Puppy First, Health First
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The big picture
Pembroke Welsh Corgis typically live 12–15 years.
The breed is known to be prone to a few conditions, and the long back and the joints need the most care. A few habits cover a lot of it: keep your Pembroke lean, teach stairs slowly, limit jumping and keep up yearly vet checkups.
Many figures on this page come from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), which keeps the health results owners send in.
Owners choose whether to send results in, so the figures describe tested dogs, not every Pembroke. This page explains each condition in plain words: what it is, what you might notice and what you can do.
Worth knowing
This list is not exhaustive or official. Keep asking your veterinarian as your puppy grows.
In disc disease, called intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), a disc between the bones of the spine bursts out of place. The Pembroke is a true dwarf breed, and its long back and short legs raise the risk.
Weak back legs can come from a disc problem, so have your vet check them promptly.
Keep your Pembroke lean, teach stairs slowly and limit jumping.
Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a slow breakdown of the spinal cord that weakens and then paralyzes the back legs. It is not painful.
Signs usually start at 8–14 years, with the back feet scuffing, crossing or growing weak.
Your vet can tell DM apart from disc disease, which can look much the same. No treatment stops it, but a dog wheelchair helps an affected dog stay mobile.
Hip dysplasia is an inherited problem with how the hip joint forms, and weight plays a part too. Among Pembroke hip X-rays sent to OFA, about 1 in 5 were rated dysplastic, most of them mildly. OFA ratings describe the X-rays owners chose to send in.
Loose hips are common in Corgis, but few go on to get arthritis in the joint.
Keep your Pembroke lean at every age, and skip lots of jumping while it grows.
Elbow dysplasia is the same kind of inherited problem in the elbow joint. Among Pembrokes screened by OFA, about 6 in 100 had it, most of them the mildest grade. These ratings also describe the X-rays owners chose to send in.
Elbow X-rays, once your dog is grown, show how the joints formed.
A lean weight takes load off the joints.
Von Willebrand disease type 1 is an inherited, mild to moderate bleeding tendency.
It matters most around surgery, when an affected dog may bleed more than expected.
Before any planned surgery, share your dog's DNA result with your vet or ask about a bleeding test.
Pembrokes tend to gain weight, and extra pounds put a load on a long back and short legs.
You should be able to feel your Pembroke's ribs easily.
Measure meals rather than going by the bag, and skip table scraps and extra treats. Too much food and too little exercise cause the gain, not spaying or neutering.
Less common
A heart defect from birth (patent ductus arteriosus) was found in one family of Pembroke puppies, and a vet can hear its murmur.
Blood in the urine can be a sign of renal telangiectasia, small blood-filled growths in the kidneys seen in Pembrokes.
Eye exams have found a few other changes in the eye, each in just a few Pembrokes.
Exercise-induced collapse, weakness after hard exercise, is on Pembroke DNA tests, but OFA has found none affected.
A Pembroke type of muscular dystrophy, a muscle disease, has its own DNA test.
Lafora disease has been seen in just one Pembroke.
DNA tests
A cheek swab works at any age, and DNA tests check for several inherited conditions in Pembrokes. Pembroke tests include degenerative myelopathy, von Willebrand disease and the gene change linked to disc disease.
Each result comes back as clear, carrier or at risk. Clear means no copies of the gene change, and a carrier has one copy and stays healthy. At risk means a higher chance of the condition, not a diagnosis, and many at-risk dogs never develop it. Among Pembrokes tested by OFA for degenerative myelopathy, about 1 in 2 were at risk. Few of them ever get sick: the parent club estimates that about 1 in 100 at-risk dogs becomes affected.
So for your puppy, an at-risk result is not a forecast, and the test can rule DM out but cannot confirm it. Nearly every Pembroke carries the gene change linked to disc disease, so that result says little about one puppy. A lean weight and limited jumping matter more. A test on a lab's list shows that the test exists, not that the condition is common.
Checkups your dog will get
Care plan by life stage
Planning for Pembroke Welsh Corgi vet costs
These are typical published costs for treating what a Pembroke Welsh Corgi vet exam looks at and the conditions the breed is known to be prone to. Each range shows where it comes from and when, and your own vet's estimate will differ.
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist's first exam (consultation fee only) | $198–$350 | per visit | at US veterinary teaching hospitals (Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee) | 2023–2026 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soft-tissue surgery workup with advanced imaging | $800–$1,200 | per workup | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Illinois) | 2023 |
Planning for pet insurance
When you are ready to compare plans, here is one option for Pawrade buyers.
Only with Pawrade, you receive a pet insurance policy with no waiting period included for immediate accident or illness coverage, 1 month, with every puppy.† You activate it by calling MetLife; instructions arrive with your travel details. Continuing MetLife coverage after the first month is strongly recommended.
View the MetLife 30-day offer →†NH, NY, RI, SC and TN residents excluded. Activated by calling MetLife; coverage begins immediately following policy activation. See the offer for full terms.
Whichever plan you look at, read the policy before you buy. Check the waiting periods, how it defines a pre-existing condition, and its deductible, reimbursement percentage and annual limit.
A waiting period is how long after you buy a pet insurance policy before a claim counts.
| Policy | Accidents | Illness | Joints |
|---|---|---|---|
| MetLife policy included with your Pawrade puppy† | None | None | None |
| MetLife, bought directly | None | 14 days | Not listed |
| Industry standard | 0–14 days | 14–30 days | 6–12 months |
| Nationwide | 14 days | 14 days | Not listed |
| Trupanion | 5 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Embrace | 2 days | 14 days | 6 months |
| Figo | 1 day | 14 days | Not listed |
What the Veterinary Health Report checks
The breeder's licensed vet checks your puppy before it goes home. The vet follows PetPay's exam standards, and the results go in your puppy's Veterinary Health Report.
Focus
Heart
Heart murmur, and how loud it is (grade)
02
Breathing
How open the nostrils are · Coughing or congestion
03
Temperature, pulse and breathing rate
Temperature · Pulse · Breathing rate
04 Focus
Eyes
Discharge · Vision problems · Eyelash problems · Cherry eye
05
Ears and hearing
Debris or discharge · Ear mites · Signs of infection · Hearing
06 Focus
Mouth and bite
Teeth and jaw alignment · Bite (overbite or underbite)
07
Skin and coat
Fleas and ticks · Hair loss · Signs of infection
08
Kneecaps
Kneecaps that slip, and how much (grade)
09
Hips
Hip pain
10 Focus
Hernias
Belly-button (umbilical) hernia · Groin (inguinal) hernia
11
Soft spot on the skull
An open soft spot, and its size
12 Focus
Body condition and weight
Body condition score · Weight
13
Reproductive organs
Both testicles in place (males) · Extra skin folds around the vulva (females)
14
History of vomiting or diarrhea
Any history of vomiting or diarrhea (reported, not examined)
15
Stool test for parasites
Fecal flotation test, with any treatment given
16
Past surgery and notes
Any past surgery · The vet's explanation of anything abnormal
The vet listens to the heart with a stethoscope for a murmur.
A heart defect present from birth (patent ductus arteriosus) has been reported in a family of related Pembroke puppies, and it causes a murmur a vet can hear.
With a small light, the vet checks the eyes for misplaced eyelashes and for a cloudy lens or other signs of a vision problem.
Leftover strands of tissue in the eye and changes at the back of the eye need a full exam by a veterinary eye specialist.
The vet looks at how the upper and lower front teeth meet.
A puppy's bite can still shift as the adult teeth come in, so it is worth another look later.
The vet checks the belly button area for a hernia.
The vet weighs the puppy and scores its body condition.
Pembrokes tend to gain weight, and extra pounds put a load on a long back and short legs. Hip dysplasia cannot be found this young, so a lean weight while your Corgi grows is the best way to protect its hips.
The vet listens to the heart with a stethoscope for a murmur.
A heart defect present from birth (patent ductus arteriosus) has been reported in a family of related Pembroke puppies, and it causes a murmur a vet can hear.
With a small light, the vet checks the eyes for misplaced eyelashes and for a cloudy lens or other signs of a vision problem.
Leftover strands of tissue in the eye and changes at the back of the eye need a full exam by a veterinary eye specialist.
The vet looks at how the upper and lower front teeth meet.
A puppy's bite can still shift as the adult teeth come in, so it is worth another look later.
The vet checks the belly button area for a hernia.
The vet weighs the puppy and scores its body condition.
Pembrokes tend to gain weight, and extra pounds put a load on a long back and short legs. Hip dysplasia cannot be found this young, so a lean weight while your Corgi grows is the best way to protect its hips.
Puppies grow and change quickly, and their immune systems are still developing, so no exam can find everything. The Veterinary Health Report is a strong early look at your puppy and a written starting point that your own vet builds on.
Health guarantee
Every Pawrade puppy comes with a health guarantee administered by PetPay, independent of the seller. The terms are on the health guarantee page.
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Pembroke Welsh Corgi Puppies for Sale
Frequently asked questions
Most Pembrokes live 12–15 years, and the conditions that run in the breed mostly come down to the back, the joints and the spinal cord. They include disc disease in the back, hip and elbow dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy and an inherited bleeding tendency called von Willebrand disease. A lean weight, careful habits on stairs and furniture, and a vet check for any back-leg weakness go a long way.
Disc disease in the back (intervertebral disc disease) runs in the breed, because the Pembroke is a true dwarf breed with a long back and short legs. Keep your Corgi lean, teach stairs gradually and limit jumping. Have any back-leg weakness checked by your vet.
Hip dysplasia, an inherited problem with how the hip joint forms, is one of the conditions that run in the breed. Among Pembroke hip X-rays sent to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), about 1 in 5 were rated dysplastic, most of them mildly. Keeping your Pembroke lean at every age is the everyday step that helps.
Von Willebrand disease type 1 is an inherited, mild to moderate bleeding tendency that matters most before surgery. A DNA test gives a result of clear, carrier or at risk, and a bleeding test before planned surgery is reasonable if the status is unknown.
An at-risk result shows the dog's genes, not a diagnosis, and most at-risk Pembrokes never develop degenerative myelopathy. The parent club estimates that about 1 in 100 at-risk dogs becomes affected. Signs, if any, usually start at about 8–14 years as painless back-leg weakness, and a vet should tell it apart from disc disease.
Cheek-swab tests cover degenerative myelopathy, von Willebrand disease type 1, disc disease risk (CDDY) and collapse after hard exercise (exercise-induced collapse). Others cover an inherited eye disease, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), a severe immune disorder called severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), and a Pembroke type of muscular dystrophy. A carrier has one copy of the gene change and is healthy, and an at-risk result means a higher chance, not a diagnosis.
A DNA test works at any age from a cheek swab. Keep the results with your puppy's records and share them with your vet, especially the von Willebrand result before any surgery.
Pembrokes typically live 12–15 years.
Older Pembrokes do best with a lean weight and help with joint comfort. Watch for scuffing, crossing or weakness of the back legs, and have your vet tell degenerative myelopathy apart from disc disease. A dog wheelchair helps a Pembroke with degenerative myelopathy stay mobile.
Measure meals rather than relying on the amounts on the bag, and skip table scraps and extra treats. You should be able to feel the ribs easily, and a lean weight protects the back and hips. Weight gain comes from overfeeding and too little exercise, not from spaying or neutering.
Spaying or neutering is a decision to make with your own vet, who can weigh things such as your dog's sex and expected adult size. Spaying or neutering does not by itself make a Pembroke gain weight; overfeeding and too little exercise do.
