Problems Associated with Breeding Purebreds
Every purebred dog has known medical problems associated with the breed. Many health ailments are due to poor breeding and become a genetic hereditary disease, and many are from environmental factors. Like most other dogs, the poodle has been found to be genetically predisposed to several diseases.
The drive to create perfect and even more perfect purebreds is hurting all purebreds. Inbreeding, where family members are mated, for the sake of recreating a desired trait is weakening the bloodline causing genetic defects. As much as you want a poodle to meet the standards, it is more important to have a healthy dog for years of enjoyment. For a family pet, it is very important to check the lineage, which does not necessarily mean the parents need to be registered. There are very healthy poodle bloodlines and it is worth the time to find them and the ethical breeders. You may just avoid heartache.
The following list is the 10 most common diseases for the poodle.
>Hip Dysplasia >Epilepsy >Gastric Tortion-Bloat >Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) >prcd-PRA >Legg-Calve-Perthe's Disease >Sebaceous Adenitis >Patellar Luxation >von Willebrand's Disease >Addison's Disease
Descriptions of the Common Diseases of the Poodle
Hip Dysplasia: A condition in which the head of the bone no longer fits firmly in the "cup" provided by the socket, causing lameness and arthritis-like symptoms
Epilepsy: Seizures lasting from 30 seconds to several minutes.
Gastric Tortion-Bloat: Excess gas trapped in the dog's stomach causes "bloat," and twisting of the stomach (volvulus or "torsion") causes or is caused by said excess gas. This life-threatening condition causes air to be trapped and normal blood flow to be cut off from the spleen and liver. GDV is an emergency condition requiring immediate veterinary treatment.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA): A gradual deterioration of the retina of the eye which ultimately leads to blindness.
prcd-PRA: An additional form of progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) found in miniatures and toys caused by a recessive gene called prcd (progressive rod-cone degeneration).
Legg-Calve-Perthe's Disease: A deterioration of the hip joint cartilage caused by a loss of blood supply to the cap of the femur bone.
Sebaceous Adenitis ("SA"): A skin disease involving a progressive loss of hair caused by the inflamation and ultimate destruction of the sebaceous glands. Most commonly afflicting young adult dogs, its cause is generally unknown.
Patellar Luxation: A dislocation of the kneecap from abnormal structure of the stifle joint, as well as muscles and tendons.
von Willebrand's Disease: An inherited blood disorder similar to hemopheolia in humans. von Willebrand's Disease is the most common canine hereditary bleeding disorder and has been reported in over 50 different breeds of dogs. However, von Willebrand's Disease is most prevalent in the Corgi, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd Dog, German Shorthaired Pointer, Golden Retriever, Shetland Sheepdog, and Standard Poodle.
Addison's Disease: This is an endocrine disorder in which the adrenal gland produces insufficient amounts of steroid hormones. Symptoms include lethargy, premature aging, muscle weakness, lameness/limping, depression, increased nervousness, vomiting, excessive burping, diarrhea, loss of appetite, slow heart rate, increased water consumption and urination, and collapse.
What to do Before Buying a Poodle Puppy
Before buying the poodle puppy find out the health of the parents. Ask and research if any of the 10 most diagnosed illnesses for the poodle have been diagnosed for the parents or the grandparents or even the great grandparents.
ONLINE REGISTRIES FOR POODLES
Online registries are databases where poodle owners register their poodle and the verified diagnosis. This is a helpful tool for breeders and potential owners of poodles.
POODLE HEALTH REGISTRY
The Poodle Health Registry is an incorporated non-profit organization with a Board of Directors, workers and researchers to insure the information about diseases and registrations is as complete, accurate and up to date as possible. It maintains a Web site:
The goal of the Poodle Health Registry is to be the leading authoritative resource for health information about Poodles. It is a tool for owners, breeders and veterinarians not only for information about a specific dog or his relatives, but also for links to information and research about the diseases themselves.
As an additional goal, the Poodle Health Registry plans to assist the veterinary profession in identifying the modes of inheritance for various genetic diseases.
The registry maintains a database of poodles and their diseases. This is a very long list which includes any illness a poodle was diagnosed with by a veterinarian.
CANINE HEALTH INFORMATION CENTER
The Canine Health Information Center, also known as CHIC, is a centralized canine health database jointly sponsored by the AKC/Canine Health Foundation (AKC/CHF) and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). The CHIC, working with participating parent clubs, provides a resource for breeders and owners of purebred dogs to research and maintain information on the health issues prevalent in specific breeds.
Poodles have 581 DNA Bank Participants as of October 30, 2011.
THE POODLE CLUB OF AMERICA
/health.htm
POODLE PLACE
The above table listing the common illness of poodles is from the Poodle Place which can be found at
/poodlehealth.htm.
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