Achondroplasia:
dwarfism, or abnormally shortened and bent leg bones. Duh!The following disorders are reported for basset hounds in Chris Walkowitz and Bonnie Wilcox, DVM's Successful Dog Breeding (New York: Macmillan, 1994):
Achondroplasia:
dwarfism, or abnormally shortened and bent leg bones. Duh!
Cervical Vertebral
Instability: Other names include CVI, wobbler syndrome, and spondylomyelopathy.
Unstable vertebrae in lower neck; weakness and ataxia; may lead to paralysis; in basset
hounds, usually at C2-C3.
Dermoid: Other
names include corneal dermoid cyst. Congenital cyst on cornea; contains skin, glands, and
hair.
Enostosis: Also
known as juvenile osteomyelitis, panostitis, or "pano." Acute, shifting lameness
of large, growing dogs; deep bone pain, self-limiting.
Entropian:
"diamond eye." Eyelids roll in; hair rubs on cornea; effects are irritation,
tearing and visual loss from scarring.
Epilepsy:
recurrent seizures with onset at 1 to 3 years; some epilepsy is not hereditary.
Gastric Torsion:
Also known as GDV, bloat, torsion, and twisted stomach. The stomach rotates on long axis,
causing shock and death. Deep-chested breeds such as the basset are more susceptible to it
than are other dogs.
Primary Glaucoma:
Increased fluid pressure in globe leads to pain, eye destruction, and blindness. Autosomal
recessive.
Lens Luxation:
lens slips out of position, leading to secondary glaucoma. Autosomal recessive.
Osteochondritis
Dessicans: Otherwise known as OCD. Growth disorder of joints; cartilage death, pain,
and lameness; may occur in many joints. Polygenic inheritance plus nutritional factors.
Patellar Luxation:
Poor structures that hold the kneecap in place, one or both; starts at four to six months;
usually lateral in basset hounds. Polygenic inheritance pattern.
Retinal Atrophy,
Generalized Progressive: Commonly known as general PRA. Retina degenerates; first
night blindness, then total blindness before middle age. Uncommon in basset hounds, but a
few cases have been reported.
Thrombopathia:
Bleeding disorder in which platelets lack proper function. Autosomnal dominant, incomplete expression.
Ununited Anconeal
Process: Elbow dysplasia. Growth plate in elbow doesn't fuse; secondary degenerative
joint disease; pain and limp; surgical correction required.
Von Willebrand's
Disease: Also known as pseudohemophilia. Bleeding syndrome with several abnormal
factors. Autosomnal dominant, variable expression.
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