Retinal dysplasia refers to a disorder in which the cells and layer of retinal tissue did not develop properly. It is usually a nonprogressive disease and can be caused by viral infections, drugs, vitamin A deficiency, or genetic defects. Retinal dysplasia is characterized by folds or rosettes (round clumps) of the retinal tissue. The normal retina lines the back of the eye.   The retinal cells receive light stimuli from the external environment and transmit the information to the brain where it is interpreted to become vision. In retinal dysplasia, there is abnormal development of the retina, present at birth. The disorder can be inherited, or it can be acquired as a result of a viral infection or some other event before the pups were born. Retinal dysplasia can be focal, multifocal, geographic, or accompanied by retinal detachment. Focal and multifocal retinal dysplasia appears as streaks and dots in the central retina. Geographic retinal dysplasia appears as an irregular or horseshoe-shaped area of mixed hyper or hyporeflectivity in the central retina. Retinal detachment occurs with complete retinal dysplasia, and is accompanied by blindness in that eye. Cataracts or glaucoma can also occur secondary to retinal dysplasia. Other causes of retinal dysplasia in dogs include infection with canine adenovirus or canine herpesvirus, or radiation of the eye in newborns. Some dogs have no symptoms and can only be identified with an ophthalmic examination. More severely affected puppies may be partially or totally blind. Retinal dysplasia has been seen in many other breeds as well, including the akita (folds,geographic/detachment), Australian shepherd (folds), beagle (folds), Belgian malinois (folds), border terrier (folds), bull mastiff (folds), Cairn terrier (multifocal folds, geographic), cavalier King Charles spaniel (folds and geographic/detached), clumber spaniel (folds), collie (folds), field spaniel (folds), German shepherd (folds), Gordon setter (folds), mastiff (folds), Norwegian elkhound (folds), old English sheepdog (folds), Pembroke Welsh corgi (folds and geographic/detached), rottweiler (folds), samoyed (folds,geographic/detached), soft-coated wheaten terrier (folds), Sussex spaniel (folds). Labrador retrievers and samoyeds with retinal dysplasia may also have a bony abnormality called chondrodysplasia, or dwarfism. The dog’s front legs are shorter and thicker than normal. The effect on vision of the mildest form (folding of the retina) is not known. The abnormal retinal folds may disappear with age in dogs that are only mildly affected. There is some loss of vision or blindness with the geographic or detached forms of retinal dysplasia, and this is present for the dog’s whole life. With their acute senses of smell and hearing, dogs can compensate very well for visual difficulties, particularly in familiar surroundings. There is no treatment for retinal dysplasia. With their acute senses of smell and hearing, dogs can compensate very well for visual difficulties, particularly in familiar surroundings. In fact owners may be unaware of the extent of vision loss. You can help your visually impaired dog by developing regular routes for exercise, maintaining your dog’s surroundings as constant as possible, introducing any necessary changes gradually, and being patient with your dog. The only way to prevent it is to make sure that the active carriers of RD gene do not breed. All breeding dogs should be registered with the Canine Eye Registry Foundation and should be evaluated before being bred, and then tested yearly by certified eye specialists. Dogs affected with geographic or detached retinal dysplasia, their parents and their littermates should not be bred. The situation is less clear in those breeds that have retinal folds, since the genetic relationship between the 3 forms is not known.

Hip dysplasia in dogs is a very common disease, especially in young dogs, and happens as a result to an abnormal development of the hip joints. The most affected breeds are the large and the medium ones, but it can also affect the small breeds. The most cases of hip dysplasia can be found in breeds like German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Rottweilers, Great Danes, Golden Retrievers, and Saint Bernards. Hip dysplasia is usually caused by your dog genetic heritage. Studies have shown that if your dog has hip dysplasia then your future puppies may be developing hip dysplasia. If you want to buy a puppy you have to select the one whose parents and grandparents haven’t been treated for hip dysplasia. Hip dysplasia can also be found on humans, cats. PathophysiologyFinding out that the dog you love so much suffers from hip dysplasia has the potential of confusing or upsetting you. If you know at least a few things about this disease that affects dogs, you can give your dog a much better care. The first thing you should know is that hip dysplasia is a type of joint disease that is degenerative and affects the hip joints of the dog. The purpose of the hip joint is to connect the body of the dog with the hind leg, with the help of the socket and ball joint. The head part of the femur bone is the one that forms the ball part. The connective tissue and the ligaments are those that keep the bones together, with a cartilage that is tough but smooth acting as a cushion. If your dog is healthy, the pelvic and femur bones will fit together perfectly, which means that the joint will work as it should. But, if the dog suffers from hip dysplasia, the joints from the hip will not fit, since they don’t develop normally. Dysplasia actually means that the growth process is abnormal or impaired. In some cases, the hip dysplasia will cause the joint’s ball not to fit the socket of the pelvic bone as it should. In most cases, this happens when the pelvic bone is shallow. In such a case, the femur will sometimes slip out of the socket, since the joint is loose, which cases the hip to dislocate. In other situations, the connective tissue and the ligaments are to blame for the abnormal development. In this case, the joint may become instable, because the support is insufficient. When this happens, the pelvic bones and the femur can become separated. Hip dysplasia is caused in most cases by one of these problems. The end result is that the hips of the dogs become deteriorated, weak and arthritic. Hip dysplasia doesn’t always appear in both hips. Sometimes only one hip will be affected. The effects will vary from the most severe to the mildly crippling. In most cases, hip dysplasia will start to influence dogs at a younger age, but its effects might not show up until later in the dog’s life. Doctors can’t identify the age even at puppies that are four months old, but the symptoms might only show up when he becomes an adult.