Health Concerns

Overall the Bracco Italiano is a healthy breed, but there are some problems that have come to the attention of breeders and owners. Some Bracchi are sensitive to anesthesia, the anesthetic Domitor in particular. If your Bracco is to be anesthetized, use Domitor only as a last option. If any irregularity in heartbeat occurs, the dog should be removed from sedation immediately. As in any large breed of dog, CHD (or Canine Hip Dysplasia) can be a problem. In the presence of CHD the head of the femur does not fit snugly into the pelvic socket. X-rays can be taken to determine if a dog has hip dysplasia. It is a genetic disease and can be passed on from one generation to the next. It is important for dogs to be x-rayed before they are bred. A dog can be a carrier of the disease, but be tested and appear to be free of it. Dogs with CHD should not be bred. Another disease, similar to CHD, that the Bracco is affected by is Elbow Dysplasia. It is a developmental degenerative joint disease that can be a combinaton of different disorders including: ununited aconeal process; fragmented medial coronoid process; or osteochondritis of the medial humeral condyle. Elbow dysplasia can be hereditary or environmental. Dogs usually begin to show lameness around six or seven months of age. Rest helps lessen the symptoms, but x-rays are required to determine exactly how severe the dysplasia is. Dogs with elbow dysplasia should never be bred. The breed can also suffer from Enostosis, or growing pain. It is an episodic diseas that mostly afflicts puppies between six to eighteen months of age. It is treated with rest and anti-inflammatory drugs. Normally it only affects one limb at a time, but can switch limbs. For the most part it affects the ulna, radius, femur, humorous, and tibia. It is diagnosed through radiology. Panosteitis is another disease that the Bracco may suffer from. Little is known about Panosteitis, but it is thought to have a viral origin. It is characterized by the growth of scar tissue within the bone itself, and the production of new bone in the marrow cavity. The Bracco is also prone to Entropion and Ectropion. Entropion occurs when the eyelid is curled inward. The eye becomes irrated and often infected. Ectropion is the opposite. The eyelid is curled outward - the tears cannot function normally and the eye becomes inflammed/irritated. Similarly to Entropion, the eye often becomes infected. Both can result (if left untreated) with the loss of the infected eye. Another issue seen in the Bracco is umbilical hernias. This is when the abdominal wall does not close from the umbilical cord. It should be fixed with surgery and the dog should never be bred. The breed, due to its long floppy ears, can have problems with Ear Mites and Yeast Infections. Keeping the ear clean and dry is a good preventative measure, but both conditions are easily treated with medication. Cleaning your dog's ears (about once a week) with a cleansing solution helps a lot. Most solutions of this kind not only clean the ear, but also dry, acidify, and deodorize it. These solutions can be found at your vet's office or pet store. A dry ear is far less likely to develop mites or yeast infections.

Their lifespan is about 12 years. Before purchasing a dog, ask the breeder about any health issues they have had in their kennel. The parents of any puppy would ideally be both hip and eye tested. Do your research -- find out the hip and eye scores of the puppy's parents, grandparents, and possibly even great-grandparents if the information is available. You can easily follow genetic disorders and hip/eye wellness to find out how prone your pup is for any of these conditions. It is best to know this information before you inquire about a puppy, so you can ask the breeder questions about what you learned. They should be very willing to tell you about the genetic problems they have seen in their kennel, if any. When looking for a puppy, try to find one from parents that have good hip and eye scores. If needed, ask the breeder to explain the scores to you, so that you may better understand what you are seeing.

Photo courtesy of Casa Bravo Kennels

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