Poodles are among the top ten popular breed of dogs in the United States. There are three breeds of poodle grouped together to place the breed among the top ten. These poodles are toy, miniature and standard, but, each has its own set of health concerns and diseases that owners should be aware of. Toy Poodle health concerns and diseases are:
Allergies in Toy Poodles can be food allergies or dermatitis. Food allergies are difficult to diagnose, but skin irritation is usually a symptom. Dermatitis, which is caused by the poodles reaction to contact with a surface or substance, is another common type of allergy and is generally related to laundry detergent, household cleaners, perfumes and shampoos. Treatment will most likely involve an antihistamine medication.
Aseptic necrosis of the femoral head occurs when the Toy Poodle’s femoral head, which is the highest part of the dog’s thigh bone, deteriorates and ultimately collapses.
Bladder stones occur when waste products such as excess minerals crystallize or solidify in the toy poodle’s bladder area.
Cataracts occur when opacities develop inside the eye lens of the toy poodle and can lead to blindness.
Chronic valvular disease occurs when the toy poodle’s heart valves progressively deteriorate, leading to the dog having heart murmurs and even heart failure.
Cryptorchidism occurs when intact, young male toy poodles do not have their testicles “drop” or descend into the dog’s scrotum.
Deafness can either be a genetic problem or it can be the result of an ear infection.
Diabetes mellitus occurs when the Toy Poodle’s pancreas fails to produce the sufficient amount of insulin due to disease.
Dilated cardiomyopathy occurs when the Toy Poodle suffers with a heart condition that leads to the dog’s heart muscle becoming enlarged and the wall of the heart muscle becoming thin.
Ectopic ureter in Toy Poodles is present at birth of the dog and occurs when either one or both of the dog’s ureters, which are responsible for moving urine from the dog’s kidneys to the bladder, fail to work properly.
Epilepsy in Toy Poodles is a disorder characterized by seizures and generally occurs when the dog is between 2 and 5 years old.
Glaucoma occurs in Toy Poodles when the pressure within the dog’s eye increases causing pain and can lead to blindness.
Granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis is a disease of the Toy Poodles central nervous system that is sporadic and inflammatory.
Hair loss or alopecia is another condition that owners of Toy Poodles should be aware of.
Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis in Toy Poodles is characterized by a sudden, explosive case of bloody diarrhea.
Hydrocephalus occurs when the Toy Poodle has an excess of cerebrospinal fluid on the brain.
Hyperadrenocorticism occurs when the Toy Poodle’s adrenal glands become overactive and excessively secrete cortisol and causing illness in the dog.
Immune mediated hemolytic anemia occurs when the dog’s immune system attacks and/or kills the dog’s red blood cells instead of the germs in the body.
Intervertebral disk disease in Toy Poodles, a spinal disk disorder, results in the dog being afflicted with pain, walking difficulties and even paralysis.
Patent ductus arteriosis, a birth defect that is congenital, occurs when the Toy Poodle has a blood vessel that remains open allowing blood to go into the lungs.
Progressive retinal degeneration, an eye disease, occurs when degeneration of the nerve cells located at the back of the dog’s eye.
Tracheal collapse occurs when the dog suffers from the rings of its windpipe weakening, causing the dog to cough from irritation.
Von Willebrand’s disease occurs when the Toy Poodle has a deficient amount of von Willebrand’s factor which is partly responsible for the clotting of the dog’s blood.
