While Rottweilers are a popular and loyal breed, there are a few potential health problems that you should be aware of before taking on the responsibility of bringing a Rottweiler into your home.

While most dogs will have a variety of health issues during their lifetime, there are a few dangerous diseases that are more common to larger breed dogs like the Rottweiler.

Bone Cancer (Osteosarcoma)

Cancer is the leading cause of non-accidental death among Rottweilers today, with osteosarcoma (or bone cancer) leading the others by a wide margin. While it mostly affects dogs approaching middle age and beyond, there have been instances of osteosarcoma appearing in dogs much younger.

Bone cancer in Rottweilers, as with other breeds, needs aggressive and immediate treatment. Without a quick course of action, your Rottweiler’s life will be in jeopardy. Amputation is the most common treatment for this disease, but it must first be diagnosed by your veterinarian.

When attempting to confirm osteosarcoma, the veterinarian will generally conduct two separate tests. The dog will most often show signs of severe tenderness in the affected area, making it much easier to locate the area that needs to be x-rayed and biopsied.

Dysplasia

Dysplasia is a severe and crippling disease that has been found to be quite common in Rottweilers. It is a form of arthritis that is transferred through genetics; therefore pups born to parents with dysplasia are far more likely to be diagnosed with the disease themselves. While it is in fact genetically transferred, studies have showed that a variety of environmental factors may also play a part in both the severity and the onset of dysplasia.

Dysplasia cases are found in two variants: hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia. In both cases, early detection is the key to treatment. Younger dogs diagnosed with this disease have more surgical options available to them whereas older Rottweilers are not ideal surgical candidates due to the increased risk brought on by their advanced age.

Heart Disease

Congenital Heart Disease (CHD), a malformation of the heart and its vessels, exists in many forms among dogs, with Sub-Aortic Stenosis (SAS) being the most common among Rottweilers. It is believed to be a genetic defect that can result in sudden death – the most common sign that SAS exists.

Heart Disease is a genetic defect and results from at least one of the breeding parents having some form of SAS. The only way to completely eradicate SAS from existence is to breed only non-affected Rottweilers.

While any veterinarian can screen for SAS, the current recommendation is that you have your Rottweiler screened by a Board Certified Cardiologist to avoid false negatives that could disguise and delay a diagnosis until it is too late.

With these and other health problems in Rottweilers, the only way to get a true diagnosis or to begin treatment is to visit your veterinarian. Together you can discuss the issue at hand and come up with a course of action that is in the best interest of your pet.