Common Health Problems with Jindo Dogs

The Jindo is considered to be one of the dogs with most impressive personal hygiene. It is a fastidious dog and believed to be one of the cross breads between Korean indigenous dogs and Mongol dogs. During the 13th century Mongol invasion of Korea, part of the Korean army withdrew to Jindo Island. The soldier dogs would end up getting isolated in the island, where they developed into a very unique strain. The dog’s fastidious nature made the Koreans to adopt them as hunting and guard dogs. Jindos’ popularity rose when the Government of Korea designated Jindo dogs as national treasure. In fact, during the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Jindo dogs marched in the opening ceremony.

Although the Jindo dog is considered as one of the healthiest and hygienic dogs in the world, a variety of infections and health concerns among Jindo dogs have been raised. Note that the Jindo has an excellent life expectancy rate of 10-15 years. The following are the health issues that have been discovered.

Hypothyroidism

A jindo dog with hypothyroidism will have poor skin color and manifest in itself abnormal aggression. Poor skin quality appears as a thinning coat and a darkened skin even where the dog is white.

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE)

This disease makes the dog to be allergic to its own tissues and internal cells. The disease is categorized as an autoimmune disease that causes the following problems to a dog; depigmentation, crusting, ulceration of the nose and redness you might also note the appearance of lesions around the ears, limbs, eyes and other areas. DLE might occur at any stage of growth of your dog, and is witnessed more often in breeds such as German Shepherds, Collies, Shelties, and Siberian huskies. The infection tends to become more severe during summers and sunny days, due to increased exposure to ultra violet rays.

The following list below contains a list of some of the major issues that have been reported with some Jindo dogs, however, these cases have not been reported in a large number of dogs. Researchers have claimed that the following infections will be given priority in research and resource provision, once several cases have been reported. Till then , can they be announced as major health concerns.

  • cystinuria (diagnosed at 2 years of age)
  • Environmental allergies (Imported from Korea)
  • spondylosis
  • Corneal dystrophy or epithelial/stromal dystrophy ( six years age)
  • Pemphigus erythematous
  • Cataracts

Jindo dogs are typically a healthy breed with very few health problems overall.