Cherry eye - Similar to the Beagle, Bloodhound, Boston Terrier, Bulldog, Bull Terrier, Saint Bernard, and Shar-Pei, it is quite common to see cherry eye (nictitans gland prolapse) on the Neapolitan Mastiff. The exact cause of cherry eye is not truly known and I have heard many say that it is due to growth spurts. However in the Sherilyn Allen book you will find that it states weakness of the connective tissue around the eye is strongly suspected. There has not been a study made but it would not be surprising if 20% to 30% of total Neapolitan Mastiff's produced have cherry eye. This condition is unsightly and should be dealt with. The removal of the gland is the most successful treatment, although this could limit lubrication to the cornea and could result in ‘dry-eye’. Procedures have improved with stitching it back or I have heard of tucking it back. We have experienced both cutting and stitching and can honestly say that it depends on how good your vet is. If you know a vet good at the stitching back procedure, it might be worth a try, as the dog will benefit with proper lubrication and better eyesight, as it gets older. We have had three dogs with cherry eye, two of them had it removed and one was stitched back. There was no difference to be seen looking at the dogs however we do have one with a recurring dry-eye problem and in that case the gland was removed.
Entropion - This is a condition where the lower eyelids turn/roll inward to the extent that rubbing occurs on the surface of the eyeball with hair. This condition is potentially very dangerous, and a Neapolitan can loose it's eye if the cornea is punctured or badly infected. If it is not treated soon and effectively an abscess can also occur which may result in blindness. Many vets will recommend a ‘face lift’, again we have experienced this in two of our dogs and a face-lift was not necessary or wanted. However it was necessary to operate on the folds of the skin around the eye and reshape them as well as remove some of the excess. The procedure was slightly different in both cases (one had skin taken from all four corners of the eye) however; in both cases it was completely successful.
Ectropion - When the lower lids are loose, causing a drooping of the eyelid's margins, and making the lower lids turn outward. This condition is rarely a problem except in severe cases. Again we have had experience of this in one of our dogs and surgery was (we believe) necessary as she was getting one infection after another. When looking for a puppy we would recommend that you have the one with the least haw showing. When the dog grows you will always get some drooping but it is a question of how much is too much.
Canine hip dysplasia - This is a very common degenerative joint disease which can be seen in all breeds but especially in giant dogs. There are many misconceptions about this disease and hereditary factors have been proven to not be the only cause of this disease, although their is a healthy debate between those whom believe in hereditary alone Vs other factors. It is important to say that selection in the long run of typy dogs with good hips will reduce the occurrence of this disease. Noting this however we must realise that our breed and its laxity in joints are like no other breed. This breed is the carthorse of the dog world & this is quiet evident in looking at the breed. Dr Sherilyn Allen believes that loose hips do not cause as severe clinical problems in the Neapolitan Mastiff. She explains and backs up her point of view having examined and radiographed hundreds of Neapolitan's which all showed a degree of dysplasia, and of these only five showed arthritis's of the hips, and of these five, all were extraordinarily sound. Unfortunately we do not have access to Dr. Allen's practice in the USA and must sometimes rely on vet’s who have never seen a Neapolitan Mastiff until you walk in! Hereditary disease or not, it is good common sense to try and avoid symptoms of the disease by giving your growing Mastino proper nutrition, exercise (not excessive), avoid rough play, and maintain good body weight. Many Mastino owners tend to want to keep their puppies very heavy! A growing puppy must be kept at a good weight and any excess weight should be avoided. It is important to know that due to fast growth in our breed or at times rough play, many puppies especially between 3 to 12 months will limp from growing pains or injury at one point or another. Many breeders resolve this problem by limiting some movement for several weeks and giving vitamin C. On the other hand I have heard from many inexperienced owners who saw this limping and immediately took their puppy to the vet. X-rays were taken and hip dysplasia diagnosis was given with the recommendation to put the puppy to sleep or expensive surgery. Again we have had experience of this and can advise that we have never had to operate and all our dogs had/have sound movement.
To read about the Health problems experienced in this breed you must have in your home Sherilyn Allen’s book ‘The Official Book of the Neapolitan Mastiff’ it is the only English written book that provides in-depth breed information.
There is no question of the benefit of veterinary expertise, however one should also equally rely on breed knowledge and expertise when it comes to the Neapolitan Mastiff. We would strongly recommend that you find a vet that has knowledge of the breed or failing that is willing to learn about our unique breed.
For more information please check out the following web sites and don't forget above all else get your Neapolitan insured.
The overall health of your Neapolitan must be of prime importance to your breeder and you. Currently there are not many breeders that test their breeding stock for Hip or Elbow dysplasia or any eye scheme (to my knowledge). This has to change and we believe it will in time, this breed is still a rare breed with limited quality breeding stock. Therefore only the truly dedicated should purchase a Mastino.