Catahoula Leopard Dog

In maintenance terms, the Catahoula Leopard Dog is a pretty easy dog. Its coat should only require brushing once or twice every week, and you won’t need to bathe it often at all. Keep an eye on its nails and teeth, which should be attended to regularly: teeth at least twice a week, and nails as necessary but perhaps once a month on average. 

Because this is a breed slightly more likely to suffer ear problems, make sure you’re peering into those ears on a regular basis to check for any foreign objects, bleeding, or problematic build-ups of wax.

piece of advice is that you should take it swimming whenever possible. This will be great for the pup, who will be a strong swimmer, and will tire it out nicely as well.

Catahoula Leopard Dog health risks

A typical Catahoula Leopard Dog’s lifespan is in the region of 13 years and it’s heartening to learn that this breed has very few health problems indeed. It’s known to be an unusually healthy dog, which is great. If it does have issues — which is still possible, even if a wonderfully healthy and looked-after dog — they often tend to be in the following areas:

• Eye problems
• Hip dysplasia
• Deafness

Eye problems

This is an extremely broad category that can encompass things like glaucoma — increased pressure in the eye; cataracts — a clouding of the eye’s lens; cherry eye - a prolapsed tear gland; and many more. Because of the breadth here, we would recommend consulting a vet if you have any reason to suspect your Catahoula Leopard Dog has anything at all wrong with its eye. Better to be safe than sorry.

Hip dysplasia

The genetic disease hip dysplasia is a term that means the ball and socket of both hip joints are malformed in some way, causing the head of the dog’s femur to grind in the socket of the joint rather than gliding smoothly. It can be caused by malnutrition, injury or weight gain (though you should also be careful not to over-feed your pup, as this may exacerbate it) and will be noticeable as a result of your dog not moving smoothly, not jumping, or experiencing lameness in the hind legs. 

You should be aware, however, that the signs of hip dysplasia often don’t rear their head until dogs are a little older, so it’s less obvious to identify in Catahoula Leopard puppies. 

As hip dysplasia worsens, it will progress to osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease as the dog’s body tries to stabilize the hip joint. Your dog may need surgery — a femoral head/neck ostectomy is a common procedure — and may even need its hip replaced in the worst-case scenario.

Deafness

If you notice that your dog isn’t responding to normal prompts like calling its name, squeaking a toy nearby, or other dogs barking, it could well have begun to experience hearing loss — a sad but manageable development in any dog’s life. 

Your dog could be congenitally deaf, meaning that it was unable to hear from the first few weeks of its life. In a way, although it would be sad that your dog had never really known what it was like to hear, this condition can be easier because your pup will be used to the condition and will have a great deal of time to become comfortable with it.

You will know from a young age if your pup has congenital deafness but if the condition is acquired, it could be the result of one of many things: inflammation; a tumor; or drug toxicity.

While there’s no reason to assume the worst — your dog could very easily just be going deaf in old age, as humans do — it’s always best to direct your questions to a trusted vet. They will want to examine the ear and inspect it for things like potential blockages. 

Surgery can be performed on tumors in the ear, and hearing aids — although expensive — can be prescribed for dogs who are going deaf in old age. As they are more vulnerable, deaf dogs need various helping hands to help them navigate the world safely. But there is no reason whatsoever that their life can’t still be happy and pain-free.

Feeding a Catahoula Leopard Dog — what’s the best diet?

Feeding a Catahoula Leopard Dog is pretty much like feeding any other dog; the best quality food you can acquire, the better. One key difference is that the Catahoula does so much exercise that it may need more food and more protein than the average lapdog. 

Our guide to the best dog food for canine athletes selects some options for dogs who are often on the go and physically busy. We’ve also rounded up the best dog food for working breeds, too.

Other than that, make sure you’re giving it food containing as many natural ingredients as possible. Do your research and avoid harmful ingredients and things like fillers; if you can afford it, favor brands that are transparent about how they source their ingredients and what goes into each packet.

And, if you want comprehensive information about the best dog foods available, check out our friends at Dog Food Advisor — they have everything you need to know, and more.