Health
Mortality
Median longevity of Bedlington Terriers, based on two recent UK surveys, is about 13.5 years,[1] which is longer than for purebred dogs in general and longer than most breeds similar in size.[2] The longest-lived of 48 deceased dogs in a 2004 UK Kennel Club survey was 18.4 years. [3] Leading causes of death among Bedlington Terriers in the UK were old age (23%), urologic (15%), and hepatic (12.5%).[3] The leading "hepatic" cause of death was copper toxicosis. Dogs that died of liver diseases usually died at a younger age than dogs dying of most other causes.
Morbidity
Bedlington Terrier owners in the UK reported that the most common health issues among living dogs were reproductive (primarily of concern to breeders), heart murmur, and eye problems such as epiphora and cataracts. [3] Copper toxicosis occurred among about 5% of living dogs.
Copper Toxicosis; Copper Storage Disease
Bedlington Terriers have an unusually high incidence of copper toxicosis, an inherited autosomal recessive disease, characterized by accumulation of excess copper in the liver. There is no DNA test for the defective allele. The disease is diagnosed with a liver biopsy.[4]
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