[Dailydrool] Back-trouble risks

[Pam McQuade]

<<His vet has cautioned that the really long ones are more prone to back 
issues down the road, because in
Baloo's case his ribs don't go down far enough to compensate for his extra 
long spine.>>

I don't know about this. Abner is our shortest hound, in every direction. He 
has a huge ribcage. He's only 14" tall. Our other dogs are much longer than 
he, but he's the one with back troubles.

I'm no vet, but I'd just like to say that this isn't something you should 
probably sit around worrying about. Chances are good that it's a heritable 
thing--a study that's going on right now its trying to determine that. If 
that is true and your dog doesn't have the genetic predisposition for it, he 
may be just fine.

I just hate to think of people sitting around agonizing over their long 
dogs.
Pam, food slave to the Dashing Bassets