Today's Bernese Mountain Dog Breed has, unfortunately, many maladies. Some are more serious than others. Several are fatal. Anyone who tells you differently is probably trying to sell you a puppy or is new to our breed.

Some of the most common serious breed afflictions are cancers (various forms, especially Malignant or Systemic Histiocytosis and Lymphoma), orthopedic issues (hips, elbows and shoulders), immune system disorders, thyroid malfunction and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBD). Some other common breed health issues are entropic eyes, cataracts, and various allergies (especially food allergies).

Cancer can happen no matter what age the dog is. Orthopedic issues may appear as soon as age 4 months or well into the dog's senior years. There is no magic age where you can rest assured that your Berner is free of these or other common breed ailments.

Two items that are NOT common to our breed (but are common to a few other dog breeds) are Vom Willebrands (VWD) and Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA). These two issues are thought to affect less than 2% of the entire Bernese Mountain Dog breed.  Being pro-active, many breeders will obtain tests to verify breeding stock is clear of these diseases (even though they're rare in our breed). The problem for the currently available VWD test for the genetic marker is that the result is actually inconclusive. There is no genetic marker test yet available for PRA. The only known prevention for PRA is to have routine eye exams performed by a Veterinarian Ophthalmologist.

Its important to note the above issues commonly require expensive intervention, like surgery, therapy and/or medicines. While some interventions may cure the ailment or at least make it manageable, many interventions may only prolong the inevitable, fatal impact of the malady.

Some of the common temperament issues, which can be health related, are excessive aggression, excessive prey drive and excessive shyness. And these issues can also incur great expense and effort to correct, and not all issues can be corrected.

All Bernese Mountain Dog owners or potential owners should become familiar with diseases and other breed specific afflictions. This education can make the difference in the quality of Berner that's brought into your family. More importantly, your education on these items could make a big impact on your Berner's illness diagnosis, as many Vets aren't always aware of breed specific issues common to our breed.

Therefore, we encourage you to do your part: Get Education On Berner Health Issues.

Listed below are some quality information sources to further your education.

Website for discussion about Malignant Histiocytosis, a fatal and horrid disease that affects about every 1 in 5 Berners by the age of 5 years:  http://bernese.biz/histioresearch.htm