Other Health Concerns Reported in the Cane Corso

There are several other health ailments that seem to affect the breed at varying degrees. We must keep in mind that since this breed is so young and no initial health screening was done by the "founding fathers" (in the United States) of this breed that we are only now beginning to hear of both the severe & minor health problems that are affecting the Cane Corso. Much of the information is available due to the Internet and the ability for people from all over the world to communicate with each other and share their experiences. Had the Internet not provided us with this ability to communicate with others owning the breed, the unethical breeders probably would still tell us this is a "rare breed with no health problems".

Joint Problems:

Besides hip and elbow dysplasia there are several joint problems which also affect the Cane Corso. These problems are not as prevalent as hip and elbow dysplasia but can be just as debilitating and heart breaking.

Ruptured Cruciate Ligament:

The most common cause of rear limb lameness in the dog is rupture of the cranial (anterior) cruciate ligament. Many people refer to this simply as the ACL. Without the ACL to properly stabilize the joint and, in effect, hold it together, degenerative changes (osteoarthritis) can occur in the stifle joint, including cartilage damage, osteophyte (bone spur) production and meniscal injury. Rupture of the ligament come in several varieties. There are singular incidents which cause a sudden complete rupture with severe pain and a nonweightbearing lameness. Other ruptures occur in small increments or a little bit at a time. These are known as partial ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). They cause a small amount of pain and a mild lameness with poor performance. When partial ruptures proceed to complete ruptures, the transition is often gradual. When the ligament tears, pain, swelling in the knee, and marked lameness will occur. A torn ACL will not heal itself. Surgery is required to stabilize the joint. If not stabilized, the joint will become dramatically arthritic over time. Rest and anti-inflammatory medications have little effect upon the pain and lameness the dog experiences. Surgery for ruptured cruciate ligaments are among the most successful joint surgeries. Surgery cost ranges from $800 - $1200 for the more traditional type and $2300 - $2500 for the newer Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) surgery which is thought to be more beneficial to the larger dog. Strict confinement is required during the healing process and can last 2-3 months with gradual reintroduction to exercise over a period of time. At the present, there are varying opinions as to whether this condition is hereditary. It seems that the Cane Corso's physical combination of agility and size means that it puts considerable strain on its body and some of its orthopedic problems may be attributed to this.

The majority of the information above was obtained from San Carlos Vet website at: http://www.sancarlosvet.com/Other/Prof/TPLO

You can also visit: http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/VTH/crancruc.html

Chronic Diarrhea:

Another commonly reported problem in the breed is chronic diarrhea. I had the unfortunate experience of going through this with my Cane Corso as a puppy and went through months of trial and error before I could pinpoint the problem. In my Corso's case, I tried several different brands of high quality dog food and nothing seemed to work until I switched to a food that had no dairy products (i.e. dried eggs, cottage cheese, etc). Once I switched to a food that had no dairy products in it, my Corso's chronic diarrhea started to diminish. Within a few weeks, he was completely better and after two years, he is still doing well with no stomach problems. Several nutritional specialists told me that it is VERY common in the rare breeds to see this type of stomach problems due to the drastic change in diet. In Europe, most of the dogs are fed a high protein, fresh food type of diet. Very few are fed a commercial grain based diet like we do in the US. We have also heard of cases of Corsos having dietary problems with wheat, lamb and chicken. Several cases of food allergy related diarrhea were originally diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome. Many vets do not like to investigate the food allergy route and instead like to treat the dog with high doses of medications and expensive testing. Trying different foods may be your best bet when faced with this symptom. It may also be beneficial to contact a holistic vet when faced with this problem. There is also an organization called Nature's Pharmacy that has wonderful nutritional information as well as natural supplements. They sell a product called "Fast Track" that aids in the reduction of stomach upset, allows the dog to absorb more of the nutrients in it's food and also is believed to lower the incidence of bloat! They do not currently have a website but will mail a catalog to anyone interested in their products, 800-733-7981.

Bloat:

Bloat (Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus) is also a very common problem in Cane Corsos as well as other breeds. It is a condition where a dog's stomach produces excessive gas and enlarges severely enough to cause death without immediate treatment. Usually associated with gastric torsion - a condition where the stomach twists, thereby impeding input and output. It is believed that if you feed your dog at a slightly raised height (no more than 12 inches is recommended) as well as watering down their dry food and allowing it to soak 20 minutes before feeding, you can lower the chances of bloat. Also it is recommended that you never exercise your dog immediately after eating/drinking and don't feed them until an hour after rigorous exercise. Below are some informational links on bloat.

http://ww.dogs.net/Dogs/bloat
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/fsstore/petinfo/dogs/bloat.htm?orderidentifier=I
http://www.vet.purdue.edu/depts/vad/cae/bnjan97.htm
http://www.concentric.net/%7EDovervet/csmu/articles/gdv.html
http://www.eclipse.net/%7Ebobaloo/bloat.htm
http://www.ualberta.ca/~dc8/szbloat.htm
http://daneworld.com/LindaArndt4g.htm
http://cyberpet.com/cyberdog/articles/health/bloat.htm
http://www.eclipse.net/%7Ebobaloo/bloat.htm

Thyroid:

Thyroid problems have also been reported in the Cane Corso. Signs of thyroid problems can include but are not limited to, skin allergies, overweight, underweight, and behavioral changes (aggression). Autoimmune thyroiditis is the most common cause for hypothyroidism in dogs. Hypothyroidism is a common inherited endocrine disease where the body produces an abnormally low amount of thyroid hormones. An autoimmune destruction of the thyroid gland, which affects more than 50 dog breeds. This disease usually does not manifest until between 2-5 years old age. Since the majority of thyroid problems are detectable between 2-4 years of age; it is recommended you test your Corso annually until 4 years of age and every other year after 4 years old. The test is a simple blood, which can be performed by any veterinarian. OFA provides a thyroid certification database. Below are some links with more thyroid information for those interested:

http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/endo/faq.html#ch
http://www.acmepet.com/content/health/thyroid.html
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/veterinary_info/2812
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/veterinary_info/3005
http://dachshund-dca.org/articles/Hypothyroidism.html
http://www.prodogs.com/chn/ofa/thyroid.htm
http://www.worldaccessnet.com/%7Eharldane/thyroid.htm
http://www.golden-retriever.com/thyr-lsu.html

Cancer:

Cancer is the believed to be the number one cause of death in many different breeds. At this time, we are not aware how prevalent cancer is in the Cane Corso due to the fact that the breed has only been in the United States since 1988 and until recently no health studies have been conducted. Hopefully, within the next few years, there will be more info out as to the rate of cancer deaths in the breed. Most forms of cancer are not considered inherited, but there are few that are believed to be caused by genetic factors. Below is a list of links with information on various types of cancer and treatments available for those interested.

www.cvms.colostate.edu/cancercure/animalcancerctr.htm
http://www.vet.upenn.edu/
http://www.planet-pets.com/
www.vetmedicine.about.com
http://www.avma.org/care4pets
www.amcny.org
http://www.angelmemorial.org/

Breed Info