[Louise]

I've been reading all these posts on BYB and puppy mill dogs and frankly now I'm worried. I rescued Lea from the pound but have no idea where she came from.

Before I knew puppy mills existed I bought a dog that lived all of 3 years I had to travel 100 miles every 2 weeks to have tests run on her to try and find out what was wrong THIS time. She was the sweetest soul I ever met and today, 20 years later I still miss her.

So my question is this... is there anything in particular I should be watching out for with Lea? She doesn't always eat her meals but doesn't seem to be suffering from it... that's about it. She's going to be 2 years old soon and seems fine. Should I worry?

Lou

 

[Betsy Iole]

The main inherited problem to worry about in bassets whose health history is unknown is probably glaucoma. It would probably be a good idea for all basset owners to familiarize themselves with the signs and have an emergency plan in case those signs develop.

 

[Louise]

Thanks for the info Betsy!

Lou

 

[woebgon]

The latest research on bloat shows that it may be inherited as well. All basset hound owners should be aware of the signs of bloat and be ready to rush them to the vet or emergency vet if their dogs show signs of bloat. If they are operated on in time, they can be saved.