Caring For Your Rottweiler II

By: Kysurakyan Rottweilers

Torn Knee Ligaments (Ruptured Cruciates)

The knee or stile joint is stabilised by two internal ligaments (the cruciates) which cross in the middle of the joint of the knee. Rupture of a cruciate is a common serious derangement of the stifle joint. Some people believe that Rottweilers that lack angulation in their stifle joints are more prone to this complaint.

There might be a history of trauma, but in many cases the presenting sign is just moderate to severe lameness in one or both hind legs. The diagnosis is confirmed by palpating the stifle joint and finding instability (this is usually done under anaesthetic).

Treatment:

Surgical repair of the torn ligaments is the treatment of choice. When allowed to heal spontaneously the leg develops scar tissue around the joint capsule which lessens the degree of mobility. Arthritis occurs later in life

Incorrect Bite

A bad bite is a common problem and causes dog breeders more concern than any other mouth abnormality. The ideal bit for a Rottweiler is a scissor bite in which the upper incisors just overlap and touch the lower incisors. A Rottweiler should also have 42 teeth.

Types of Incorrect Bite include:

Even or Level: The incisors meet edge to edge. If your dog has an even or level bit this is still acceptable to show and breed with.
Overshot: In this condition the upper jaw is longer than the lower jaw so that the teeth overlap without touching. It is also called parrot mouth. This problem, which occurs in young puppies may correct itself if the gap is not too great. Most bites are "set" by the time a puppy is 14 months old. (Although I have known a dog who was overshot at 14 months whose bite corrected by the age of 2 years).
Undershot: This is the reverse of an overshot jaw, with the lower jaw projecting beyond the upper. It is considered correct in some breeds such as the Bulldog, Boxer and Boston Terrier but is incorrect in the Rottweiler. I have never known this condition to correct itself.
Wry Mouth: This is the worst of mouth problems. In this situation one side of the jaw grows faster than the other side, twisting the mouth so as it gives it a wry look. This condition can be quite a handicap and can lead to difficulties with grasping and chewing food and in the extreme can cause problems breathing.

Any of these mouth conditions in a Rottweiler means that dog is not suitable for breeding or showing.

Eyelid Rolled Inward (Entropion)

This is the most common congenital defect of the eyelids and is when the eyelids turn inward. It is usually found in dogs with deep set dyes and with too much loose skin around the head.

I have found Entropion to be a moderately heritable condition and by breeding with stock that does not have this disease limits the possibility of children getting this disease.

Entropion can also be caused by outside intervention such as an injury to the eye, allergies or a long standing disease of the lids. I have also found that if a dog has an irritation to part of its eyes or face and is allowed to continually rub at it this can also lead to Entropion. I refer to this as secondary entropion because it was caused through outside factors.

Most commonly entropion affects the lower eyelid although it may be found in the upper lid as well.

In my experience I have found that hereditary entropion normally

appears in both eyes and develops in a Rottweiler under the age of 12 months.

Treatment:

Surgery is usually called for and a triangular wedge is normally taken from under the outer corners of each eye and then is stitched back up. If this is done in a younger dog sometimes when the dog becomes older the surgery is required to be done again.

Eyelid Rolled Outward (Ectropion)

In this condition the lower eyelid rolls out from the face exposing the eye to irritation. (This looks like bloodhound eyes or a dog that's spent to much time on the booze). This condition is usually seen in dogs with loose facial skin. It can be seen in older dogs in whom the facial skin has lost its tone and sags. You may notice this temporarily in dogs that have been working for many hours in the heat or that have been severely ill.

Treatment:

Surgery may be necessary to tighten the lid and protect the eye.

Limping (Lameness)

A limp is the most common sign of bone or joint disease. However, muscle, ligament or nerve damage can produce lameness. It indicates pain or weakness in the involved leg.

Locating which leg is affected can be difficult. A dog often will take weight off a painful leg when standing. When he is moving, usually he will take a shorter step on a painful or weak leg and you may notice that his head "bobs" or drops as weight comes down on the affected leg.

Having identified which leg is involved you should attempt to identify the site and possible cause. First flex and extend all joints to their maximum to ascertain if joint or tendons are involved. Next carefully feel the leg from the toes up Attempt to locate a point of tenderness by applying pressure. Having located an area of pain, see if it is produced by movement of a joint, or by local tenderness in a muscle (such as might be caused by a puncture wound or a bruise) check for swelling, heat and discolouration of the area. With this information consider the following:

Infections
Infected areas are tender, reddened, warm to touch, often are associated with a break in the skin and progress gradually, lameness becomes steadily worse. Fever usually is present.

Sprains/Strains
Sprains and stains (of joints, tendons and muscles) are of sudden onset, frequently they show local swelling and discolouration, they gradually improve. Ordinarily the dog has limited use of his leg. Pain is normally mild. There is no fever.

Fractures
Fractures and dislocations are associated with severe pain and inability to put weight on the leg. Deformity often is present. Movement of the involved part produces a gritty sound. Tissues are swollen and discoloured from bleeding.

Degeneration of Bone
Degenerative, congenital and metabolic bone and joint diseases come on gradually. There is no local discolouration and pain is usually mild and swelling slight. The more exercise the dog is given the lamer it becomes.

Other Problems

There are a number of other conditions seen in the Rottweiler that have an inherited nature these include: