The Border Collie is an excellent working dog, especially valued for herding. As a companion breed shaped by selective breeding, dogs with purer bloodlines are often considered more desirable, but this can also mean a higher risk of inherited defects. Below are several common genetic diseases seen in Border Collies.
The first condition is Border Collie Raine syndrome, known in Chinese as lethal osteosclerotic bone dysplasia. This is a very serious skeletal disorder that is present from birth and often causes puppies to die within hours after being born. A few affected puppies may survive to adulthood, but they suffer from many bone related problems that affect both quality of life and life expectancy. The disease is controlled by a recessive gene, which means even apparently healthy parents can still produce affected offspring.
Collie eye anomaly, or CEA, is another inherited disease commonly associated with Border Collies. It is a congenital condition in which parts of the eye, especially the retina, are underdeveloped. Severe cases can lead to blindness. As the name suggests, all Collie related breeds can be at risk, including Border Collies, Rough Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs, and Australian Shepherds.
Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, or NCL, is a disease that attacks the nervous system of the Border Collie. The disease causing gene produces a defective protein in neurons, which leads to waste accumulation in the brain and progressive damage to nerve function. NCL often begins with hyperactivity or challenging behavior, then progresses to loss of learned behaviors, dementia, blindness, urinary or fecal incontinence, disorientation, and other severe neurological signs.
These three inherited diseases are all relatively common in the breed. Responsible breeders usually screen puppies early and remove affected dogs from breeding programs, but dishonest sellers may still try to pass off unhealthy puppies as normal. It is especially important to understand that these diseases are severe and often have no good treatment. For that reason, buyers should be very careful when choosing a Border Collie.