Poodle Health Problems by Size: Knees, Perthes, Addison’s, Bloat, PRA, Epilepsy and More

Poodles are a healthy breed by most measures, and the small sizes are among the longest-lived dogs there are. But each size has a list, and most of the items on it are far easier to manage when caught early. The usual honest line: we are not vets. This is what to watch and when to ask.

Toys and Miniatures

Patellar luxation. The kneecap slips out of its groove. The classic sign is a skip: the dog trots along, holds a back leg up for two or three strides, then carries on as if nothing happened. Graded one to four by a vet. Low grades are managed with lean weight, muscle and ramps; higher grades, or a dog who is lame most days, need surgery, which works well in small dogs. Film the skip; it never happens in the consulting room.

Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. The blood supply to the head of the femur fails and the bone crumbles, in puppies of four to twelve months. A back-leg limp that gets steadily worse over weeks, pain when the hip is stretched back, a wasted thigh, and a puppy who stops wanting to play. Surgery to remove the femoral head gives most small dogs a normal, pain-free life. Not the same as a knock; a limp that worsens is a vet this week.

Dental disease. Crowded mouths, retained baby teeth and periodontal disease that starts by three or four. Daily brushing, retained canines removed by seven months, and a first professional clean by three or four in most Toys. Rotten teeth seed bacteria into the heart and kidneys; this is not cosmetic.

Tracheal collapse. The rings of the windpipe soften and the airway flattens. A dry honking cough like a goose, worse with excitement, heat, or pulling on a collar. A harness for life, lean weight, cool walks and medication when needed. Severe cases can be stented.

Standards

Addison's disease. The adrenal glands stop making cortisol and aldosterone. Called the great pretender because the signs are vague and come and go: off food, vomiting or diarrhoea on and off for weeks, lethargy, weakness, shaking, drinking more, weight loss, usually in a young to middle-aged dog and more often a female. Untreated it ends in an Addisonian crisis: collapse, a slow heart, shock, and an emergency. A routine blood test often flags it (low sodium, high potassium) and an ACTH stimulation test confirms it. Treated with a monthly injection or daily tablets, Addisonian dogs live normal lives. If your young Standard is off colour on and off, ask for electrolytes and say the word.

Bloat. Gastric dilatation-volvulus: the deep-chested stomach fills with gas and twists. A swollen, drum-tight belly, retching without bringing anything up, restlessness, drooling, then weakness, pale gums and collapse. It kills within hours. Nearest vet immediately, ring ahead. Two meals a day, a slow bowl, no exercise for an hour either side of food, and a conversation about a preventive gastropexy.

Sebaceous adenitis. An immune attack on the skin's oil glands. A dry, dull, brittle coat, silvery scale stuck to the hair, thinning along the back, head and ears, a musty smell and repeat infections. A skin biopsy confirms it; oil soaks, medicated shampoos and medication manage it. Earlier is better.

Hip dysplasia. Less common than in Labradors or Shepherds but real. Bunny-hopping, difficulty rising, a swaying walk. Hip-scored parents, a large-breed puppy food, lean weight and no forced exercise until fourteen to eighteen months.

All sizes

Progressive retinal atrophy. The retina dies slowly. Night blindness first, usually from three to five years: bumping into things at dusk, hesitating on stairs in low light, dilated pupils that shine. Then complete blindness. Painless and untreatable, and preventable by DNA testing the parents for prcd-PRA. Cataracts and glaucoma also run in the breed; a cloudy eye is a vet visit and a red, painful, bulging eye is a same-day one.

Idiopathic epilepsy. Seizures starting between six months and five years, managed well with medication in most dogs. Time every seizure and film it if you can. One lasting over five minutes, or several in a day, is an emergency.

Von Willebrand's disease. A clotting disorder. Bleeding that won't stop after a nail cut, a lost baby tooth, a season or surgery. A DNA test before any operation, and breeders should test the parents.

Ears and allergies. Drop ears with hairy canals trap moisture. Repeat ear infections, itchy paws and a red belly usually mean allergy underneath, which is managed rather than cured.

When it means the vet

Any skip or limp lasting more than a day. Any worsening limp in a small puppy. Any honking cough. Any vague, on-and-off illness in a young Standard. Any eye that is cloudy, red or bumping into things. Any first seizure. And, as emergencies: bloat signs, collapse, a bulging eye, unstoppable bleeding, a long seizure. Insurance before the first vet visit, because most of this list costs thousands and all of it is pre-existing the day after it's noted. The health by age guide puts it on a timeline.