The ancestry of the German Shepherd Dog is that of an intelligent, resilient, hardy, healthy, working animal. As a herding dog their stamina and powerful movement was a joy to behold. The German Shepherd Dog was introduced to the American public via a movie and T.V. hero known as "Rin-Tin-Tin". Viewers were not looking at the thousands of hours of training that went into this animal, nor at the fact that the performances were "staged". They saw a superdog and everyone wanted one.
     The demand far outweighed the supply, thus prompting puppy-mills and backyard breeders to meet these public demands. Through their practices of breeding any German Shepherd dog to any German Shepherd female (just to make puppies), the German Shepherd Dog gene pool became flooded with unhealthy, unsound, walking medical disasters. Thus the German Shepherd Dog, as a breed, is prone to a large number of medical conditions. As with any pure-bred dog, there are, and have always been, quality dog breeders, whose goal is to produce the healthiest, most sound, and best animals possible.
German Shepherd Dogs are prone to:

Hip Dysplasia (HD)

       Hip Dysplasia is the result of the malformation of the hip joint(s).  This condition is a common difficulty in most of the large dog breeds.  This condition is both genetic and environmentally influenced.

       Be sure that both parents of any German Shepherd Dog puppy you are considering purchasing is certified by OFA or Penn Hip to be free of Hip Dysplasia.

       Over-feeding, over-exercise and injury while young may also contribute to your puppy damaging his hips(leading to degeneration).

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical Index/Hip Dysplasia).

Intervertebral Disc Disease

       German Shepherd Dogs are prone to degenerative disc disease although some bloodlines appear to have a higher incidence of this problem than others.  Dogs with spinal problems should never be used for breeding.  Dogs producing offspring with spinal abnormalities should be spayed or neutered.

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical Index/Degenerative Disc Disease).

Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD)

       Osteochondrosis Dissecans is a disorder of bone formation resulting from a defect in the transition of cartilage into bone during the growth process.  This condition appears to be genetic in nature, being far more common in some bloodlines than others.  Similar to hip dysplasia, environmental factors can be contributory.

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical Index/Osteochondrosis Dissecans).

Panosteitis

       Occasionally referred to as "wandering lameness", this disease presents itself as spontaneous lameness, affecting dogs between the ages of 5 to 14 months.

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical Index/Panosteitis).

Elbow Dysplasia

       Elbow Dysplasia is a developmental disorder of the bones associated with the elbow joint.  This disease is generally accepted as genetic in nature, and can occur in multiple levels of severity.

       As with Hip Dysplasia, both parents should be certified as free of Elbow Dysplasia prior to breeding.

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical Index/Elbow Dysplasia).

Degenerative Myelopathy

       Generally appearing in middle-aged dogs degenerative myelopathy is relatively common in German Shepherd Dogs. Triggered by the body's auto-immune system, a progressive degeneration of the spinal cord occurs. Beginning with the hind limbs this disease progressively weakens the entire body.

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical Index/Degenerative Myelopathy).

Hemophilia A

       This recessive genetic disorder is usually found in males, with females being the carriers. Commonly referred to as the "bleeders disease", hemophilia is due to insufficient levels of the factor VIII blood clotting factor. Usually accompanied by hematomas (pockets of blood under the skin), this condition is present from birth.

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical Index/Hemophilia A).

Pancreatitis

       Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas. This condition can occur once in  dogs life, or be the first of many (chronic) occurrences. One of the main contributors to pancreatic flair ups is dietary (dog fed a particularly high fat meal), which the digestive system is not accustomed to.

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical Index/Pancreatitis).

Diabetes Mellitus

       As with diabetes in humans, diabetes mellitus in dogs is primarily attributed to insufficient insulin production by the pancreas. Diabetes impacts the entire animal. With early diagnosis, treatment, and controlled diet the animal can live a long healthy life.

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical Index/Diabetes mellitus).

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)

       Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) and Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy (CPRA) are among the most common eye problems in German Shepherd Dogs. These conditions usually begin to display symptoms at about 2 years of age.  They are progressive in their degeneration. Both conditions are hereditary. Both parents should have CERF certification proof, when looking to purchase a pup.

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical Index/Progressive Retinal Atrophy).

Sub-Aortic Stenosis (SAS)

       This congenital heart condition has been found in German Shepherd Dogs, although major efforts are underway to eliminate (severely reduce) this condition.  Ranging from minor heart murmurs to fatal, this condition covers a wide array of symptoms.

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical Index/Sub-Aortic Stenosis).

Epilepsy

       Epilepsy is a hereditary seizure disorder.  This disease cannot be cured, but it can be controlled with medication. The dog with epilepsy can live a fairly normal life, but cannot be placed in the stressful situation of showing, and certainly should not be bred.

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical Index/Epilepsy).

von Willebrand's Disease (vWD)

      von Willebrand's disease is a hereditary bleeding disorder.  It impacts the dog's ability to clot blood (similar to hemophilia).  This disorder is found in both males and females.

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical/von Willebrand's Disease).

Bilateral Cataracts

    Cataracts in dogs can be identified as opaque spots on the lens of the eye.  These spots may cause total or partial loss of vision.  Some cataracts are hereditary while others are not.   In some cases surgery may help the dog recover.

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical Index/Bilateral Cataracts).

Cherry Eye

      The tear gland that normally occupies the base of the third eyelid occasionally becomes enlarged, and will protrude beyond the leading edge of the third eyelid.  This protrusion will appear as a round, red mass (cherry eye).

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical Index/Cherry Eye).

Cleft Palate

       Occasionally pups can be born with an opening (cleft) in the roof of the mouth.  Most often in German Shepherd Dogs this condition is genetic in nature.  In minor cases the cleft can be surgically corrected, although a pup that has had cleft surgery should never be bred.

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical Index/Cleft Palate).

Cryptorchidism

       Cryptorchidism is a genetic condition in which either one or both testicles do not descend into proper location within the scrotum. This is hereditary and dogs exhibiting this condition should never be used for breeding.

For further information regarding this condition please see (Medical Index/Cryptorchidism).

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