Breed health guides
Every breed comes with its own health story. These guides set out the conditions each breed is prone to, the early signs worth knowing, and where to find vet-built advice and other owners, for 28 breeds so far. A predisposition is a “worth knowing”, not a diagnosis.
Dogs
Beagle
Beagles are cheerful, sociable scent hounds with famously good appetites. Weight is their defining day-to-day issue, with a couple of breed-linked conditions worth knowing about too.
4 conditions to watch
Bernese Mountain Dog
Bernese Mountain Dogs are gentle, affectionate giants. Their size brings joint considerations, and the breed carries a notably raised cancer risk, so early awareness and a healthy weight matter a great deal.
4 conditions to watch
Border Collie
Border Collies are brilliant, high-energy working dogs. They are broadly healthy, with a couple of breed-linked conditions (epilepsy and, later, joint wear) worth being aware of.
2 conditions to watch
Boxer
Boxers are playful, people-loving dogs with two main breed considerations: a raised cancer risk and a specific heart condition. Both reward early awareness and regular checks.
2 conditions to watch
Bulldog
The Bulldog is a devoted, easy-going dog whose distinctive build brings some predictable health needs: breathing, skin and joints chief among them. Early awareness makes all of them more manageable.
4 conditions to watch
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Cavaliers are gentle, affectionate dogs with one health issue that matters above all others: heart disease. Understanding it early, and getting regular heart checks, is the best thing you can do for a Cavalier.
2 conditions to watch
Chihuahua
Chihuahuas are tiny, bold and long-lived. Their small size brings a few characteristic considerations, most notably the windpipe and, with age, the heart. Both are very manageable with early awareness.
3 conditions to watch
Cockapoo
Cockapoos (Cocker Spaniel crossed with Poodle) are friendly, people-loving dogs. As a crossbreed, health varies from dog to dog, but the parent breeds share a few themes worth knowing, and buying from health-tested parents matters most of all.
3 conditions to watch
Cocker Spaniel
Cocker Spaniels are cheerful, affectionate dogs whose long, hairy ears and allergic-prone skin are the everyday things to stay on top of, with a couple of less common breed risks worth knowing.
4 conditions to watch
Dachshund
Dachshunds are bold, characterful dogs whose long back is their defining health consideration. Protecting that back, and knowing the emergency signs, is what Dachshund ownership is really about.
2 conditions to watch
Dobermann
Dobermanns are elegant, devoted dogs whose single most important health consideration is heart disease. Regular cardiac screening genuinely changes outcomes in this breed.
2 conditions to watch
French Bulldog
French Bulldogs are wonderful companions, but their flat-faced shape and long backs come with a few health issues worth knowing about early. None of this is a given: knowing the signs means you can act early and keep your Frenchie comfortable.
3 conditions to watch
German Shepherd
German Shepherds are intelligent, loyal working dogs whose main health watch-points are the joints and the digestive system. Awareness of a few breed-linked conditions goes a long way.
4 conditions to watch
Golden Retriever
Golden Retrievers are gentle, family-friendly dogs. Their main health considerations are cancer (a notable breed risk), joints, and skin, all more manageable with early awareness and a healthy weight.
5 conditions to watch
Labrador Retriever
Labradors are the UK’s most popular dog for good reason, but their size, appetite and active build bring a predictable set of things to watch: mostly joints, weight and, later in life, cancer. Keeping a Lab lean prevents a surprising amount of trouble.
6 conditions to watch
Miniature Schnauzer
Miniature Schnauzers are bright, sturdy and busy little dogs. Their main health considerations centre on the pancreas, the bladder and blood fats, all of which respond well to a careful diet and early attention.
3 conditions to watch
Pug
Pugs are big personalities in a small, flat-faced body. Their shape brings a handful of predictable issues (breathing, skin and eyes) that are much easier to manage when you know what to look for.
3 conditions to watch
Rottweiler
Rottweilers are confident, powerful and devoted dogs. Their size and build mean the joints and, sadly, a raised cancer risk are the main things to watch, and keeping them lean protects a great deal.
4 conditions to watch
Shih Tzu
Shih Tzus are affectionate, easy-going lap dogs. Their flat face, prominent eyes and hairy ears bring a handful of predictable things to stay on top of, all easier to manage when you know what to look for.
4 conditions to watch
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Staffies are affectionate, people-loving dogs and generally robust. Their main everyday health considerations are allergic skin and, with age, the joints.
3 conditions to watch
West Highland White Terrier
Westies are hardy, characterful little terriers whose defining health issue is the skin. Allergic, itchy skin is common in the breed, and staying ahead of it prevents a lot of trouble.
3 conditions to watch
Yorkshire Terrier
Yorkshire Terriers are tiny, spirited dogs. Their small size brings a few characteristic issues: most notably the windpipe and, as small dogs, dental and liver considerations worth knowing.
2 conditions to watch
Cats
Bengal
Bengals are athletic, intelligent and endlessly active. Their main breed considerations are a heart-muscle condition and an inherited eye disease, both worth asking a breeder about.
3 conditions to watch
British Shorthair
British Shorthairs are calm, easy-going and sturdily built. Their two main considerations are a heart-muscle condition and, because they are such relaxed cats, a tendency to put on weight.
2 conditions to watch
Maine Coon
Maine Coons are gentle giants of the cat world. Their size and genetics bring two main considerations: a heart-muscle condition and, with age, the joints. Both are easier to manage when caught early.
2 conditions to watch
Persian
Persians are gentle, glamorous cats whose flat face and long coat need a bit of daily care. Their most important health consideration is the kidneys, with the eyes and skin folds worth staying on top of too.
3 conditions to watch
Ragdoll
Ragdolls are large, docile, affectionate cats. Their defining health consideration is a heart-muscle condition with a known genetic link, with the urinary tract worth keeping an eye on too.
2 conditions to watch
Siamese
Siamese are vocal, people-oriented and often long-lived. Their main breed considerations are the airways and a raised risk of certain cancers and gut disease, all easier to manage when caught early.
3 conditions to watch