Health
Ibizans are a relatively healthy and long-lived breed, which is one of the things I love about them. However, there are some health issues to be concerned about, and any breeder should be able to discuss with you what is common in their lines and what signs you should be looking out for. The four recommended tests in the breed are for deafness, hips, eyes, and thyroid. There are some additional health conditions that regularly pop up that I will also discuss.
Deafness- Ibizans are well-known for their splashy red and white coats, but white on ears can sometimes be linked with deafness. All Ibizan breeders should be performing BAER testing on their puppies before they are sent home with their new owners. BAER testing will be able to definitively tell you whether your puppy has full hearing, or is deaf in one or both ears. Please note, BAER does not test for "selective deafness" which will likely occur when your beezer decides they don't want to come inside or get down off the counter.
Hips- Overall, Ibizans tend to have pretty good hips. However, every dog should get a hip evaluation through OFA or PennHip before being bred. Your breeder should be able to provide you with those results upon request.
Eyes- CAER eye exams check for many different debilitating eye conditions. A CAER certification is only good for 12 months, so dogs will generally need it done multiple times throughout their life. Any breeder should be able to provide you with their dogs' CAER certifications upon request, and breeding dogs should have a current (less than 12 month old) CAER certification when bred.
Thyroid- Thyroid issues can occur at any age in a dog, so periodic testing over the course of their life is recommended. I have included a section from the OFA website below with their recommendations. Your breeder should be able to provide you with current thyroid testing results upon request.
"Dogs that are negative at 1 year of age may become positive at 6 years of age. Dogs should be tested every year or two in order to be certain they have not developed the condition. Since the majority of affected dogs will have autoantibodies by 4 years of age, annual testing for the first 4 years is recommended. After that, testing every other year should suffice. Unfortunately, a negative at any one time will not guarantee that the dog will not develop thyroiditis.
The registry data can be used by breeders in determining which dogs are best for their breeding program. Knowing the status of the dog and the status of the dogs lineage, breeders and genetic counselors can decide which matings are most appropriate for reducing the incidence of autoimmune thyroiditis in the offspring."
Bloat- Many a great Ibizan has been lost to bloat, or Gastric Dilation Volvulus (GDV). It is a devastating and typically quickly onset condition in which the stomach twists around itself. It is life threatening and must be caught and treated quickly to have a chance at a good outcome. Bloat can be caused by some environmental aspects, such as eating too quickly, exercising vigorously after a meal, or simply eating too much, but it has also been shown to be somewhat genetic. Some lines of Ibizans are prone to bloat, and your breeder should be honest about the history of your dog's relatives and what sort of risk they think your dog may have.
Heart- Heart issues do pop up in Ibizans from time to time. A breeder should be able to tell you if they are common in the line and if any of your dog's relatives have been diagnosed with any heart conditions. It is becoming more and more recommended to have a certified canine cardiologist check for heart issues yearly, especially on breeding dogs.
Epilepsy- Epilepsy does unfortunately occur in some lines of Ibizans. Because its cause is not yet known, and likely includes several different factors, a good breeder will try to avoid breeding together directly affected dogs or their close relatives. It can show up in any breeding with no warning, however, and a good breeder will provide support for that affected dog and their family.
Allergies- Allergies can be genetic or spontaneous and are common in differing levels of severity in some Ibizan lines. Mild seasonal allergies seem to be the most common, but as people become more and more transparent about health issues we may see a different trend emerge. I personally believe that a good breeder will not breed a dog with severe, chronic allergies, but because allergy inheritance is not well known and many can be controlled with medication, some people may hold a different opinion.
Deafness- Ibizans are well-known for their splashy red and white coats, but white on ears can sometimes be linked with deafness. All Ibizan breeders should be performing BAER testing on their puppies before they are sent home with their new owners. BAER testing will be able to definitively tell you whether your puppy has full hearing, or is deaf in one or both ears. Please note, BAER does not test for "selective deafness" which will likely occur when your beezer decides they don't want to come inside or get down off the counter.
Hips- Overall, Ibizans tend to have pretty good hips. However, every dog should get a hip evaluation through OFA or PennHip before being bred. Your breeder should be able to provide you with those results upon request.
Eyes- CAER eye exams check for many different debilitating eye conditions. A CAER certification is only good for 12 months, so dogs will generally need it done multiple times throughout their life. Any breeder should be able to provide you with their dogs' CAER certifications upon request, and breeding dogs should have a current (less than 12 month old) CAER certification when bred.
Thyroid- Thyroid issues can occur at any age in a dog, so periodic testing over the course of their life is recommended. I have included a section from the OFA website below with their recommendations. Your breeder should be able to provide you with current thyroid testing results upon request.
"Dogs that are negative at 1 year of age may become positive at 6 years of age. Dogs should be tested every year or two in order to be certain they have not developed the condition. Since the majority of affected dogs will have autoantibodies by 4 years of age, annual testing for the first 4 years is recommended. After that, testing every other year should suffice. Unfortunately, a negative at any one time will not guarantee that the dog will not develop thyroiditis.
The registry data can be used by breeders in determining which dogs are best for their breeding program. Knowing the status of the dog and the status of the dogs lineage, breeders and genetic counselors can decide which matings are most appropriate for reducing the incidence of autoimmune thyroiditis in the offspring."
Bloat- Many a great Ibizan has been lost to bloat, or Gastric Dilation Volvulus (GDV). It is a devastating and typically quickly onset condition in which the stomach twists around itself. It is life threatening and must be caught and treated quickly to have a chance at a good outcome. Bloat can be caused by some environmental aspects, such as eating too quickly, exercising vigorously after a meal, or simply eating too much, but it has also been shown to be somewhat genetic. Some lines of Ibizans are prone to bloat, and your breeder should be honest about the history of your dog's relatives and what sort of risk they think your dog may have.
Heart- Heart issues do pop up in Ibizans from time to time. A breeder should be able to tell you if they are common in the line and if any of your dog's relatives have been diagnosed with any heart conditions. It is becoming more and more recommended to have a certified canine cardiologist check for heart issues yearly, especially on breeding dogs.
Epilepsy- Epilepsy does unfortunately occur in some lines of Ibizans. Because its cause is not yet known, and likely includes several different factors, a good breeder will try to avoid breeding together directly affected dogs or their close relatives. It can show up in any breeding with no warning, however, and a good breeder will provide support for that affected dog and their family.
Allergies- Allergies can be genetic or spontaneous and are common in differing levels of severity in some Ibizan lines. Mild seasonal allergies seem to be the most common, but as people become more and more transparent about health issues we may see a different trend emerge. I personally believe that a good breeder will not breed a dog with severe, chronic allergies, but because allergy inheritance is not well known and many can be controlled with medication, some people may hold a different opinion.