Shetland Sheepdog: 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:
Prostate CancerInherited conditions documented in the breed
Conditions documented: 17
A gene variant is known for 12 of the conditions below, so a DNA test may exist. Ask your vet or the breed club.
| Condition | Body system | Inheritance | Gene variant known |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bardet-Biedl syndrome 2[1] | Vision / eye | Probably autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Choroidal hypoplasia, NHEJ1-related[1] | Vision / eye | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Coat colour, dilution, MLPH-related[1] | Pigmentation | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Coat colour, merle[1] | Pigmentation | Autosomal incomplete dominant | Yes |
| Craniomandibular osteopathy, generic[1] | Craniofacial | Multifactorial | No |
| Degenerative myelopathy[1] | Nervous system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Dyskinesia, paroxysmal, PCK2-related[1] | Homeostasis / metabolism | – | – |
| Gallbladder mucoceles[1] | Liver/biliary system | – | – |
| Leukodystrophy, CYTB-related[1] | Nervous system | Mitochondrial | Yes |
| Maxillary canine-tooth mesioversion[1] | Skeleton (incl. short stature & teeth) | – | – |
| Multidrug resistance 1, ABCB1-related[1] | Homeostasis / metabolism | Autosomal incomplete dominant | Yes |
| Myelopathy, fibrocartilaginous embolic[1] | Nervous system | – | – |
| Polydactyly[1] | Skeleton (incl. short stature & teeth) | Autosomal dominant | Yes |
| Retinal atrophy, progressive, CNGA1-related[1] | Vision / eye | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Transitional cell carcinoma[1] | Neoplasm | Somatic mutation | Yes |
| Von Willebrand disease I[1] | Haematopoietic system | Autosomal | Yes |
| Von Willebrand disease III[1] | Haematopoietic system | Autosomal | Yes |
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
- United Kingdom
- Height
- 35.5–37 cm
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