Health
A UK Kennel Club survey puts the average lifespan of the breed at 12 years. About one in five lived to 15 years or more, with the longest lived dog living to 18.25 years.
Though an athletic breed that has been bred for a natural look, the Tibetan Terrier is still susceptible to a variety of health problems, especially those related to the eyes and joints. These health problems can include canine hip dysplasia, Luxating patella, Progressive retinal atrophy, Lens luxation, Cataracts and Heart murmurs. Tibetans also have a history of being somewhat allergic to dairy, wheat and grains. Because of these potential health conditions Tibetan Terrier clubs recommend purchasing from breeders who participate in eye and hip testing, such as the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) and Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).
In addition, Tibetan Terriers can carry the genetic disease Canine Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis, called Batten disease in humans. Research is on-going to find the gene(s) responsible for this progressive disease in both Tibetan terriers and humans. A DNA test has been developed to identify this gene in several breeds of dog, including the Tibetan Terrier.
Read more about this topic: Tibetan Terrier
Famous quotes containing the word health:
“I hold it that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.... It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
“No one ever promised me it would be easy and it’s not. But I also get many rewards from seeing my children grow, make strong decisions for themselves, and set out on their own as independent, strong, likeable human beings. And I like who I am becoming, too. Having teenagers has made me more human, more flexible, more humble, more questioning—and, finally it’s given me a better sense of humor!”
—Anonymous Father. Ourselves and Our Children, by Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, ch. 4 (1978)
“It is always singular, but encouraging, to meet with common sense in very old books, as the Heetopades of Veeshnoo Sarma; a playful wisdom which has eyes behind as well as before, and oversees itself. It asserts their health and independence of the experience of later times. This pledge of sanity cannot be spared in a book, that it sometimes pleasantly reflect upon itself.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)