Poodle Information
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Poodle Health - Serious Issues
Overview
It is very important to keep an eye on your Poodle's health at all times, not just when your dog falls ill. Early detection of any issues is the best step you can take for successful treatment and recovery.
Each dog breed is susceptible to certain canine disease. This does not mean that a Poodle will develop any of the canine health issues that we will discuss...this does mean that your Poodle is genetically prone to these, more so than some other dog breeds...and it is a good idea to be aware of early symptoms.
Let's take a look at daily health checks and the canine diseases which Toy, Miniature and Standard Poodles are prone to.
It is very important to keep an eye on your Poodle's health at all times, not just when your dog falls ill. Early detection of any issues is the best step you can take for successful treatment and recovery.
Each dog breed is susceptible to certain canine disease. This does not mean that a Poodle will develop any of the canine health issues that we will discuss...this does mean that your Poodle is genetically prone to these, more so than some other dog breeds...and it is a good idea to be aware of early symptoms.
Let's take a look at daily health checks and the canine diseases which Toy, Miniature and Standard Poodles are prone to.
Health Issues Affecting Toy, Miniature & Standard Poodles
Hypoglycemia
One of the most important health issues to understand and be ready for is the possibility of hypoglycemia. All puppies are vulnerable to developing this...and if it happens, it happens very quickly. Toy and Miniatures are going to be more prone to this, however any puppy can develop hypoglycemia particularly from birth to 4 months.
This is a very sudden drop in blood sugar levels. It can be fatal. An owner must, at all times, keep Karo syrup on hand until the puppy is older than 4 months. It is not just to be kept at home. It is highly suggested to keep this in your pocket book or any time of carrying case for when you are with your Poodle outside of the home.
What causes this? While this can happen even if your Poodle does not experience the following, however it can happen more easily if:
- Your puppy has not been eating enough
- Your puppy has any time of stress - Many owners do not understand that a Poodle puppy (or any puppy for that matter) does feel stress when going to a new home to live. Even under the best circumstances and even in the most loving home with the best intentions... a Poodle puppy will feel a certain amount of stress. Why? Because it is one of the largest changes that a puppy will experience...leaving his or her mother and littermates...suddenly not being in the only environment that they are used to...getting used to a new family...seeing new faces, hearing new sounds...smelling new odors...it is very overwhelming.
- Weakness
- Walking clumsily
- Appearing to be confused
- Falling down
-
Slowed breathing
- Slip into a coma
- The puppy may pass away
The treatment is to very quickly raise the blood sugar levels in the puppy and this must be done before you seek help at the veterinarian or animal hospital. This is done by gently rubbing Karo syrup on your Poodle's gums. It will be absorbed directly into the blood stream to work quickly. If you do not have Karo syrup you can offer warm water with dissolved sugar, best hand fed with a small spoon. Within minutes you should see improvement. It is then that your Poodle should be brought to the nearest vet or animal clinic. In severe cases, a puppy may need an IV to balance out blood sugar levels and be monitored until they are out of the "danger zone". If you are not sure if your Poodle is experiencing this, to be safe you can offer your puppy 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar water, it will not cause damage, it will simply make for 1 very hyper puppy for a short amount of time.
Hip Dysplasia
This is a condition in which the Poodle's hip joint deteriorates, it is thought to be an inherited condition. The hip joint itself is made of a ball and a socket joint in which that ball sits. These 2 part are held together by ligaments. When a Poodle has hip dysplasia, the socket is not formed correctly or the ligaments that hold the 2 sections together are not strong enough. This causes the ball to move out of place in the socket where it should be safe and secure. The end result is a misplaced hip that will cause a Poodle to problems.
While this is inherited, there are other factors that can make this problem worse:
• Being overweight – any excess weight will put more of a strain on the Poodle's hips
• Too much exercise before a Poodle enters into adulthood – which causes prolonged stress on the hip
• A faster than average growth rate – which a dog owner has no control over
Symptoms may begin to show as young as 5 to 10 months old. A Poodle of any age can be diagnosed with this, as the condition may be very subtle in the dog’s early life and only as the dog grows older will an owner notice the signs:
• Weakness in the limbs, usually in the rear legs and usually after exercising
• Difficulty getting up from a lying position or difficulty walking uphill
• Hopping – walking by bringing both rear legs up at the same time
• Rising using front legs only and dragging rear end.
• An unsteady walk with the rear legs
• Taking very small steps
• Unwillingness to jump, exercise, climb stairs or walk uphill
There are treatments. Medication is usually tried first, before surgery would be done. Medication includes corticosteriods, acetaminophen, NSAID and a Visco-supplementation. If a dog’s condition worsens, surgery is the next step. If diagnosed in the early stages when the Poodle is still a puppy and the joint and socket are for still intact, surgery can be performed in which the dog’s pelvis is cut into 3 separate pieces and then relocated to fit properly. When the joint has severe degeneration, surgery may be done to remove the pelvic joint...many Poodles can do very well with a missing joint and compensate for this. Total hip replacement is another option.
Epilepsy
When a Poodle has epilepsy, it may be 1 of 4 types and a seizure may happen just once...or it may be an ongoing issue. Many Poodles who have epilepsy can do very well and live fairly normal lives with appropriate medication and care.
Depending on the type of seizure that is occurring a dog will have a combination of some of the following symptoms:
Do not try to hold your Poodle's tongue, this should not be done. If there are any objects near your dog, move them away, such as chairs, coffee tables, etc. Immediately shut off any noises such as the TV, radio, etc. Turn off any bright lights. Speak in a calming voice. Carefully put a slim pillow under your Poodle's head. Be sure to write down information that the vet will need to know:
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
This is a progressive eye disease that does lead to blindness, as there is no cure for this. Many dog breeds are prone to this, but remember that this does not mean that your Poodle will develop this. The retina of the eyes are affected and it always happens to both eyes at the same time. You may notice signs at the beginning stages which can include:
Prcd PRA affects only Toy and Miniature Poodles. The “prcd” stands for “progressive rod-cone degeneration”, as it is the rod-cones that are affected as well. Prcd-PRA is inherited as a recessive trait. This means a disease gene must be inherited from both parents in order to cause disease in a puppy. Parents are either “carriers” or affected. A carrier has one disease gene and one normal gene, and is termed “heterozygous” for the disease. A normal Poodle has no disease gene and is termed “homozygous normal” (both copies of the gene are the same). And a Poodle with two disease genes is termed “homozygous affected” (both copies of the gene are abnormal) ...details of symptoms and treatment are the same as the standard PRA.
Sebaceous AdenitisThis is a condition in which the Poodle's hip joint deteriorates, it is thought to be an inherited condition. The hip joint itself is made of a ball and a socket joint in which that ball sits. These 2 part are held together by ligaments. When a Poodle has hip dysplasia, the socket is not formed correctly or the ligaments that hold the 2 sections together are not strong enough. This causes the ball to move out of place in the socket where it should be safe and secure. The end result is a misplaced hip that will cause a Poodle to problems.
While this is inherited, there are other factors that can make this problem worse:
• Being overweight – any excess weight will put more of a strain on the Poodle's hips
• Too much exercise before a Poodle enters into adulthood – which causes prolonged stress on the hip
• A faster than average growth rate – which a dog owner has no control over
Symptoms may begin to show as young as 5 to 10 months old. A Poodle of any age can be diagnosed with this, as the condition may be very subtle in the dog’s early life and only as the dog grows older will an owner notice the signs:
• Weakness in the limbs, usually in the rear legs and usually after exercising
• Difficulty getting up from a lying position or difficulty walking uphill
• Hopping – walking by bringing both rear legs up at the same time
• Rising using front legs only and dragging rear end.
• An unsteady walk with the rear legs
• Taking very small steps
• Unwillingness to jump, exercise, climb stairs or walk uphill
There are treatments. Medication is usually tried first, before surgery would be done. Medication includes corticosteriods, acetaminophen, NSAID and a Visco-supplementation. If a dog’s condition worsens, surgery is the next step. If diagnosed in the early stages when the Poodle is still a puppy and the joint and socket are for still intact, surgery can be performed in which the dog’s pelvis is cut into 3 separate pieces and then relocated to fit properly. When the joint has severe degeneration, surgery may be done to remove the pelvic joint...many Poodles can do very well with a missing joint and compensate for this. Total hip replacement is another option.
Epilepsy
When a Poodle has epilepsy, it may be 1 of 4 types and a seizure may happen just once...or it may be an ongoing issue. Many Poodles who have epilepsy can do very well and live fairly normal lives with appropriate medication and care.
Depending on the type of seizure that is occurring a dog will have a combination of some of the following symptoms:
- Drooling
- Staring out into space
- Walking in place
- Making strange movements
- Not responding to you
- Appearing very confused
- Stiff limbs
- Passing out (unconscious)
- Breathing can stop
Do not try to hold your Poodle's tongue, this should not be done. If there are any objects near your dog, move them away, such as chairs, coffee tables, etc. Immediately shut off any noises such as the TV, radio, etc. Turn off any bright lights. Speak in a calming voice. Carefully put a slim pillow under your Poodle's head. Be sure to write down information that the vet will need to know:
- When this happened
- How long it lasted for
- All signs that your dog showed
- What your Poodle was doing right before the seizure
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
This is a progressive eye disease that does lead to blindness, as there is no cure for this. Many dog breeds are prone to this, but remember that this does not mean that your Poodle will develop this. The retina of the eyes are affected and it always happens to both eyes at the same time. You may notice signs at the beginning stages which can include:
- Night vision problems - Your Poodle may show signs that he or she is having a hard time seeing in dim lighting
- Pupils can become dilated, causing owners to notice that the eyes appear shiny
Prcd PRA affects only Toy and Miniature Poodles. The “prcd” stands for “progressive rod-cone degeneration”, as it is the rod-cones that are affected as well. Prcd-PRA is inherited as a recessive trait. This means a disease gene must be inherited from both parents in order to cause disease in a puppy. Parents are either “carriers” or affected. A carrier has one disease gene and one normal gene, and is termed “heterozygous” for the disease. A normal Poodle has no disease gene and is termed “homozygous normal” (both copies of the gene are the same). And a Poodle with two disease genes is termed “homozygous affected” (both copies of the gene are abnormal) ...details of symptoms and treatment are the same as the standard PRA.
Known as SA, this is an inherited disease. For this reason, breeders should always have Poodles tested for this before breeding. It occurs most commonly to Toy, Miniature and Standard Poodles between the ages of 1-7 years old. It affects the sebaceous glands , which are responsible for the production of sebum (oil) on the skin. For this reason, a Poodle with SA will have dry, scaly skin and hair loss. The dry skin causing itching...which leads to scratching...which then commonly leads to skin infections.
Sebaceous Adenitis will not affect a dog's life span, it is considered a "cosmetic" issue. However, a Poodle must be treated for this, as it can cause great discomfort and infections can become quite bad.
Bathing is an important element to helping a Poodle with SA. Keratolytic shampoos should be used 3-4 times per week. This helps to sooth irritated skin and removes scaling. Oxydex shampoo will help with infections. A deep soak in baby oil 1 time per week has been shown to help. Finally, a rinse with Propylene Glycol (50-70% solution) can be helpful.
There are other medications that are sometimes used, but it must be noted that they are expensive and have the potential for very serious side effects. These are called retinoids. They can cause birth defects, therefore a Poodle with SA should not be bred for the reason of having SA, but also should not be bred if a retinoid is used. This is typically used for 2 months and then the Poodle is assessed to see if there is any improvement. If there is not, Cyclosporine medication can be given, although it weakens a dog's immune system, leaving them vulnerable to bacterial infections. Other side effects can be vomiting, diarrhea, liver disease and kidney disease. For this reason, it must be discussed with the veterinarian if the SA is severe enough to use these medications.
There has been some promising results by giving a Poodle omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid supplements and Vitamin A (10K IU). Antibiotics are always given to treat any skin infections.
Luxating Patella
This is found most among small breed dogs, such as the Toy Poodle, but can also affect Miniatures or Standards. This is a condition of the dog’s kneecap. This can occur because of a malformation of the bone or from an injury. A Poodle may show symptoms on and off; however without treatment, this health issue usually gets worse as time goes by.
The kneecap of the dog slip out of place. Sometimes, it will become stuck out of place…for just minutes or for hours. Only when the knee cap is sliding out of place, will a dog typically show signs of discomfort. . Oddly, once out of place, the pain goes away. When this happens, your Poodle will:
- Let out a loud yelp of pain
- The leg will appear to be frozen, held up in the air, as the dog is unable to move it
-
Limping once the initial move of the knee cap is done and the dog does not feel it any more
Health Issues Affecting Toy & Miniature Poodles
Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease
Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (LCP Disease) is a congenital (present at birth) degeneration of the bone ends in the hips that occurs in young miniature and small breed dogs such as the toy or miniature Poodle. It causes a reduction of blood supply to the bone that is affected. This, in turn, causes pain, weakness and lameness. Without treatment, the Poodle's leg can stop growing, causing 1 leg to be shorter than the others.
This affects males 4 times more often than female dogs and if it is to develop, it usually happens when a puppy is between 4 and 12 months old.
Fortunately, there is treatment, although one must be very patient. The most common treatment is 6 months of very strict bed rest. A dog can have complete recovery only if an owner follows this constantly and without fail. The Poodle must be placed into a small crate or cage and forced to rest, only being allowed out for urination or elimination purposes. After 6 months, most Poodles have a completely healed femoral head (bone end), have no pain and walk normally.
If the bone end collapses during this confined, resting therapy, surgery is then performed.
Health Issues That Can Affect Miniature & Standard Poodles
von Willebrand's Disease
This is a disease that causes a dog to have blood clotting issues. There are 3 types, and most Poodles, if the are to have vWD, have type I, the most common and mild type. Type II and III are rare and much more severe.
Symptoms- Many Poodles with type I are not diagnosed unless they have surgery and it is then discovered that they have excessive bleeding. However, for other dogs there can be signs such as:
• Nose bleeds
• Bleeding from the gums
• Excessive bleeding during heat or whelping for females
• Blood in the urine or stool
This condition cannot be cured but it can be managed. Mild bleeding can be controlled by applying pressure to the area. In some cases, sutures may be needed. Severe cases re treated with transfusions. Thyroid supplements may help to control bleeding, if your veterinarian determines that your dog is hypothyroid.
Health Issues that Can Affect Standard Poodles
Gastric Tortion-Bloat
Commonly referred to as simply "Bloat", this is caused by too much gas or fluid in the dog's stomach. This gas can bloat out the stomach causing gastric dilation. If the stomach partially rotates its called gastric torsion. If it fully rotates its called gastric volvolus. Each can be a life threatening problem.
It has been found that Standard Poodles who suffer from bloat commonly:
- Are between 4-7 years old
- Are Male (2/3's of Poodles with bloat are males)
- Eat large quantities dry kibble (This is just 1 of many reasons why we recommend healthy, home cooking)
- Exercise heavily right after eating
It is extremely important to notice symptoms of bloat right away. The signs are:
- Excessive salivation and drooling
- Extreme restlessness
- Attempts to vomit and/or eliminate
- Evidence of abdominal pain (the Poodle whines and groans if you push on the stomach wall)
- The stomach appears swollen
Symptoms of the More Serious Volvulus
The initial signs are the same for Gastric Dilation except more severe. The distress is more evident. There can be:
- Rapid breathing
- Pale gums
- The Poodle may collapse
Prevention is important. It is suggested to not feed dry kibble...and to offer several small meals throughout the day as opposed to 1 big meal, no matter how old your Poodle is. Also, after eating do not allow any play or exercise for at least 2 hours.
Addison's disease
The scientific name for this disease is hypoadrenocorticism which refers to an insufficient production of cortisone and aldosterone hormones by the adrenal glands. The biggest issue with this canine disease is that it is not often diagnosed early due to symptoms being vague or coming and going. While any dog breed can come down with Addison's, it is the Standard Poodle which is most often diagnosed with this. This most often affects middle-aged female dogs.
Symptoms
- Decrease in appetite
- Increased thirst
- Random vomiting
- Random bloody diarrhea
- Weakness
- Wight loss
- Possible muscle spasms
- Slow heart rate
Having All of the Needed Knowledge
As you know, websites can only offer so much information. To obtain very detailed, easy to read, complete information...you need to have a different format. Therefore, we have created the AllPoodleInfo Book (readable on any computer). Click here to see what is inside our Book
