Otterhounds have a relatively long
life span of
10 to 13 years with 25% living to 12
or older, and a few living to 15 or
even 16.
SPECIFIC HEALTH ISSUES:
Like many of the large breeds, they
are subject to hip dysplasia and
bloat. Otterhounds are also subject
to a potentially fatal bleeding
disorder. Though the problem appears
to have been brought under control
by testing breeding stock, if you
are getting an Otterhound puppy make
sure DNA tests for
Otterhound bleeding have been
done on both parents and that you
get the results and understand them.
SEIZURES:
In the last few years, there have
also been an increasing number of
reports of seizures in Otterhounds.
All Otterhound owners are encouraged
to submit blood samples for the canine epilepsy
study being done by the
Universities of Missouri and
Minnesota, Ohio State and the Animal
Health Trust in the UK. The
Otterhound Club of America's health
surveys conducted in 1996 and again
in 2003 indicated major health
problems are uncommon until old age.
This breed is usually quite slow to
mature, both physically and
mentally.
MORE HEALTH INFO:
For more complete health
information, consult the website World
Otterhound Survey: which
has a complete list of the health
problems that Otterhounds are prone
to, basic information about each, as
well as links to websites focusing
on those specific problems.
FEEDING:
What you feed an Otterhound depends
on the dog and what you are doing
with it. There are two things to
consider. An Otterhound is large dog
and will be more expensive to feed
than a smaller dog. Some also may be
prone to bloat - which may make
multiple smaller meals a day
preferable to one large meal. It's
also possibly a bad idea to feed the
dog immediately before or after
vigorous exercise.
EXERCISE:
Otterhounds need and want a fair
amount of exercise, particularly
when young, so though you don't need
a huge yard, you do need a fenced
area for them, and if it isn't big,
you'd better like long walks or dog
jogging. Otterhounds are not good
candidates for walking off leash. As
with many other scent hounds, the
desire to follow an interesting
smell may overcome the desire to
obey their owner, with potentially
fatal consequences.