Heart Problems- This is also a problem in our breed. It is thought that if you have a heart murmur that a dog has a death sentence. This is not the case it can just be a murmur and that is all it will be.. A dog can have multiple levels of heart problems and various deformities within the heart. While it is true you can have a vet "listen for" a murmur, once one is found, it is responsible to continue your research and have the dog echo cardio-grammed for the extent of the malady. It is conceivable that a dog can have a murmur at birth that is loud enough to hear, however after the dog grows. the murmur is much more difficult to detect and if not echoed, the dog can be passed in a noisy clinic situation It is very important for the health of the dog to indentify the problem and know the extent as special circumstances can arise that make it necessary to treat a dog with a heart murmur differently when prescribing medication for a minor cut or abrasion if the murmur is serious enough. These dogs can get infections that will go to their heart and settle in it. Signs of a severe heart problem vary but lethargy, getting tired easily, getting winded after a small walk all can signal a problem. This should not be taken lightly and it is best that you seek attention immediately from a cardiologist that deals with dogs to seek advise and the course of action or that it is just a murmur that will be with the dog forever.

Dogs can be tested for this. It is one of the tests that breeders give before they consider breeding. KNOW THAT IF YOUR DOG HAS THIS IN THEIR BACKGROUND THEY COULD BE CARRIERS. THERE IS NO WAY OF TELLING AT THIS POINT IN TIME. IMPORTING AND INTRODUCING ANOTHER LINE WILL NOT WATER IT DOWN. WHEN IT APPEARS IT IS JUST AS STRONG AS IT WAS IN THE GENERATION THAT ORIGINALLY PRODUCED IT. There are many dogs from that pedigree which are phenotypically beautiful that carry this gene predominantly in their background. Bajoron knows of at least two dogs from this line that succumbed to SAS (in 2010) and yet still the breeders use the dogs that are brothers and sisters to carry on this line. There are show dogs that have the suspicious lines in them EIGHT TIMES. For this breeder that behavior is reprehensible! Breeding to win and ignoring health history is just plain negligance.

Do not go with a breeder that does not do health testing EVER.

This a wide spread issue and needs to be addressed and understood.