The Bernese mountain dog breed are family oriented dogs that love children and are easy to train. However, these dogs tend to have a short life span due to the variety of diseases and sicknesses that they are prone to. The most common disease they are prone to is cancer.
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Life Expectancy
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The average life expectancy for a Bernese mountain dog is 6 to 8 years, decreasing from 10 to 12 years a few years ago. Cancer plays a large part in the Bernese mountain dog having such a short life span, according to dogbreedinfo.com. Some dogs may only live to 3 or 4 years old because of cancer. The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America is currently researching the cancer issue.
Histiocytosis
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Histiocytosis is the name for abnormally increasing number of immune cells named histiocytes. There are a few different varieties of histiocytosis, and not all of them are fatal to the Bernese mountain dog. The histiocytes are found throughout the body, and are an integral part of the immune system.
Benign Forms
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Histiocytoma and cutaneous histiocytosis are the two benign forms of histiocytosis. Histiocytomas are growths on the skin that look like warts and typically disappear after a few weeks. Cutaneous histiocytosis are single skin growths, or some times multiple skin growths that will either go away on their own, or will need to be treated with corticosteroids.
Systemic Histiocytosis
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Systemic histiocytosis typically appear as masses on the skin of areas such as the muzzle, the eye lid, and the scrotum. They may be hard, smooth, encrusted or ulcerated masses. Eventually, the histocytosis will spread to the spleen and other organs and will mimic malignant histiocytosis.
Systemic histiocytosis can be treated with immuno suppressants and the survival rate is reported to be one to five years from the time of diagnosis, according to bmdca.org. Systemic histiocytosis is typically seen in male Bernese mountain dogs, and can appear as early as 4 years old.
Malignant Histiocytosis
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This is the form of cancer that is most aggressive. This type of histiocytosis is typically widespread before any noticeable symptoms are seen in the dog. Malignant histiocytosis can affect the lungs, lymph nodes, spleen, liver, the central nervous system and bone marrow. Symptoms of malignant histiocytosis in Burnese mountain dogs include: weight loss, weakness, lethargy, coughing, difficulty breathing and general ill health.
If the spleen becomes affected by malignant histiocytosis, removal of the spleen has proven to be successful. However, the disease will eventually take over other organs and the dog will succumb to it. Removing the spleen may be helpful in adding extra time onto their life, according to bmdca.org.
Prevention
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The only preventative measure for cancer in your bernese mountain dog is to have him checked regularly by a veterinarian. A veterinarian can examine the dog and look for any early signs of cancer before it is too widespread.
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