Almost all pedigree breeds of Dog suffer from some inherited illness or health problems, and the Basset Hound is no exception. This breed is prone to arthritis, so avoid letting them do much jumping and strenuous exercise. Torsion is a type of ailment that comes from twisting the stomach or sometimes the stomach ends will flip. As you can imagine this is very uncomfortable for your dog and can lead to the death of the stomach. If your dog stops eating for any reason it's a good idea to take it to the vet to see what is going on. One way to stop stomach problems is to feed your dog more than one time a day instead of giving a large meal. This will also keep them from bloating which is another illness that happens. Bloating usually happens when a dog eats too quickly and takes in a lot of air and water. This is not good for them. Just like in people, Basset Hounds also commonly suffer from Glaucoma, giving them bulging eyes, sensitivity to light, rubbing and scratching and they may be in pain. Eye lid and eye lash problems are also relatively common. Some Bassets have a challenge with their eye lids turning in or out which causes their cornea to dry out. This is something to talk to the vet about and it can be fixed through surgery. Some Basset's also suffer from Intervertebral Disk Disease which is where the disks in their back may herniate and it usually is caused from dogs jumping very high or low. Bassets should not be jumping at all because they are so short in stature. You'll find your dog quite prone to ear infections. It could be caused due to yeast or bacteria, as the bassets long ears tend to retain moisture making it a haven for yeast and bacterial infections. Consult with a vet immediately for proper diagnosis. You might imagine that Bassets would be susceptible to obesity especially if they don't get enough exercise. Their joints and bones can't take the extra weight. They should walk daily and get a chance to place in an enclosed yard. This will help them stay trim.

Some of the most common basset hound illnesses you may see, are listed here:

Cherry Eye
This occurs in one or both of the basset hound's eyes when the 3rd eyelid prolepses and becomes visible. It looks like a large cherry sitting in the white of the dog's eye. Afterward you may see a little discharge and the area become inflamed.Most experts think that this is a hereditary weakness that is created at birth because it generally happens in basset hound puppies if you are going to see it. The only way to fix this is surgery so you will need to ask your veterinarian for more information.

Ear infections
Due to basset hound's floppy ears, bassets are prone to ear infections so you have to make sure you often check on them. Because their ears are heavy they have a tendency to produce and hold moisture which bacteria and yeast absolutely love. The way that you will know that they have an ear infection is that you will see a brown discharge and it will smell bad. The best way to deal with this is to take them to the vet for treatment. The vet will tell you what you need to do so that this issue doesn't develop into a chronic illness.

Gastric Dilation
This is the medical term for bloat and Bassets are very prone to it. What happens technically is that their stomach will swell up with swallowed air and then it rotates. Usually a dog will inhale a lot of air when they exercise or eat and the air is usually release when they belch. If your dog experiences any of these symptoms - swollen belly, non-productive vomiting or retching, restlessness, stomach pain or more drooling than normal - get them to the vet immediately.

Bassets can die if they bloat and it is not attended to but you can also prevent the situation. Feed your dog a series of two or three small meals a day instead of one large one. Also don't allow them to drink while they are eating or immediately following their eating.

Keeping your dog healthy is easy if you keep watch periodically of the areas that you know are prone to have health problems.

Some of the common basset hound diseases to watch are:

Luxating Patella

this is a condition that may happen because of the Basset's extremely short legs. As they are running, playing or jumping you hear a yelp of pain and then their leg seems to seize up. They also limp a bit and everything seems to go back to normal. However, this may be more than a little problem.

You might see this in older dogs and it looks strange because the leg is pointing in a rearward direction. This is something to be attended to quickly so that the condition doesn't get worse. If unattended your dog can have problems with lameness, arthritis and poor mobility.

Panosteitis

This is a disease that you will want to watch when you get a Basset puppy. Usually this will be shown as a rotating lameness in puppies up to 18 months old. Often this disease is misdiagnosed and the veterinarian may offer surgery as an option and it may not be that serious.

The challenge with this disease is it happens quickly and no one really knows why. It comes on suddenly and is often misdiagnosed as hip dysplasia. The only way to help these situations is through drugs that alleviate pain. Aspirin, Cortisone and other pain relievers will help in this situation.

Other than these diseases it is a very good idea to watch your basset hound for other symptoms of other issues. Always check their eyes, ears and teeth to make sure that everything looks okay. If they start scratching their ears or they stop eating, these are indications that something is wrong.

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