Do collies require any special veterinary care?
Good basic veterinary care including scheduled vaccinations and a yearly physical exam is appropriate for the collie. As a breed, they are generally quite healthy. Of note: a number of collie breeders have reported that some of their collies have experienced adverse reactions to some of the once-a-month heartworm preventive medications, particularly when the active ingredient is ivermectin. It would perhaps be best to err on the side of caution and use instead one of the daily preventive medications with collies of which the active ingredient is diethylcarbamazine citrate.
Good basic veterinary care including scheduled vaccinations and a yearly physical exam is appropriate for the collie. As a breed, they are generally quite healthy. Of note: a number of collies have definite sensitivies to certain drugs. This sensitivity is caused by the presence of a mutant gene called MDR-1. The MDR-1 gene permits some drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier, causing mild to serious reactions, even death. Fortunately, the MDR-1 gene can be detected through a simple cheek-swab DNA test performed by the medical staff at Washington State University. The WSU web site is the best place to check for an up-to-date list of drugs to avoid giving to MDR-1 collies. These drugs include certain heartworm medications, pain medications, and anti-cancer drugs.It has been estimated that only about 30 percent or less of the collie population does NOT carry at least one MDR-1 gene.
