Old English Sheepdog care: the coat, DNA tests and heat

The Old English Sheepdog is a large herding dog under a very large coat. The American Kennel Club breed profile puts adults at 60 to 100 pounds (roughly 27 to 45 kg) with a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years, and it asks breeders to screen for hip dysplasia, eye disease, thyroid disease and exercise-induced collapse. The coat sets the daily workload. The inherited conditions decide which questions to ask a breeder and which signs deserve a vet visit.

Coat care

The OES has a double coat: a dense, water-resistant undercoat under a long, harsh outer coat. The AKC says a full coat needs grooming down to the skin over the whole dog at least once a week, and that owners should expect to spend that time themselves or pay a groomer for several sessions a month for the life of the dog. Most owners of pet dogs find that more often is easier, because small tangles come out in minutes and established mats do not.

Line brushing is the method that works. Part the coat in a line, brush the hair below the part outward from the skin with a pin brush or slicker, drop the next layer down and repeat. Brushing only the surface leaves the undercoat to felt against the skin. Those mats pull when the dog moves, trap moisture and hide hot spots, grass seeds and ticks until they are well advanced.

Inherited conditions and the tests that exist

Several OES conditions now have DNA tests, and the rest have screening schemes. Beyond hips, eyes and thyroid, the AKC lists DNA tests for cerebellar ataxia, primary ciliary dyskinesia, drug sensitivity and exercise-induced collapse. A puppy buyer can reasonably ask to see the parents' results for all of them. For a dog already at home, knowing its drug-sensitivity status is worth raising with the vet before certain medicines are prescribed.

Hip dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is a loose, malformed hip joint that wears into arthritis. It runs in families, which is why hip scoring of breeding dogs matters, but body weight and growth rate affect how badly it shows. Keep a growing puppy lean, feed a diet formulated for large-breed growth, and avoid letting an adult carry extra weight. Signs to take to a vet include stiffness after rest, a swaying or bunny-hopping gait, and reluctance to use stairs or jump into the car.

Autoimmune thyroiditis

In this disease the immune system slowly destroys the thyroid gland and the dog becomes hypothyroid. In a large US laboratory survey of samples from dogs with signs of hypothyroidism, the Old English Sheepdog was among the ten breeds most likely to carry thyroid hormone autoantibodies. The same work showed that these antibodies can falsely raise measured T4 and T3, so a single low-normal T4 does not settle the question. Ask for a fuller panel (TSH, free T4 and thyroglobulin autoantibodies) when the signs fit.

The signs come on slowly: weight gain without eating more, lethargy, seeking warm spots, a dry coat that sheds heavily or grows back poorly after clipping, and recurrent skin infections. Treatment is a daily thyroid hormone tablet, usually for life, with blood tests to adjust the dose.

Exercise-induced collapse

Exercise-induced collapse (EIC) is caused by a recessive mutation in the DNM1 gene. The University of Saskatchewan veterinary centre lists the Old English Sheepdog among the affected breeds. Affected dogs look normal most of the time. During strenuous, exciting exercise, especially in warm weather, the hind legs weaken first; the dog may keep going while dragging them, and the weakness can worsen for a few minutes after it stops. Episodes are not painful and usually pass within 5 to 25 minutes of rest, but a severe one can kill. A dog that tests affected can still walk, hike and play; the risk lies in long, intense, high-arousal sessions.

Primary ciliary dyskinesia

Cilia are the microscopic hairs that sweep mucus out of the airways. In primary ciliary dyskinesia they do not beat properly. The OES form is caused by a mutation in the CCDC39 gene, and a study of 578 Old English Sheepdogs described the signs as recurrent nasal discharge, cough, fever and bronchopneumonia. The mutation was more common in the European dogs tested, where 19% were carriers, than in dogs from elsewhere (7%). A puppy with nasal discharge or a cough that keeps coming back after treatment should be seen again, and the vet should know the breed carries this mutation.

Immune-mediated blood disease

An older case series from Western Australia found autoimmune hemolytic anemia and Evans' syndrome (anemia plus low platelets) among the immune-mediated diseases recorded in the breed, and the authors suggested a breed-related fault in immune regulation. The series was small. The signs are still worth knowing, because these diseases move fast: pale or yellow gums, sudden weakness, fast breathing, dark urine, or pinpoint bruises on the belly or gums. Any of these means a same-day vet visit.

Heat

A big, heavy-coated dog sheds heat slowly. In a UK study of dogs under primary veterinary care, heat-related illness was uncommon, but about one in seven cases was fatal, and the risk was higher in dogs over 50 kg, dogs heavier than their breed average and dogs older than two. Keeping an OES lean is part of heat protection.

• Timing: in warm months, walk early in the morning or after dark and skip hard play in the middle of the day.
• Coat: a short trim helps. Shaving to the skin leaves pale skin exposed to sunburn, so leave a few centimetres.
• At home: shade, a cool floor or cooling mat, fresh water, and air conditioning or fans in a heatwave.
• Car: never leave the dog in a parked car, even with windows open.

Heavy panting that does not settle with rest, thick drool, bright red or dark gums, vomiting, wobbliness and collapse are signs of heatstroke. Move the dog somewhere cool, wet it with cool (not iced) water, and drive to a vet straight away with the windows down or air conditioning on.

In a hot tropical or subtropical climate, a trim helps but does not remove the problem. Anyone choosing a breed for that climate should weigh it seriously.

Exercise

The AKC describes the OES as a drover that moved cattle from pasture to market rather than a true sheepdog. All adults need regular exercise, though the AKC notes a wide range of activity levels within the breed and a useful "off switch" indoors. Two brisk walks a day plus some free running in a fenced area suits most adults. Many enjoy herding-ball games, low agility and swimming, which exercises the whole body without jarring the joints.

For a dog that is EIC-affected or untested, keep long fetch sessions and fast, excited running short, and stop at the first sign of hind-leg wobble. Growing puppies do best with free play on grass and short walks. Long forced runs, repeated jumping and endless stairs can wait until growth has finished; no tested rule sets exact minutes by age.

Feeding

The AKC notes that some Old English Sheepdogs gain weight easily. Under this coat, a fat dog can look the same as a fit one for months. Check by hand: with flat palms on the chest wall, the ribs should be easy to feel under a thin covering. Weigh the dog every month on the same scale and count training treats and chews in the day's food. The body condition scoring guide explains the hands-on check in more detail.

• Puppies: a food labelled for large-breed growth, fed in measured meals rather than left out, so the puppy grows steadily rather than fast.
• Adults: a complete and balanced adult food, with the amount adjusted by body condition rather than by the bag chart alone. Neutered and less active dogs usually need less than the chart suggests.
• Coat: a dull, flaky coat can come from matting, skin infection or low thyroid function. Have it checked before adding a supplement.
• Supplements: do not add iodine or kelp for thyroid health. Hypothyroidism is treated with hormone replacement, and extra iodine does not fix an immune-damaged gland.

Sources

1. Old English Sheepdog dog breed information. American Kennel Club.
2. Prevalence of serum thyroid hormone autoantibodies in dogs with clinical signs of hypothyroidism. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2002.
3. Exercise-induced collapse (EIC). Veterinary Medical Centre, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan.
4. Clinical findings and prevalence of the mutation associated with primary ciliary dyskinesia in Old English Sheepdogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2014.
5. Immune-mediated disease in the Old English sheepdog. Research in Veterinary Science, 1992.
6. Incidence and risk factors for heat-related illness (heatstroke) in UK dogs under primary veterinary care in 2016. Scientific Reports, 2020.