All Dog Breeds >>Health of Gordon Setter
Although not as prone to hip dysplasia as many of the larger breeds, Gordons can suffer from the condition. Other health issues can include hypothyroidism, gastric torsion (bloat) and eye diseases such as progressive retinal atrophy, and cataracts. Life expectancy for the breed is generally about 10 to 12 years. At the beginning of 2009, a report was issued to all of the Breed Clubs in the UK concerning cases of late onset PRA in Gordon Setters.
The recessive gene must have been carried throughout the pedigrees of many dogs for several generations and lots of affected or carrier dogs would have been bred from without their owners even suspecting there was a problem. Indeed, it could even have been assumed that any deterioration in sight was attributable to old age. Many males within these pedigrees were used extensively and a lot of bitches formed the foundations of today’s breeding lines, which is why almost any Gordon today could potentially have inherited, or be carrying, this gene. Unfortunately, perhaps because of the late age of onset, there appears to be very little information or records of this. From initial enquiries, it does not seem to be the same mutation that causes PRA in other Gundog breeds, although the mode of inheritance is likely to be the same.
This means that further investigation must be undertaken by taking blood samples from affected dogs to try and eventually establish a DNA test. Work towards establishing a DNA test for this is already underway.