Achondroplasia: Type of dwarf-ism with shortened limbs
Acute moist dermatitis: (“hot spots”) Area of extraordinarily itchy and inflamed skin
Addison’s (hypoadrenocorticism): Insufficient secretions by the adrenal cortex
Amyloidosis: Abnormal deposits of amyloid proteins in organs, often kidney, resulting in progressive organ dysfunction
Ataxia: Incoordination
Atrial septal defects (ASD): Hole in the wall separating the right and left atria of the heart
Axonal dystrophy: Problem affecting nerve transmissions
Basenji enteropathy: Severe progressive intestinal malabsorption resulting in protein loss, intractable diarrhea, and weight loss
Brachycephalic syndrome: Group of upper airway abnormalities, including stenotic nares and elongated soft palate, affecting breathing in flat-faced dogs
Canine hip dysplasia (CHD): Abnormal hip assembly wherein the head of the femur does not fit snugly into the pelvic socket
Cardiomyopathy: Enlargement of the heart resulting from dysfunction of the heart muscle
Cataract: Opacities of the lens of the eye
Cauda equina syndrome: Group of neurological signs resulting from compression of the spinal nerves of the lumbosacral vertebral region
Central progressive retinal atrophy (CPRA): Degeneration of retinal cells beginning with those serving primary areas of vision
Cerebellar abiotrophy: Degeneration of brain neurons, causing progressive incoordination
Ceroid lipofuscinosis: Metabolic disorder in which a waste product accumulates in brain cells and leading to abnormal neurologic function
Cherry eye: Tear gland protrudes beyond the “third eyelid,” resulting in a bright red bulge in the inner corner of the eye
Chondrodysplasia: Type of dwarfism
Ciliary dyskinesia: Deformation of cells that generally have cilia, small hair-like appendages that aid in the movement of mucous (such as in the lungs and nose).
Colitis: Inflammation of the large bowel causing diarrhea
Collie eye anomaly (CEA): Congenital abnormalities of varying degrees found in the rear of the eye
Colonic disease: Large bowel disease
Compulsive behavior: Behavior that is repeated to excess to the extent it interferes with normal behavior
Copper toxicosis: Accumulation of copper in the liver, resulting in chronic hepatitis
Corneal erosion: Loss of the outer layers of the cornea; can lead to corneal ulcers
Corneal opacities (corneal dystrophy): Deposits of white or silver spots on the central cornea
Craniomandibular osteopathy: Abnormal development of the jaw involving excessive bone formation
Cushing’s (hyperadrenocorticism): Excessive secretion of cortisol from the adrenal gland
Degenerative myelopathy: Progressive loss of coordination and strength beginning in the hindquarters
Demodicosis: Generalized demodectic mange, a condition caused by Demodex mite to which certain breeds are more susceptible
Dermatomyositis: Systemic connective disease-causing inflammation of both skin and muscles
Dermoid sinus: Tubular indentation leading from the skin along the midline of the back, sometimes extending into the spinal canal
Diabetes mellitus: Deficiency in insulin production or utilization
Digital hyperkeratosis: Thickening of the footpads leading to cracked, infected, and painful pads
Distichiasis: Abnormal eyelashes along the lid, irritating the eye
Ectropion: Outward puckering of the eyelids, leaving a gap between the lid and eye
Elbow dysplasia (ununited anconeal process): Elbow joint laxity eventually leading to arthritic changes
Elongated soft palate: Abnormal extension of the soft palate, such that interferes with breathing
Entropion: Inward rolling of the eyelids, often irritating the eye
Epilepsy: Brain disorder resulting in periodic seizures
Esophageal achalasia: Failure of the walls of the esophagus to relax enough to allow food to pass into the stomach, resulting in regurgitation
Familial nephropathy: Hereditary impaired kidney function
Fanconi’s syndrome: Reabsorptive defects resulting in kidney failure
Fragmented coronoid process: Development flaw in which a fragment of the ulnar bone of the foreleg never fuses, leaving a chip floating in the elbow, resulting in lameness
Gastric torsion (gastric dilation-volvulus): Often called “bloat”; twisting of the stomach that traps the stomach contents and large, deep-chested breeds
Glaucoma: Increased intraocular pressure
Globoid cell leukodystrophy: Gradual destruction of white matter in the brain, eventually fatal
Glycogen storage disease: Deficiency of enzymes required for healthy glycogen metabolism, resulting in variable symptoms including weakness
Hemangiosarcoma: Malignant tumor of the lining of blood vessels, often affecting the heart or spleen, and usually fatal
Hemivertebra: Partially formed wedge-shaped vertebrae
Hemophilia A (factor VIII deficiency): Deficiency in clotting factor VIII leading to excessive bleeding
Hemophilia B (Factor IX deficiency): Deficiency in clotting factor IX leading to excessive bleeding
Histiocytosis: Rapidly progressive cancer infiltrating many parts of the body, often including the lungs, liver, spleen, and central nervous system
Hydrocephalus: Increased accumulation of fluid in the brain. Highest incidence in the toy and brachycephalic breeds
Hypertrophic osteodystrophy: Inflammation of the bone growth plates during periods of rapid growth in large breeds, resulting in lameness
Hypoglycemia: Unusually low level of glucose in the blood
Hypomyelination: Abnormally low amounts of myelin in peripheral nerves, resulting in weakness of limbs
Hypothyroidism: Decreased production of thyroid hormone, often caused by an auto-immune response. One of the most widespread disorders in dogs
Inguinal hernia: Protrusion of abdominal innards through the inguinal canal
Intervertebral disk disease: Abnormality of the disks that regularly provide cushioning between the vertebra
Intracutaneous cornifying epithelioma: Benign skin tumor
Iris coloboma: Pits in the iris (colored portion) of the eye
Keratoconjunctivitis sicca: Decreased tear production of the eye causing a dry and corneal tear
Lacrimal duct atresia: Abnormally small duct that drains tears from the eye
Laryngeal paralysis: Paralysis of the larynx, causing noisy or difficulty breathing
Legg-Perthes disease (Legg-Calve-Perthes): Destruction of the head of the femur bone due to decrease in blood supply
Lens luxation: Dislodgment of the lens of the eye
Lick granuloma: Thickened area of skin, usually of a leg, caused by excessive and often compulsive licking
Lip fold pyoderma: Infection of the skin around the folds of the lips
Lumbar-sacral syndrome: Group of neurological signs resulting from compression of the spinal nerves of the lumbosacral vertebral region
Lupus: Autoimmune condition
Lymphedema: Swelling due to poor drainage of the lymph system
Megaesophagus: Paralysis and enlargement of the esophagus, resulting in regurgitation of food
Meningitis: Swelling of the membranes neighboring the brain and spinal cord
Mitral valve insufficiency: Degeneration of the mitral valve of the heart, allowing blood to flow backward into the left atrium and resulting in enlargement of the heart
Mucopolysacharidosis IIIB: Recessively inherited fatal disease resulting from the lack of an enzyme, giving rise to brain disease
Muscular dystrophy: Progressive degeneration of skeletal muscles
Narcolepsy: Episodes of sudden deep sleep
Narrow palpebral fissure: Abnormally small opening between the eyelids
Nasal solar dermatitis: Inflammation of the nose surface from exposure to sunlight
Necrotic myelopathy: Loss of insulating myelin from the spinal cord, resulting in paralysis
Open fontanel: Incomplete closure of the bones of the skull, resulting in a soft spot on top of the head
Osteochondritis dissecans: Degeneration of bone underlying the cartilage of joint areas, most often seen in young, fast-growing dogs of larger breeds
Osteosarcoma: Malignant bone cancer. More common in large and giant breeds
Otitis externa: Infection of the outer ear, including the ear canal. Most common in dogs with long, hanging ears receiving little ventilation
Pancreatic insufficiency: Inadequate digestive enzyme production by the pancreas, resulting in poor nutrient absorption
Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas
Pannus (chronic superficial keratitis): Corneal inflammation with abnormal growth of vascularized pigment
Panosteitis: Excessive formation of bone growth in some joints of young dogs resulting in intermittent lameness
Patellar luxation: Abnormally shallow groove in the knee so that the knee cap slips in and out of position, causing lameness. Most common in small dogs
Patent ductus arteriosus: Failure of the embryonic blood vessel connecting the pulmonary artery to the aorta to go away in the postnatal dog, resulting in the improper circulation of blood
Pelger-Huet: Abnormal development of blood neutrophils
Pemphigus: Auto-immune disease of the skin
Perianal fistula: Draining tract around the anus
Persistent pupillary membrane: Abnormality in which strands of iris tissue is stretched across the pupil
Persistent right aortic arch: Failure of the embryonic right aorta to go away in the postnatal dog, resulting in constriction of the esophagus
Phosphofructokinase deficiency: Deficiency in red blood cell enzyme, causing anemia
Polyneuropathy: Weakness or paralysis of limbs due to problems in peripheral nerves
Portacaval shunt (portasystemic shunt): Failure of embryonic blood vessels within the liver to go away in the postnatal dog, allowing blood to bypass liver processing, resulting in neurological and other symptoms
Premature closure of distal radius: One of the two bones of the foreleg stops growing before the other, resulting in malformation of the leg
Progressive posterior paresis: Paralysis of one or both hind limbs
Progressive retinal atrophy: A family of diseases all involving gradual deterioration of the retina leading to blindness
Prolapse of nictitans gland: Hypertrophy of the gland of the third eyelid
Protein wasting disease: Loss of protein through the kidneys (protein-losing nephropathy: PLN) or intestines (protein-losing enteropathy: PLE) resulting in diarrhea and weight loss
Pug dog encephalitis: Fatal inflammation of the brain
Pulmonic stenosis: Congenital narrowing of the opening in the heart between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery, eventually causing heart failure
Pyruvate kinase deficiency: Deficiency of a particular red blood cell enzyme, causing premature destruction of red blood cells and resulting in anemia
Rage syndrome: Sudden episode of aggression without apparent warning
Renal cortical hypoplasia: Failure of both kidneys to function normally
Renal disease: Unspecified kidney disease
Renal dysplasia: Abnormal development of the retina
Retinal detachment: Detachment of the retina from the back of the eye, leading to partial visual loss
Retinal dysplasia: Abnormal development of the retina
Retinal folds: Folds in the retinal layer. Many disappear with maturity
Schnauzer comedo syndrome (follicular dermatitis): Skin disease characterized by blackhead formation
Scotty cramp: Periodic generalized cramping of the muscles, usually precipitated by excitement; associated with problem with metabolism of a neurotransmitter (serotonin)
Sebaceous adenitis: Inflammation of the sebaceous glands, resulting in scaly debris, hair loss, and infection
Shaker syndrome: Episodic diffuse muscular tremors and incoordination
Shar-pei fever: Recurrent bouts of unexplained fever, often with joint inflammation
Shoulder luxation: Dislocation of the shoulder
Skinfold dermatitis: Skin infection caused by moisture and bacteria trapped within deep folds of skin
Skin fragility (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, cutaneous asthenia): Tissue disease-causing extremely fragile skin
Spiculosis: Abnormally bristle- or -spike-like hairs interspersed among healthy hairs
Stenotic nares: Abnormally narrow connection between the left ventricle and the aorta, eventually leading to heart failure
Syringomyelia: Spinal cord disease characterized by fluid-filled cavities, causing pain, stiffness, and weakness
Tail fold dermatitis: Infection of the skin around the tail base due to excessive skin folds or an “inset” tail
Tetralogy of fallout: Pulmonic stenosis combined with a defect in the ventricular septum results in de-oxygenated blood being pumped throughout the body
Thrombocytopenia: Lowered platelet number in the blood, leading to excessive bleeding
Thrombopathy: Abnormality of blood platelets
Tracheal collapse: Loss of rigidity of the trachea, leading to weakness of the trachea and breathing problems. Most common in small breeds
Trichiasis: Eyelashes arising from the typical origin are misdirected into the eye, causing irritation
Tricuspid valve dysplasia: Malformation of one of the valves in the heart
Urethral prolapse: Protrusion of part of the mucosal lining of the urethra through the external urethral orifice
Uric acid calculi: Bladder stones resulting from an abnormality in the excretion of uric acid
Urolithiasis: Formation of urinary stones
Vaginal hyperplasia: Overly enlarged vaginal tissue, sometimes protruding through the vulva. More common in giant breeds
Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada-like syndrome (uveodermatologic syndrome): Auto-immune disease leading to progressive destruction of melanin-containing tissues, including those in the eye and skin
Von Willebrand’s disease (vWD): Defective blood platelet functioning resulting in extreme bleeding, caused by a deficit in clotting factor VIII antigen (von Willebrand factor)
Wobbler’s syndrome (cervical vertebral instability): Abnormality of the neck vertebrae causing rear leg incoordination or paralysis
Zinc responsive dermatosis: Thickened, scaly skin condition that responds to zinc supplements