Diseases

If you are here because your Shepherd is limping, straining, losing weight or dragging a back paw, start with the honest part: nothing on this page can diagnose your dog. Symptoms overlap heavily between conditions, and only a vet who can physically examine your dog can tell hip dysplasia from degenerative myelopathy, or bloat from a stomach upset that will pass.What these guides are for is the conversation before and after that appointment: what a condition actually is, which signs matter, what the tests and treatment usually involve, and which German Shepherd lines carry a higher risk. Every claim here is sourced to a veterinary reference — the AVMA, VCA, PetMD, the OFA, or a university veterinary school — and we name the source so you can take it to your vet.If your dog has a swollen or hard belly and is retching without bringing anything up, stop reading and go to an emergency vet now. That is bloat (GDV) and it is measured in hours. Otherwise, the most-read guides are the 18 conditions most common in the breed, hip dysplasia and degenerative myelopathy.