How long do bluetick hounds live? Tips and Tricks

Health Problems to Watch for With Bluetick Coonhounds

Bluetick coonhounds are an athletic, healthy breed. But your pet could still have a number of problems that you should watch out for.Â

Bluetick coonhound health issues include:Â

  • Gastric torsion or bloat. This is when there’s twisting in your dog’s gastrointestinal tract, specifically in the stomach. Your dog’s stomach fills with gas, food, or liquid and then twists, creating a sudden and life-threatening situation. Signs include an enlarged abdomen, retching, and drooling. It’s typically treated with emergency surgery.
  • Coonhound paralysis. This is a temporary condition where your dogs leg or entire body quickly becomes paralyzed and can’t move. It’s possibly caused by the dog’s immune system reacting to raccoon saliva from a bite. But it can also happen without a raccoon bite. Your dog can slowly regain its normal function with intensive treatment and rehabilitation. Â
  • Cataracts make the lenses in your dog’s eyes opaque. They eventually lead to blindness. You can choose to treat them with surgery but older dogs also adjust to the condition with relative ease.Â
  • Orthopedic issues such as hip and elbow dysplasia. Hip dysplasia is where the ball and socket of your dogs hip do not fit or develop properly as they grow. Instead of sliding smoothly, the bones grind against each other, wearing down and eventually making it difficult for your dog to move. Your veterinarian can evaluate your dogs joints and see how likely they are to cause problems throughout your dogs life. Elbow dysplasia is a comparable condition at the elbow joint.Â
  • Patellar luxation. This is a common cause of lameness in dogs that’s due to problems with your pet’s knee joint. They could be born with it or develop the problem from an injury. The treatment will depend on how severely your dog is affected, but could include surgery.
  • Thyroid problems. A common problem is hypothyroidism where your dog’s body can’t make enough thyroid hormone. Signs can include dry skin, hair loss, and behavioral problems. Your veterinarian should screen for this condition on an annual basis and treatment is usually in the form of a pill to replace the hormones.
  • Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL). This is a nerve disease that shows its first signs between the ages of one and three years. The main first sign is weakening rear limbs. Currently, there isn’t a cure. Bring your dog to the veterinarian if you start to notice problems with any of their limbs.  Â
  • There are a few important details to keep in mind before bringing a bluetick coonhound home with you. They’re only moderately good with young children but can be great with older kids. The kids just need to be large enough to handle the dog’s enthusiastic personality and prey instincts.

    They may take time to warm up to strangers but aren’t protective enough to make great watchdogs.Â

    They rarely drool but their bark could be an issue for some families. Bluetick coonhounds don’t bark like normal dogs. They have loud, baying, bawling barks. They constantly call out in long, bell-like tones when they’re on the hunt. The bark becomes shorter and choppier when they’ve cornered their prey but it still doesn’t stop.

    If your dog is left alone too often or never given a chance to run off their energy, then they’ll likely develop problematic behaviors. For example, they could start baying all night at your neighbors.Â

    Like all coonhound breeds, bluetick coonhounds were created in the U.S. This breed specifically comes from Louisiana.Â

    The coonhound lineage traces back to before the U.S. was even a country. George Washington received a pair of French staghounds from his friend the Marquis de Lafayette. These dogs were bred to English foxhounds and other dog breeds to create the coonhound lineage.Â

    American foxhounds and black and tan Virginia foxhounds were likely involved in the bluetick coonhound’s breeding as well. Â

    These dogs are nocturnal hunters. They were bred to excel at tracking warm-blooded game by its scent.Â

    Bluetick coonhounds were fantastic companions for frontiersmen as they trailed raccoons through the wilderness. They’re so good at scent-tracking that they can follow trails that are days, even weeks, old. Â

    Although they’re mostly bred to hunt alone, blueticks can be trained to work as a pack as well. Together, they’re capable of taking down much larger game including:

    There’s one variation of this breed, a subgroup called the American blue Gascon. These dogs are also known as old-fashioned blueticks because they’re larger, heavier, and more houndy-looking than the standard breed. They also have a slower tracking style that’s still very effective.Â

    Bluetick coonhounds were added to the United Kingdom’s Kennel Club in 1946 and the AKC in 2009. These dogs have been referenced throughout popular culture, including roles on TV and in film. Bluetick coonhounds have been the sports mascot for the University of Tennessee since 1953. Â

    How Long Do Bluetick Coonhounds Live For?

    Thinking of adopting a Bluetick Coonhound and wandering how long do Bluetick Coonhounds live for?

    Learn all about the Bluetick Coonhound life expectancy and use our Bluetick Coonhound age calculator and Bluetick Coonhound age chart to discover how old your Bluetick Coonhound is in human years here.

    How long do bluetick hounds live?

    If you own or are thinking having a Bluetick Coonhound, knowing the Bluetick Coonhound life expectancy is required when looking after these dogs.

    According to a Bluetick Coonhound life expectancy study, Bluetick Coonhound dogs have an average lifespan of 11-12 years.

    Common Health Issues

    Bluetick Coonhounds are generally healthy, though they may present breed-specific health concerns, such as:

    You can minimize serious health concerns in a Bluetick Coonhound by purchasing him from a reputable breeder who engages in responsible breeding practices, and through screening for common diseases and conditions.

    Bluetick Coonhound – Top 10 Facts