General Health Information for Poodles

As a breed Poodles are hardy and have a long life. It’s common for poodles live an active, happy life for 10 to 15 years.

While we recommend rescue adoption as the first option when looking to add a poodle to the family, we understand that it isn’t always possible, for various reasons. If you wish to make a poodle a part of the family and rescue adoption is not possible, take your time do the research and purchase from a reputable poodle puppy breeder. This will give you the best chance of bringing a physically and mentally sound dog into your life.

Puppy mills are such a terrible problem, which is why it’s very important that you get to know the breeder and the conditions that first influenced your new puppy’s life.

A good poodle puppy breeder only breeds from quality breeding stock (in this case we mean healthy, not necessarily lineage) and each mating will be carefully planned. This is where the poodle breeders can play an important role in the health of their chosen breed going forward. The breed is also responsible for beginning the puppy socialization process – a process you will continue as soon as you bring your puppy home.

Specific detail on the unique health issues that will affect your particular poodle puppy you should early one seek the opinion of your breeder (if applicable) your Veterinarian.

Like humans, and other breeds of dog, poodles may have health problems, some common among all dogs and some specific to the breed and even to one poodle variety. In fact all three varieties of poodle, Standard, Miniature and Toy have both health issues in common, and that are unique to the particular variety.

In this day and age we have a health tests which allow us to screen for some of these problems and in this era of DNA technology researchers are able to find abnormal genes and are working on more tests to help eradicate genetic disease.

Here are some health issues of concern to Poodle owners.

Common Health Issues of Poodles

The most common serious health issues for Standard Poodles, according to the Poodle Health Registry, are Addison’s disease, gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV– See Bloat ), thyroid issues including hyperthyroid and hypothyroid, epilepsy, sebaceous adenitis, juvenile renal disease, tracheal collapse, hip dysplasia, and cancer.

Standard Poodles are also susceptible to some health issues that go unreported because they are not considered serious. The most common of these minor issues is probably ear infection. Ear infections are a problem in all poodle varieties because their nonshedding coat which grows into the ear canal where it traps dirt and creates a wax buildup. Ear problems can be reduced by proper ear maintenance which includes regular cleaning and removal of hair within the ear canal. Consult a veterinarian if your poodle shows signs of an ear infection.

All three poodle varieties can suffer from: Hip Dysplasia, Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), Cataracts, Epilepsy, Von Willebrand’s Disease, Epilepsy, Hypothyroidism, Other Eye Disease, Cushing’s Disease, Urinary Stones and Mammary Tumors.

Health issues for Standard Poodles can be: Gastric Torsion, Addison’s Disease, Sebaceous Adenitis and Canine Cancers.

Health problems specific to Toy and Miniature Poodles include: Legg Calve Perthes, Patella Sub Luxation, Cryptorchidism, Trichiasis and Urolithiasis.

Here are Some Health Issues of Concern

The Common Health Concerns:

Cataract

Glaucoma

Distichiasis

Entropion

Epilepsy

PRA- Progressive Retinal Atrophy

Lacrimal Duct Atresia

Legg-Perthes

Trichiasis

Less Common Health Concerns:

Addison’s Disease

Urinary Stones

Hair Follicle Tumors

Intervertebral Disc Disease