German Shepherd Resource Guide

German Shepherd Heart Disease Facts | Canine and Dog Heart Disease | Aortic Stenosis | Heart Valve Malformation | Inherited Ventricular Tachycardia (Inherited Sudden Death) | Pulmonic Stenosis

In many ways, the German Shepherd dog is a model of canine perfection. Strong, alert, even-tempered, the German Shepherd represents the pinnacle of purpose-designed canine breeding program. As a breed, the German Shepherd dog is one of the most loyal and alert on the market – there’s a reason this noble breed is so popular as a police and army dog. However, the careful breeding of German Shepherd dogs means that certain less-than-desirable genetic traits remain in the bloodline. One such undesirable trait associated with the German Shepherd dog is the tendency towards heart disease.

Many heart diseases that afflict the German Shepherd dog are congenital in nature, meaning that it is extra-important to ensure that your dog comes from an ethical breeder who has kept track of instances of similar conditions within your dog’s bloodline. As many of these diseases come with minimal symptoms (often manifesting themselves as sudden death) it is all the more important for you to be able to assess your dog’s risk factor for heart conditions in advance. With that said, the following four heart conditions are particularly common among German Shepherd dogs: Aortic Stenosis, Heart Valve Malformation,  Inherited Ventricular Tachycardia, (Inherited Sudden Death) and Pulmonic Stenosis.

Share this post