The Beagle is a breed of small to medium-sized dog. A member of the Hound Group, it is similar in appearance to the Foxhound but smaller, with shorter legs and longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hounds, developed primarily for tracking hare, rabbit, and other game. They have a keen sense of smell and tracking instinct that sees them employed as detection dogs for prohibited agricultural imports and foodstuffs in quarantine around the world. They are popular as pets because of their size, even temper, and lack of inherited health problems.

Beagles appear in a range of colours. Although the tricolour (white with large black areas and light brown shading) is the most common, Beagles can occur in any hound colour. Alongside the Bloodhound, the Beagle has one of the best developed senses of smell of any dog.

Beagle Dog Health Concerns

The Beagle is prone to the following major health conditions:

Intervertebral Disk Disease - Intervertebral Disk Disease is the abnormality of the cartilaginious disks that normally provide cushioning between the vertebra.

Canine Hip Dysplasia - Hip dysplasia is an abnormal formation of the hip socket that, in its more severe form, can eventually cause crippling lameness and painful arthritis of the joints. It is a polygenic trait, that is affected by environmental factors in the production of the final phenotype. It can be found in many animals and occasionally in humans, but is most commonly associated with dogs, and is common in many dog breeds, particularly the larger breeds.

The Beagle is prone to the following minor health conditions:

Glaucoma - Glaucoma is increased intraocular pressure, most often due to an abnormality in the drainage of aqueuous fluid from the eye.

Epilepsy - Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. These seizures are transient signs or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain.

Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy - Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy is degeneration of the retinal cells beginning with those serving the central ares of vision.

Hypothyroidisim - Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. Early symptoms: Being more sensitive to cold; Constipation; Depression; Fatigue or feeling slowed down. Patellar Luxation - Patellar Luxation is the abnormal shallow groove in the knee sot hat the knee cap slips n and out of the position, cuasing lameness. Patellar Luxation is most common in small dogs.

Chondrodysplasia - Chondrodysplasia is a type of dwarfism.

Cherry Eye - Cherry Eye is when the tear gland protrudes beyond the "third eyelid", resulting in bright red bulge in the inner corner of the eye.

Distichiasis - Distichiasis is the abnormal origin of eyelashes along the lid margin, often resulting in irritation to they eye.

Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca (KCS) - Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca is the decreased tear production of the eye causing a dry eye and damage to the cornea.

The Beagle occasionally has problems with the following health conditions:

Deafness - Deafness is the inability to hear in either one or both ears.

Hemophilia - Hemophilia is a deficiency in clotting factor VIII leading to excessive bleeding.

Cataracts - Cataracts are opacities in the lens of the eye, which can cause blindness.

Demodicosis - Demodicosis is a condition caused the mite to which certain breeds are more susceptible.

Umbilical Hernia - The Umbilical Hernia is a protrusion of the intestine and omentum through a hernia in the abdominal wall near the navel; usually self correcting after birth