Australian Shepherd: inherited diseases and health
The inherited conditions below have been documented in this breed in published research. That does not mean your dog has them or will get them – but it helps to know the names when you talk to a breeder or a vet.
Conditions this breed is prone to
Veterinary charities list this breed as more likely than others to get these conditions. Read the signs and what to do:
EpilepsyInherited conditions documented in the breed
Conditions documented: 20
A gene variant is known for 16 of the conditions below, so a DNA test may exist. Ask your vet or the breed club.
| Condition | Body system | Inheritance | Gene variant known |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cataract, early onset, HSF4-related[1] | Vision / eye | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Choroidal hypoplasia, NHEJ1-related[1] | Vision / eye | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Ciliary dyskinesia, primary, STK36-related[1] | Respiratory system | – | Yes |
| Coat colour, merle[1] | Pigmentation | Autosomal incomplete dominant | Yes |
| Degenerative myelopathy[1] | Nervous system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Epidermolysis bullosa, junctionalis, LAMB3-related[1] | Integument (skin) | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Intestinal cobalamin malabsorption, AMN-related[1] | Haematopoietic system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Multidrug resistance 1, ABCB1-related[1] | Homeostasis / metabolism | Autosomal incomplete dominant | Yes |
| Multifocal retinopathy 1[1] | Vision / eye | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Multiple anomalies[1] | Skeleton (incl. short stature & teeth) | X-linked | No |
| Myeloencephalopathy, progressive degenerative, PNPLA8-related[1] | Nervous system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, 6[1] | Lysosomal storage disease | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, 8[1] | Lysosomal storage disease | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Pelger-Huet anomaly[1] | Haematopoietic system | – | – |
| Persistent hyaloid remnants[1] | Vision / eye | – | – |
| Progressive rod-cone degeneration, PRCD-related[1] | Vision / eye | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Renal cystadenocarcinoma and nodular dermatofibrosis[1] | Neoplasm | Autosomal dominant | Yes |
| Tail, short[1] | Skeleton (incl. short stature & teeth) | Autosomal dominant | Yes |
| Urolithiasis[1] | Renal / urinary system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| XX difference of sexual development, generic[1] | Reproductive system | Multifactorial | No |
What this list means
- “Documented in the breed” means at least one published case or study – it says nothing about how common the condition is.
- Many of these conditions are rare. A responsible breeder can tell you which health tests the parents have had.
- Where the gene variant is known, a DNA test may exist – ask your vet or the breed club.
- If your pet shows signs of illness, contact your vet. This page cannot tell you whether your pet is ill.
About the breed
- Origin
- Australia, United States
- Height
- 46–58 cm
- FCI number
- 342
Not sure how serious it is?
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Sources
How this page was made: the list is taken directly from the sources below; nothing on it was written by AI. Names of conditions may be machine-translated. It is information, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages