Deerhounds, like almost every other breed, have health conditions that are specific to their breed or body type. Here is an overview of what you should know about Deerhound health if you add a Deerhound to your family:
Health Issues
Anesthesia/Surgery/Trauma: Deerhounds as a breed can have several conditions that are specific to anesthesia, surgery, or severe trauma. These problems do not affect their day-to-day lives.
- Anesthesia sensitivities: Like other sighthound breeds, Deerhounds can react badly to certain drugs that are used in anesthesia protocols. You can find comprehensive information, including a summary for your veterinarian, here.
- Bleeding disorders: Two genetic variants exist in the Deerhound breed that can cause excessive bleeding during or after surgery. Both variants are found in several other breeds. One of the bleeding disorders, called Factor VII Deficiency, can cause bleeding DURING surgery or trauma. The other disorder, called Delayed Post-operative Hemorrhage (DEPOH), can cause bleeding up to a few days AFTER surgery or trauma. Thankfully, there are simple genetic tests that should be done on every Deerhound to determine if it is at risk for one or both of these disorders, and there are preventative measures that can be taken should an affected dog need surgery or experience severe trauma. Responsible breeders who follow the SDCA’s Code of Ethics Health Guidelines tell their puppy buyers a puppy’s genetic status with respect to these bleeding disorders (see below), but all owners should know their Deerhound’s status for these conditions. More information, including testing information, on Factor VII Deficiency and DEPOH can be found here.
- Stress Hyperthermia: This condition affects individual dogs of many breeds, including Deerhounds, and also mixed-breed dogs. It occurs when a dog is extremely stressed—such as when a dog is having a veterinary procedure done—and its temperature becomes dangerously high. More information on this condition, including preventative and treatment recommendations, can be found here.
Antibiotics sensitivities: Deerhounds, like many dogs, can have severe, even life-threatening, sensitivities to sulfa antibiotics, so it is recommended that these drugs be avoided, if possible. More information can be found here.
Bloat/Gastric Torsion: Like all large, deep-chested dogs, Deerhounds can experience gastric bloat and/or torsion and/or splenic torsion. Here is some basic information about gastric torsion, and here is some information on splenic torsion, but the important thing to know is BOTH ARE LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCIES, AND YOU SHOULD SEEK TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY. Please educate yourself on the symptoms and discuss with your vet where you should take your dog if you suspect your dog is suffering from bloat or torsion after hours.
Cardiac (Heart) problems: Like many large dogs, Deerhounds can have a heart condition called Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM). In Deerhounds, DCM usually occurs in dogs ages 4 and up. DCM can have many causes, some of which appear to be genetic and specific to individual breeds. Research is underway to determine the cause of DCM in Deerhounds, but in the meantime, owners can monitor their dogs to try to catch DCM early, when treatment can be more successful. Because Deerhounds are relatively narrow, you can feel their heartbeat simply by putting your hand on your dog’s chest, right behind the left elbow. Learn what your dog’s normal heartbeat feels like when it is at rest or just after exercise and get in the habit of checking it every now and then so you will know when the heartbeat seems abnormal. Many Deerhound owners also attend cardiac clinics to have their dog’s hearts ultrasounded every year or two by a veterinary cardiologist. While a “moment in time” health screening test that does not provide information on future problems, it can pick up heart problems early. The Scottish Deerhound Club of America holds a cardiac clinic every year at our national specialty, but many other dog clubs hold clinics around the country: find a clinic near you at https://ofa.org/health-clinics/ or https://cavalierhealth.org/health_clinics.htm .
Cystinuria: Deerhounds appear to have a low incidence of bladder stones overall, with one exception: INTACT MALE DEERHOUNDS can get a specific kind of stone—cystine stones. This condition is called cystinuria, and, although a rare bladder stone, it is found in many breeds. Female and neutered male Deerhounds do not get cystinuria. It usually appears in dogs ages 4–8, but cases have been seen in dogs as young as 2 and as old as 10 years.
It is believed that there is a genetic component to this problem, and research is ongoing. In the meantime, owners of intact male dogs should watch their dog urinate every day so they can learn what their dog’s normal urine stream looks like and can detect any problems early. If there is any change or you see blood in your dog’s urine, make an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible and watch your dog urinate every time he goes out to make sure he doesn’t block in the meantime. Here is more information on what to do if you suspect your dog has bladder stones. If your dog strains to urinate and/or nothing or only a few drops come out, THIS IS A LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY, AND YOU SHOULD SEEK TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY.
Other things you can do to monitor for this disease is to regularly bring in urine samples to your veterinarian to check for cystine crystals or send urine samples to either PennGen or UC Davis for a cystine/creatinine ratio test. However, these tests are “moments in time” tests, and no one knows how quickly stones form in affected dogs, so a negative test cannot predict what will happen in the future. Thankfully, cystinuria can be prevented simply by neutering your dog.
Liver Disease/Thrombosis/Liver shunt: Two liver problems exist in the Deerhound breed: puppies can be born with a congenital portosystemic shunt (also called a liver shunt), where a blood vessel they are born with that is supposed to close a few weeks after birth doesn’t close. Responsible breeders that follow the SDCA’s Code of Ethics Health Guidelines test their puppies for liver shunt before they go to their homes (see below), so no owner should unknowingly get a puppy with a shunt. There are a range of treatments available, and many puppies with shunts can be treated. More information on liver shunts can be found here.
Adult Deerhounds can also get a liver disease that can present as an atrophying liver and/or blood clots (thrombi) in the liver and/or spleen. This problem has affected dogs as young as 3 and as old as 10 years of age, and a range of symptoms have been seen. More information can be found here. Research is ongoing, including whether or not liver shunt and this adult-onset liver disease are related.
Neck Pain: “Deerhound Neck” is a catch-all phrase Deerhound owners use for neck pain in the breed. Deerhound Neck more often happens to young dogs who experience injury or trauma, but it also occurs in sedentary dogs with no history of injury. Conservative treatment usually takes care of the problem. More information can be found here.
Osteosarcoma: Like all large dogs, Deerhounds are at higher risk for getting osteosarcoma, or bone cancer. The vast majority of the time, osteosarcoma arises on leg bones.
Osteosarcoma is one of the most frustrating diseases a dog owner can face, because there are different kinds that respond differently to treatment—some dogs live years after amputation and chemotherapy, while others do not make it through the chemotherapy protocol. Currently, we know very little about which dogs will respond to which treatment(s)s. As treatment most often includes amputation, this is no small thing.
It has been shown in people and mice with osteosarcoma that removing the primary tumor can accelerate metastatic growth, and this appears to happen in Deerhounds, too. So, for some dogs, just managing pain and keeping bones strong can give many quality months, although there is also a risk of fracture or ulceration. Basically, osteosarcoma often involves some very difficult decisions.
Different breeds appear to have different forms of osteosarcoma, so research is ongoing to learn more about osteosarcoma in Deerhounds, which usually appears in dogs age 4 years and older. What we know so far is the genetics is complicated. You can read more about osteo here.
Research has shown in Rottweilers that spaying or neutering before sexual maturity can increase osteosarcoma risk, as well as the risk of other health problems. You can read about that research here. As a result, the SDCA Health & Genetics Committee recommends waiting until sexual maturity before spaying or neutering your Deerhound. There is more information on spaying and neutering your Deerhound here.
Because osteosarcoma in dogs is very similar to osteosarcoma in children (the most common age group in people to get it), there are a lot of clinical trials in dogs. You can access those clinical trials here. As a result, new information on this disease, including treatment options, comes out regularly.
The earlier osteosarcoma is detected, the more likely the dog will benefit from treatment. Check your dog’s legs regularly (during grooming sessions is a good time), and have lameness checked out promptly.
Pneumonia: This is seen in some Deerhounds, sometimes repeatedly. It can be difficult to detect, especially early on in the disease process, because there may or may not be coughing (or any other respiratory signs), and a range of symptoms, many non-specific, can be seen. If not treated early, there can be a sudden onset of severe symptoms such as high fever, lethargy or even collapse, discomfort (not able to settle, similar to bloat/torsion), and, sometimes, bluish gums. Mild symptoms can quickly become severe, so if pneumonia is suspected, THIS IS A LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY, AND YOU SHOULD SEEK TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY. Owners should mention pneumonia as a possibility for any severely sick Deerhound when a cause isn’t obvious, so diagnostic x-rays can be done.
Some cases resemble aspiration pneumonia; other cases do not. For some Deerhounds, pneumonia is chronic or recurrent. For those dogs, having antibiotics on hand to be administered as soon as symptoms occur or even keeping the dog on antibiotics permanently often prevents a recurrence of severe illness.
In the absence of a precipitating event, such as inhaling food or some other foreign object or recent anesthesia, it is not known what anatomical or physiological process is causing this condition in affected Deerhounds. More information can be found here.
Health Testing
The SDCA Code of Ethics includes a series of health testing recommendations that breeders should follow if they want to be in compliance with the Code, because these tests are crucial to the health of every Deerhound.
Genetic Tests
Every Deerhound owner should know the genetic status of their dogs for the two genetic conditions for which we have tests:
Factor VII Deficiency (FVII): This condition can cause bleeding, even severe bleeding, DURING surgery. As an autosomal recessive mutation, only dogs with two copies of the mutation are at risk; dogs that are clear or who have one copy of the mutation do not have any problems. Affected dogs can be given plasma during surgery if they have a problem.
Delayed Post-Operative Hemorrhage (DEPOH): This condition can cause bleeding, even severe bleeding, up to five days AFTER surgery or major trauma. Because this is an autosomal dominant mutation, dogs with one or two copies of the mutation can have this problem. Thankfully, bleeding can be prevented or treated with either tranexamic or aminocaproic acid.
Responsible breeders provide puppy buyers with the FVII and DEPOH status of the dog they are buying in writing, either through testing or knowing the status by parentage (knowing the puppy’s status through knowing the puppy’s parents’ status). More information on both of these conditions, including testing information if your dog hasn’t already been tested or its status known by parentage, here.
Health Screening Tests
Every Deerhound buyer should know the test results for the two health screening tests for puppies covered in the Code’s Health Guidelines:
Portosystemic Shunt: Responsible breeders test all of their puppies for congenital portosystemic (liver) shunt and provide puppy buyers with the test results in writing for the dog they are buying. If an owner buys a puppy that hasn’t been tested, they should discuss testing with their veterinarian.
Heart Defects: Heart defects are rare, but they do occur. Most defects are picked up by a simple heart auscultation (listening to the heart with a stethoscope). Responsible breeders have their veterinarian do this before puppies leave for their new homes and provide these results to owners in writing. If this has not been done, owners should make sure that their veterinarian listens to their puppy’s heart.
Breeding stock cardiac ultrasound: The Code also states that breeders have a veterinary cardiologist do a cardiac ultrasound on all breeding stock to check for heart defects or early signs of heart problems. The results on the puppy’s parents should be given to all puppy buyers in writing.
The cystine/creatinine ratio test for cystinuria is not in the Code of Ethics guidelines because it is a brand-new test, and we are still figuring out how it works in Deerhounds. Remember: this test is only useful for adult intact males.
Health clinics are offered at our annual national specialty every spring. The clinics offer discounted FVII, DEPOH, and cystinuria testing, as well as cardiac ultrasounds. You can find health clinic information, starting several months before the specialty, here.
Other resources:
Research is now demonstrating that different breeds have physiological differences. Here’s what we know about Deerhounds so far:
Anesthesia:
Cardiac norms:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34052149/ (this article is behind a huge paywall for the public, but this reference should give your cardiologist the information they need to access the full article.)
Here is another article with Deerhound cardiac norms:
Blood Values:
Spaying/Neutering:
Research is showing that in some other breeds, spaying or neutering before sexual maturity is deleterious to the dog’s health. In light of that information, here are some spay/neuter recommendations that make sense for Deerhounds.
Deerhound Health Website and Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/deerhoundhealth
The SDCA is committed to improving the health of our breed. Toward that end, the club has a Health & Genetics Committee that conducts research, establishes testing guidelines, answers questions, and maintains the Deerhound Health website to educate and keep Deerhound owners current about the health issues that are seen in the breed.
You can keep up with all the latest news in Deerhound health and the work of the SDCA’s Health & Genetics Committee by signing up to receive the Deerhound Health blog. Enter your email address in the space in the right sidebar, and click on “Subscribe.” All of the blog posts also get sent to the Deerhound Health Facebook page, so you can follow the news there, too.
And, as always, feel free to contact us with any questions.