave us all too soon. The three most common causes of death among Swissies, based on a 2002 breed health survey, were cancers, gastrointestinal conditions (such as bloat) and neurological conditions (such as epilepsy).
Sadly, there seems to be a shift in this breed -- evidenced by the fact that 7 of the 12 Letters of Intent for the current GSMDCA Elections (2009-2010 term) have NO MENTION OF HEALTH WHATSOEVER among their objectives. This should not be construed as an indication that health issues are any less important than they have ever been. They just may not be important to the agenda of many who seek to control the National Club. And if you want to research health issues on the GSMDCA website, you'll just have to search a little harder as "HEALTH" is no longer listed in the main navigation menu of the club website but is buried in the "Breed Information" page. But if you want to search for photos of top winning Swissies (with and without health clearances), you'll easily find those in the main menu under "Showcase." Finally, the "New GSMDCA" has seen fit to remove the Health Database that existed on the club website for years and years. So I apologize if some of the links in this section take you nowhere. I'm hopeful that those who are truly concerned for the Breed will protest this and the database will find its rightful place on the club's website. For all these reasons, I personally would not put too much stock into whether someone is a GSMDCA member, but instead please be diligent in your research into one's breeding practices, one's willingness to be forthcoming about health issues and your own gut feeling about each individual breeder.
To read more about the most troubling health issues Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs confront, please click the links below. |
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