Italian Greyhound Health
Italian Greyhounds are generally regarded as being a
healthy long-lived breed with relatively few health issues.
At the time of writing there are no health tests recommended for Italian
Greyhounds by the UK Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme. However this
does not mean that Italian Greyhounds are free of health problems.
Research is being carried out to determine whether some canine diseases
are genetic, but as yet no DNA tests have been developed specifically
for Italian Greyhounds in Great Britain.
Listed below are some of the health issues that are reported to
affect Italian Greyhounds, it is not our intention to go into these in
detail, other organisations and web sites deal with these issues with
far greater knowledge and accuracy than can be covered on this site.
1. Hypothyroidism
2. Epilepsy*
3. Legge-Perthe’s Disease
4. Luxating Patellas
5. Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
6. Von Willebrands Disease
Many breeders and owners in the UK are currently
participating in DNA testing, in order for research to be
undertaken to try to determine if there is a genetic marker for
Epilepsy
in Italian Greyhounds.