How to Care for Shelties
Place a collar with an ID tag on your sheltie., Take your sheltie for regular veterinary check-ups., Spay or neuter your sheltie., Learn about breed-specific diseases.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Place a collar with an ID tag on your sheltie.
Shelties are fast runners and if your dog ever gets loose, she might be hard to catch or even get lost.
To make it easier for people to return your sheltie to you if she gets lost, make sure that she is always wearing a collar and an ID tag that provide your contact information (address and phone number).
You may also want to get your sheltie implanted with a microchip so that she will be identifiable without her collar as well. -
Step 2: Take your sheltie for regular veterinary check-ups.
When you first get your sheltie, it is important to take her to see a veterinarian as soon as possible for a routine exam.
Annual exams are a great way to keep your sheltie in good health.
Your sheltie will also need to get medicine and vaccinations for:
Heartworm Fleas and ticks Lyme disease Rabies , If you do not plan to breed your sheltie, then you should have your dog spayed or neutered.
Spaying and neutering will prevent your dog from becoming pregnant or impregnating another dog.
It may also help to protect your dog against behavior issues and certain diseases and infections.Spayed female dogs may be protected from certain types of cancer and uterine infections.
Spaying and neutering also helps to prevent roaming, aggression, and other hormonal behavior problems., Although most shelties will live healthy lives with proper care, the breed is more prone to a few conditions.
It is good to be aware of these conditions so that you know what measure you can take to detect or even prevent them.
These conditions include:
Patent ductus arteriosus.
This is a heart defect that can show up early in life.
Some cases of this condition can be corrected by surgery, but others cannot be treated and the dog may need to be euthanized.
Deafness.
Shelties that have a blue merle hair coat may be more likely to develop deafness.
If you notice that your sheltie is not responding to you when you call, then take her to see your veterinarian.
Dermatomyositis.
This is an inherited inflammatory disease that affects the skin, muscles, and blood vessels.
This disease may be present in puppies as young as four months old.
Your veterinarian can provide medication to control some of the symptoms, but sometimes euthanasia is the only option if the disease progresses.
There is no way to screen for this disease.Hip dysplasia.
With this condition, the bones that form the hip (the thigh bone and pelvis) create a shallow socket and this may lead to arthritis and lameness.
If your dog has hip dysplasia, then he will probably have trouble walking.
Surgery may correct this disorder, but not always.
Cryptorchism or undescended testicles.
If your dog has undescended testicles, then they will need to be removed.
Lupus Erythematosus.
This condition is a multi-systemic disease that affects the skin, muscles, kidneys, joints, and muscles.
Your veterinarian can provide medication to help control symptoms, but there is no cure. -
Step 3: Spay or neuter your sheltie.
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Step 4: Learn about breed-specific diseases.
Detailed Guide
Shelties are fast runners and if your dog ever gets loose, she might be hard to catch or even get lost.
To make it easier for people to return your sheltie to you if she gets lost, make sure that she is always wearing a collar and an ID tag that provide your contact information (address and phone number).
You may also want to get your sheltie implanted with a microchip so that she will be identifiable without her collar as well.
When you first get your sheltie, it is important to take her to see a veterinarian as soon as possible for a routine exam.
Annual exams are a great way to keep your sheltie in good health.
Your sheltie will also need to get medicine and vaccinations for:
Heartworm Fleas and ticks Lyme disease Rabies , If you do not plan to breed your sheltie, then you should have your dog spayed or neutered.
Spaying and neutering will prevent your dog from becoming pregnant or impregnating another dog.
It may also help to protect your dog against behavior issues and certain diseases and infections.Spayed female dogs may be protected from certain types of cancer and uterine infections.
Spaying and neutering also helps to prevent roaming, aggression, and other hormonal behavior problems., Although most shelties will live healthy lives with proper care, the breed is more prone to a few conditions.
It is good to be aware of these conditions so that you know what measure you can take to detect or even prevent them.
These conditions include:
Patent ductus arteriosus.
This is a heart defect that can show up early in life.
Some cases of this condition can be corrected by surgery, but others cannot be treated and the dog may need to be euthanized.
Deafness.
Shelties that have a blue merle hair coat may be more likely to develop deafness.
If you notice that your sheltie is not responding to you when you call, then take her to see your veterinarian.
Dermatomyositis.
This is an inherited inflammatory disease that affects the skin, muscles, and blood vessels.
This disease may be present in puppies as young as four months old.
Your veterinarian can provide medication to control some of the symptoms, but sometimes euthanasia is the only option if the disease progresses.
There is no way to screen for this disease.Hip dysplasia.
With this condition, the bones that form the hip (the thigh bone and pelvis) create a shallow socket and this may lead to arthritis and lameness.
If your dog has hip dysplasia, then he will probably have trouble walking.
Surgery may correct this disorder, but not always.
Cryptorchism or undescended testicles.
If your dog has undescended testicles, then they will need to be removed.
Lupus Erythematosus.
This condition is a multi-systemic disease that affects the skin, muscles, kidneys, joints, and muscles.
Your veterinarian can provide medication to help control symptoms, but there is no cure.
About the Author
Lori Morgan
Enthusiastic about teaching hobbies techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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