Bernese Mountain Dog "Von Alpentraum"

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HealthNutrition

Health:

Your Bernese Mountain Dog is not immune to disease, in spite of your best efforts.
Keep your eyes peeled for behavioral and bodily conditions in your puppy. Only this way can disease be recognized early.
Plan to make one to two visits to your veterinarian yearly, even if your dog isn't sick.

Immunization shots
There are five serious infectious diseases that can especially endanger the life of your dog; rabies, distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, and leptospirosis.
They are transmitted by viruses (except for leptospirosis, which is caused by bacteria) with which the dog can come in contact almost everywhere. The dog can be immunized against all five infectious agents.
But an inoculation offers complete protection only if it is renewed regularly. The shots are entered on an immunization card that is given to you when you buy the dog from the breeder. You can also use it to figure out the dates for future booster shots.

Worming
Internal parasites such as roundworm, tapeworm, or heartworm weaken your dog's resistance.
Therefor the dog must be wormed regularly from puppyhood on, for the first time at about four weeks, then again at six and eight weeks.
Ask the breeder whether your puppy has had any or several worm treatments.

A short list of disease symptoms
The visible signs of illness described below can have different causes. It's essential to have the veterinarian tell you what you're dealing with.

• Coughing: Bronchitis, lung inflammation, heart disease, foreign body's.
• Diarrhea: Excitement, change of diet, worms, infectio, poisoning.With a puppy, get to the veterinarian immediately!
• Hair loss: Can be caused by various diseases as well as the natural shedding process (related to diet, hormonal problems, metabolic disturbances).
• Head shaking: Ear inflammation (mites, bacteria), foreign bodies in the ear.
• Heat stroke: The dog is almost unable to move and keeps gasping for air. The Bernese is susceptible to heat.
• Poisoning: Various symptoms, depending on the type of poison. At any suspicion, get to the veterinarian at once!
• Runny eyes: inflamed conjunctiva; injury to the cornea; inflammation, injury to the nasolacrimal ducts (tear ducts).
• Scratching: Parasites (mites, bacteria), foreign bodies under the skin; skin inflammation caused by fungus (contagious to humans); allergic causes.
• Thirst: Food-related (salty food or dried food); disease related (disturbance of lever or kidney function, diabetes).
• Trembling: Fear, feverish illness.
• Vomiting: Dogs can vomit at will in order to relieve themselves. Regular or continuous vomiting: stomach disease, foreign body in stomach, various causes possible. With a puppy, get to the veterinarian at once!
• Weight loss: Food deficient in energy; teeth problems; worms; psychological causes (separation, jealousy); serious illness (tumors).

Disorders specific to the breeds
There are various reasons for the fact that certain disorders seem to occur especially often in certain breeds.

• In part, dogs are and have been bred for appearance. The attractive exterior counts, while the passing along of defective genes had largely been ignored.
• In part, the gene pool of the breed is so small that inevitably inbreeding problems result.
• In part, genetic diseases often "hide" over several generations so that they can only be discovered with the most modern methods of examination.

Hip dysplasia:
In all the large dog breeds and thus also in the Bernese Mountain dogs, hip dysplasia (HD) is a typical and common form of disease. In HD, the socket and head of the femur are so severely flattened or loose that painful disturbances of movement result and, in the late stages, lameness as well.
The early diagnosis of the disease is only possible trough a radiograph of the pelvis. Today almost all breed clubs make a radiograph examination a condition before a dog is permitted to be bred.

Elbow dysplasia, osteochondrosis:
In contrast to HD, with its definitive disease picture, elbow dysplasia (ED) and osteochondrosis embrace a broad complex of problems in the region of the shoulder, elbow, knee, and hock.
Growth abnormalities in ulna and radius play a role here.

Defects of vision:
A hereditary vision defect, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), can occur. The hereditary, progressive atrophy of the retina can go from night blindness at first through failing visual accuty in the daytime and ultimately to blindness.

Epilepsy:
Epilepsy (seizures with convulsion) may sometimes occur.

Nutrition:

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Rules for feeding
The food must be neither too cold nor too hot. Room temperature is right.
Remove any leftover food after about 30 minutes. It then goes bad, witch leads to diarrhea for the dog and attracts flies.
Opened cans and home-prepared food should be kept in the refrigerator for a maximum of two days.
Clean the feeding dish thoroughly with hot water after every meal, otherwise dangerous bacteria may develop.
There must always be fresh water available for the dog so that it can quench its thirst anytime.
Don't disturb the dog while it is eating or it may react aggressively.

These are bad for the dog:
Spicy foods, like sausage or left-over pickled things, may damage its kidneys.
Sweets harm its teeth and make your pet fat.

What dogs need
The wolf, the ancestor of the dog, swallows its quarry - primarily planteters - whole. In so doing, it takes in the undigested plant materials along with the prey animal. Thus its body is is provided with the necessary roughage, carbohydrates, minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, and vitamins.
Appropriate dog food must contain all these elements, but a diet that is exclusively meat does not provide sufficient quantities. Deficiency symptoms are only the more harmless consequences of such a one-sided diet.

Commercially prepared food
This complete diet contains all the nutrients and building blocks that are important for the dog. There is a broad product assortment available - puppy food, low irritant bland diets, diet programs for overweight animals, and food for old animals - in various forms.

Home-prepared food
To prepare a balanced diet for your dog yourself, you need some basic knowledge about the dog's requirements for nutrients and their utilization.