What are health concerns to be aware of with Collies?
Rough Collies are generally healthy, resilient and not prone to illness. With a natural diet, they are also long lived (16 years or more). However, as with all breeds of dogs, Collies are inclined to health issues specific to the breed that you should be aware of. A common ailment for Collies is called Collie eye anomaly (CEA). It is a genetic disorder which causes improper development of the eye and possible blindness. More rarely, Collies can also be affected by another genetic eye disease called Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), in which bilateral degeneration of the retina results in progressive vision loss culminating in blindness. While it is theoretically possible to eradicate both of these problems in Collies through genetic testing and a careful screening program, the AKC (American Kennel Club) does not require these tests to be done for litter registration. This is unfortunate as it allows less rigid breeding standards. If improperly bred, Collies can also be prone to deafne
