Caring For Your Poodle

Although the Poodle has often been ranked as one of the ten most popular breeds they also face their share of Poodle health problems just like all other dog breeds. The most common of Poodle health problems affects the eyes. The most common eye problem for Poodles is progressive retinal atrophy or PRA. This condition causes the destruction of the photoreceptors in the eye that are found on the retina. The retina then basically shrivels up as the disease progresses until the dog goes completely blind. The condition gets worse as the dog ages and can appear anywhere between two years of age to eight years of age. The most common symptom for a dog with this condition is a sudden appearance of being afraid of the dark. In addition, PRA is causes by a recessive gene, which means it can be dormant in a line of dogs for several generations before it even shows up in your dog. Currently there is no cure for PRA and it is very difficult to predict.

There are other Poodle health problems that you want to be aware of which don't affect the eyes. There are a wide variety of Poodle health problems that can affect your dog. One of these is Von Willebrand's Disease, which is a bleeding disorder that changes the proteins in the platelets. As a result the normal adhesive properties of the platelets are lost and they won't be able to stick together in order to stop bleeding. Therefore, the blood can continue to flow out of any injuries. Often the condition is unnoticed until the dog has surgery or experiences a traumatic injury, which then usually causes the dog to bleed out before treatment can be done.

For miniature Poodles there is a condition in which the long bone cartilage in the leg hardens as a result of their abnormally short legs known as achondroplasia. The common bone problem for the larger standard Poodle is hip dysphasia in which there is a malformation of the hip socket and femoral head. There are also skin conditions that appear on the face and feet as a result of allergies. Some of these conditions cause the skin to become itchy, other cause the skin to become moist and smelly while still others will cause pustules to appear.

Other Poodle health problems that affect the standard Poodle include bloat. This condition can affect all large breed dogs that are deep chested. The exact cause of this condition is unknown, but the results are fatal and quick. The stomach fills up like a balloon as a result of an excessive amount of gas and stomach fluids that fill up the stomach when it flips over on itself causing both ends to twist close. The only cure for this condition is surgical care from a veterinarian within a few hours. Without veterinarian care the dog will die and it will be a very painful death. Unfortunately the dog doesn't have a high chance of survival even with surgery, but those that do come out of surgery successfully will often have the problem corrected for the rest of their life without further worry that the problem will come back and require further medical treatment.

Lisa Collins is knowledgeable on the conditions that can affect a Poodle. Proper Poodle care involves being aware of conditions that can affect your pets health. Knowing when to seek emergency care for your Poodle is also very important.