Standard Poodle Health Issues

These are a few of the conditions that may affect the standard poodle. Although he Poodle is very elegant in appearance, in reality it is a sturdy dog with a long life span. The standard poodle matures at 18 - 24 months of age, and has a life expectancy onaverage of between 12 to 14 years.

The Standard Poodle is basically healthy but the breed does have some inheritable health problems.

We recommend that when purchasing a puppy you ensure that the breeder has knowledge about the diseases affecting standard poodles and what steps the breeder has taken to ensure that they do not produce these defects.

Health certificates for both Sire and Dam, as well as the grandparents of the puppy will show that the breeder is serious about preventing these unwanted conditions.

Genetically based disorders that have been found in The Standard Poodle include:

Hip Dysplasia	Epilepsy
Bloat	Addisons
von Willebrand's Disease	Eye Disease
Longevity Article	Thyroid
Cryptorchidism	Autoimmune Disease
Juvenile Renal Disease	Sebaceous Adenitis
Canine Inherited Disorders Database	More Health Links

Hip Dysplasia

condition in which the head of the femur fits improperly into the hip joint socket, causing Pain and lameness. Pain killers and/or surgery are the usual treatments

This degenerative hip disease is diagnosed through x-rays. These hip x-rays are evaluated by the Australian Veterinary Association. A certificate is received giving each hips' score and the breed average at the time of testing.

Understanding Hip Scoring	International Hip Dysplasia Ratings
Hip Dysplasia	Canine Hip and Elbow Dysplasia Resourses

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Sebaceous Adenitis

A chronic skin disorder resulting from abnormal and/or inflamed, or in some cases a total absence of, sebaceous glands.

Diagnosing SA can be difficult as the symptoms vary by breed, the symptoms are similar to those of other diseases such as hypothyroidism or allergies, and the disease can vary greatly in its severity. Visible symptoms include excessive dandruff or scaling, silver-gray scales, hair loss, lesions, a musty odor, and even secondary skin infections. On the other hand, dogs affected with SA can be subclinical and show no outward signs of the disease. As a result, diagnosis requires microscopic examination of tissue samples.

Therapeutic baths and antibiotics for secondary infections are the recommended treatments. A skin biopsy is taken after 2 years of age and is evaluated by a veterinary pathologist. Testing only indicates that the dog does not have SA at the present time.

Sebaceous Adenitis Stephen White

Successful Treatment for SA (Akita)

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Bloat/Gastric Torsion

(Gastric dilation, torsion and intestinal volvulus)- a life threatening condition that occurs when the stomach swells with gas and then twists cutting off it's blood supply. Abdominal distention, salivating, and retching are the hallmark signs of GDV. Other signs may include restlessness, depression, lethargy, anorexia, weakness, or a rapid heart rate. There is no test available to assess at-risk dogs. It has not been proven to be heritable, but it seems to run in families of dogs. It is advised not breed with any poodle that has bloated or with any of that poodle's first degree relatives (ie. parent or sibling or progeny).

Cryptorchidism

A condition in which one or both testicles are retained in the abdominal cavity. Hormone injections, given to stimulate testicular descent, sometimes are successful. When the treatment is unsuccessful, removal of the testicles is recommended because cryptorchid testicles may become cancerous. Frequently, owners notice that the puppy they just purchased only has one or possibly no testicles within the scrotum. Although different dates are listed in some of the veterinary literature, both testicles are usually within the scrotum by the time the animal is six weeks of age and they should definitely be there by the time the puppy is eight to ten weeks of age. If one or both testicles are not present at that location by twelve weeks of age, they probably never will be and the animal is said to be suffering from cryptorchidism or "retained testicles." This is a disorder that may be passed from generation to generation.

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Hereditary Eye Conditions

An eye examination by a certified veterinarian opthamologist checks for any abnormalities in the eye.

CERF (Canine Eye Registry Foundation)

Cataracts affects different breeds in different ways and the form of the cataract is often breed specific. It is usually, but not invariably, bilateral and may, or may not, progress to total blindness. The condition is pain free and cataract operations are frequently performed in the dog.

Entropian

- An eye condition in which the eyelids are grown inward, causing the eye lashes to come into contact with the eye itself. Progressive Retinal Atrophy a disorder of the eye in which the light cells in the retina wither and die due to insufficient blood supply. the disease progresses Gradually, results in blindness and has no known cure. Its onset in the Poodle is between 5 to 6 years old. The presence of PRA can be detected by ophthalmascopic examination by a veterinary ophthalmologist. In summary, PRD refers to a broad group of inherited retinal disease which result in the blindness of dogs. Because of the nature of the disease and sometimes the late onset, repeated examinations may be required to detect individuals with the condition. Patients affected should not be used for breeding. Pedigree studies are used to help eliminate other carriers of this condition such as the pet's brothers, sisters, mother, father and any offspring. Not common in standard poodles.

Testing Standard Poodles for PRA

Because very few cases of PRA in Standard Poodles have come to the attention of researchers, the prcd-PRA marker test has not been examined for them. Its likely that, if Standards have PRA, it would be one of the forms also present in Toys and Miniature. However, that hasnt been proven as yet.

Source: The Poodle Papers Summer 2001

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Epilepsy

A neurological disorder marked by recurring seizures that follow episodic, abnormal discharges of electrical impulses by nerve cells in the brain. As in humans, it is controlled with drugs such as Phenobarbital or Dilantin. There is good reason to believe that epilepsy in poodles (all varieties) frequently is inherited. However, the mode(s) of inheritance are unknown. Thus, even in those cases where the epilepsy clearly is genetic, it is not possible to know whether both parents are carriers or only one parent is a carrier. Likewise, it is not possible to know how many (or which) of the litter mates are carriers or are likely to develop epilepsy themselves at a later point in time.

Canine Epilepsy Network

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Von Willebrand's Disease

Standard poodles are affected by Type I vWD - thought to be an autosomal trait with incomplete dominance. This means offspring may inherit the disorder if either parent carries the gene, but not all offspring will be affected to the same extent. Dogs with type I disease have reduced but measurable levels of Von Willebrand factor (1 to 60 per cent). Animals that inherit the gene for type I vWD from both parents (homozygotes) die before birth or shortly thereafter.

von Willedbrands is a blood-clotting disorder that leads to a tendency to bleed easily, is caused by a deficiency in a protein found in the blood plasma. In 1998, with research money provided in part by the Poodle Club of American Foundation, a company named VetGen developed a non-invasive cheek swab DNA profiling test which determines if a dog is clear, a carrier, or affected. Less than 1% of poodles are affected; you can view VetGen's statistics here. The Orthopedic Foundation of America is registering dogs based on VetGen's DNA test.

Although many dogs are affected by vWD, only a small proportion have severe problems. Dogs with vWD are prone to nose bleeds, bleeding from the gums, and prolonged bleeding during heat or after whelping. There may be prolonged bleeding from the umbilical cord at birth or when your pup sheds its baby teeth. Excessive bleeding after surgery or trauma is common, and may be the first sign of this condition in your dog. You may see blood in your dog's urine or stool.

Most dogs with vWD can lead normal lives, with occasional bleeding episodes that may go unnoticed or can be treated appropriately. Other illnesses, or physical or emotional stress may worsen bleeding episodes. In affected dogs, it is best to consult your veterinarian before using any over-the-counter medications. Drugs such as aspirin for example, alter the function of platelets, and should be avoided in dogs with bleeding disorders.

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Thyroid Malfunction

A blood sample is drawn to test for normal thyroid levels in parents; dogs must have reached sexual maturity.

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Addison's Disease

A disorder caused by a deficiency in adreno cortical hormones most commonly occurring in young and middle-aged dogs. Symptoms include weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia and general physical deterioration.

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Juvenile Renal Disease

JRD and other congenital or familial forms of renal dysplasia are seen in about twenty breeds of dogs including The Standard Poodle. According to Kenneth Bovee, DVM, (Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania), the clinical entity has considerable variation from breed to breed and has completely different prevalence rates. A table which lists all of the congenital and familial renal diseases of dogs by breed can be found in Veterinary Pediatrics Dogs & Cats from Birth to Six Months

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Autoimmune Disease

If a dog has an autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakenly attacks itself, targeting the cells, tissues, and organs of a dogs own body. A collection of immune system cells and molecules at a target site is broadly referred to as inflammation.

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Health Links

OFA

Dog Genome Project

Pet Loss Grief Counseling Hotlines

Pets with Diabetes

Alternative Veterinary Medicine

Senior Dogs Project

AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association)

NetVet

AKC Canine Health Foundation

AVMA Pet Poison Guide