Hi - I'm new to this forum. I will soon be adopting a female dalmatian mix shelter dog. What is her risk for developing bladder stones? I’ve read that females are at much less risk than males. Also, are mixed breeds at risk as much as pure-breds? I’m hoping that the other breeds in her will have enough of the protein-digesting enzyme that it will counter the lack of it in her dalmatian side. I will be sure to feed her a high-quality, low purine dry dog food.
I have no expert knowledge, but believe that you need two copies of this gene to produce an affected dog. As all Dalmatians that are not part of the outcross programme will have this gene, your girl will almost certainly be a carrier, but I would think it is highly unlikely that she could have inherited a copy from her non Dally parent. There is a DNA test available, but as she is not going to be bred from, it will not really be of benefit to you. You could try contacting the Dalmatian breed club, (health co-ordinater), for an expert opinion , or maybe someone on here will be able to add to my comments.
Unless the other breed mixed with is a breed with High Uric Acid she should be the same as any other dog. The Low Uric Acid line of Dalmatians was an out cross of a Dal to an English Pointer.
Thanks for the input everybody. My only dog experience was with my border collie/aussie mix (Josie) who I lost to liver cancer 3 years ago. I met Darbey at an animal shelter event and fell in love with her. She's currently in a cell/prison dog program getting house-broken, crate-trained and learning her basic commands as Josie did.
First off, I will tell you that mixed breed dogs are generally healthier than purebreds. That's a fact. It's called hybrid vigor. They live longer and they have less health problems. That's just the way genetics works, my friend. As far as diet, I would recommend a raw diet. It is healthier for all dogs, regardless of breed. Plus, it puts much more moisture in her diet than a dry dog food would. I would also recommend that you get a large drinking fountain, as these encourage dogs to drink more water. I would recommend supplementing her diet daily with Only Natural Pet Cranberry Wellness. I would also recommend giving her Only Natural Pet Kidney Support, as kidney problems are also common in Dalmatians. Keep her away from grains, vegetables, fruits and any processed food whatsoever.
Do you have shares in all these, 'Only Natural' products you appear to be pushing in your posts? For such a new member, you have given them rather a lot of mentions. A crossbred dog is not a hybrid, so cannot therefore have hybrid vigour. Genes cannot die, they are inherited from both parents, and even if those different breeds are not prone to the same inherited health problems, any of those conditions can still be passed forward to the next generation . (Depending on the mode of inheritance). The health testing of breeding stock is the most positive way to minimise the transmission of inherited conditions. I have nothing against crossbred dogs per se, but unfortunately health testing seems to be only rarely carried out by those who breed crossbred puppies.
@CaroleC - thank you for your comments regarding the promotion of those products. I have the feeling that this forum is being used for not-so-subtle advertising.
Not according to these studies http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/hea...ree-dogs-as-healthy-as-mongrels-say-vets.html http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/07/05/pet-genetic-disorders.aspx
Barbara, I think that the poster in question is copying and pasting articles with no links to proper studies, and is also posting not-so-suble advertising a particular brand. Accusing Tina @6JRT's of dog hoarding, and telling me that my little Tikva is noise sensitive [give her this particular brand of blah blah blah homeopathic blah blah blah] when Tikva has been teaching herself to be a hearing assistance dog, and suggesting harnesses suitable for a large dog, not a small very short-coated little'un like Tikva, is not, I honestly feel, comments from someone who has bothered to read Profiles or previous posts. And from someone who calls a cross-breed or mutt a "hybrid"?
All the replies about Boerboels are worded as if the poster is giving an expert opinion. Her puppy is just 7 weeks old! @Pork1epe1 I think you will know what I mean if I say that I had a NikkiAnn moment.
OK everybody - please calm down. I'm new to this forum and I just wanted to ask a health question about a dalmatian mix. I didn't mean to start pitting people against each other. I appreciate all the input and advice from people who know more about dalmatians than I do.
@Keena - no Breedia member is pitting anyone against anyone else, but unfortunately is appears that someone has joined this forum who appears to be giving incorrect information without giving links to the copy/paste posted, and promoting a brand of specific homeopathic products. I do not and have not ever owned a Dalmation or a Dal cross and do not know anything about the breed or crosses of it, therefore I cannot give you any advice. I wish you the best of luck with Darbey and hope that you and she have a long and happy life together.
Hi Keena we are getting lots of Dalmatian's & Dalmatian cross breeds in The Rescue Home at the moment & looking at your beautiful dog, I am guessing she could possibly have Border Collie in her, she could of course have several different breeds in her. ie dad could be a Dalmation Cross & mum could be a Collie Cross.
I was hoping somebody would say border collie. As I mentioned in a earlier post, my previous dog was a BC/aussie mix. Those were the breeds Josie's vet saw in her but I also saw lab at times and maybe even beagle given the way she stared at bunny rabbits on our walks. So I would guess that Darbey is a mix of several breeds also.
No, the dog in my profile picture/my avatar is or should I say was, my beloved epi girl Pereg, a mutt of no known origin, who I had to have released from her suffering at 1am on 1 April last year. I do not miss her uncontrollable epilepsy but I do so much miss her. And she will stay as my avatar because that was her. Sitting or laying beside the open doorway watching the world go by. Tikva is a Dachshund/Minpin cross who has been with me since she was just three weeks old and who is now just over a year old. She is a stubborn and independent little pup - very full or herself - and I love her so much.
I'm sharing products that I know actually work. If you think I'm "advertising" you are extremely wrong. From somebody who has owned mixed breeds and purebreds, I can tell you that mixed breeds are much healthier no matter what two small studies say. I am the guardian of a purebred dog because that is the dog I chose (I also chose a breed that tends not to have a huge amount of health problems). I have no interest in these little studies that say purebreds are healthier or whatever nonsense the purebred community wants to believe. My newest puppy is 7-weeks-old, but I've owned dogs all my life. If you have a problem with me, that's just too bad. Mixed breeds, based on genetic diversity are healthier than purebreds. I would recommend doing a DNA test to find out which breeds are in her. I tried out Wisdom Panel and it came back 50% Dachshund and 50% Miniature Schnauzer on my 17-year-old Schweenie (mild arthritis), so I know it works. I tried the DNAffirmation (don't recommend this one) test on my 11-year-old American English Coonhound (suffers from asthma, CHD (Canine Hip Dysplasia/bad hips), arthritis, diagnosed with cancer and tore ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament/knee tear/the things some athletes get) years ago and it came back as Bluetick Coonhound (American dog breed), Black and Tan Coonhound, Redbone Coonhound (American dog breed) and American Foxhound, so I wouldn't trust that brand. I'm not saying all mixed breeds/crossbreeds are healthier than purebreds, but overall, they certainly are.
