While most Dalmatians would like to eat anything and everything, special consideration should be given to their diet. Dalmatians have a unique uric acid metabolism, with high levels of uric acid excretion in their urine. This condition can occasionally cause kidney and bladder stone formation in some dogs. Dalmatians require a special diet low in purines and a plentiful supply of fresh water in order to prevent urinary stones. purines

There is no test a breeder or veterinarian can administer to tell whether a puppy will be more or less prone to develop urinary stones. The best predictor of this infrequent condition is the incidence of stone-forming dogs in the individual’s pedigree as this condition is hereditary though it can be exacerbated by an improper diet. The Dalmatian Club of America Foundation (DCAF) is currently underwriting a study on stone-forming Dalmatians.

Click here to learn more about DCAF and the current studies in progress http://www.dcaf.org/

Congenital deafness occurs in many breeds, especially those with more white pigmentation. It is currently thought that congenital deafness is related to both the merle and the piebald gene. Besides the Dalmatian, the Bull Terrier, Australian Shepherd, English Setter and English Cocker Spaniel, among others report a higher incidence of congenital deafness.

A small percentage of Dalmatians are born deaf in both ears. Some Dalmatians are deaf in only one ear and known as unilateral-hearing dogs. Unilateral-hearing Dalmatians make perfectly good pets but are unsuitable for breeding. Responsible Dalmatian breeders test and document each puppy’s hearing status at about seven weeks of age by BAER (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response) testing. This method of testing is highly reliable and can only be done by a specially trained and certified veterinarian.

Click here to learn more about BAER testing http://www.lsu.edu/deafness/baerexpl.htm