SUMMARY FINDINGS:

GSMDCA and its Health Committee through the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) has conducted several rounds of a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog breed health surveys (most recently, 2012 and 2020).  The latest version of the survey was available for completion on the OFA website for 15 months, from September 3, 2019 until December 31, 2020. As of the closing date, 726 respondents participated as compared to 1,223 participants in our last survey in 2012.

 

Note regarding the data collection and incidence calculations:

OFA does not require respondents to answer all questions.  For the purposes of this article, percentages for relevant questions were calculated based upon the number of responses to the question. Therefore, the data provided in this article may not match that published on the OFA website. Thus, the data here is a more accurate reflection of incidence rates.

 

The following tables provide a comparison of the overall health and temperament issues seen within the GSMD breed, including both results from the 2012 and 2020 studies.

​

                                                 2012               2020

Gastrointestinal                              15.3%             13.6%

Orthopedic                                     15.9%             12.9%

Kidney/Urinary                             11.3%             12.9%

Cancers or tumors                         10.7%             12.0%

Allergies                                         12.9%             11.3%

Neurological and/or Muscular    10.1%              10.7%

Female Dog Reproductive             3.7%                5.4%

Eye                                                   6.1%                5.3%

Skin                                                 6.3%                5.1%

Temperament Issues                      4.7%                 4.6%

Dental                                            3.0%                 4.6%

Male Dog Reproductive               0.7%                 3.1%

Ear                                                 2.0%                 1.8%

Endocrine                                      1.4%                 1.0%

Blood/Lymph                                 1.3%                0.8%

Immune System Disorders           1.2%                0.8%

Respiratory                                    0.9%                0.8%

Liver                                               0.8%                 0.8%

Cardiovascular                             0.4%                 0.7%

 

The most recent survey shows that the top breed health concerns are virtually the same as the 2012 study with a few notable differences: 

• In 2012, the top three health concerns were in order 1. Orthopedic, 2. Gastrointestinal and 3. Allergies.

• In the 2020 survey, the top health concerns were 1. Gastrointestinal, 2. Orthopedic issues, and 3. Kidney/Urinary issues.  The following narrative provides a little more detail into the top health issues identified in the 2020 survey.

 

Click here to READ MORE.