Picture taken from www.teacuppoodles.us
From the desk of Sharda Baker.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Hi and welcome everyone!
This is Sharda with another Poodle dogs newsletter.
I hope you have enjoyed all of the topics so far and had fun reading them.
This one is a little more serious though and it is specifically designed to raise awareness of the illnesses and ailments that can potentially diminish the quality of life of Poodle dogs.
Of course, we have touched on the topic of health before but this time it is a little more in depth and may be a little disturbing.
I just wanted to warn you of that in advance so that you are aware of that fact but it is essential reading.
AN INTRODUCTION TO POODLE DOG DISEASES
Poodle dogs are not the only breed of dog that faces serious illness and ailments. In fact, most pedigree breeds face a lot of problems, diseases and illnesses today as a direct result of the way in which they have been bred over the years.
Many illnesses have been bred into rather than out of the genetic makeup of Poodle dogs so there are certain things you, as a Poodle owner, need to know about.
There are numerous dog diseases out there that Poodle owners need to know about but some are more common than others and can affect Poodle health in a big way.
The Poodle Health Registry has listed several normal and hereditary diseases that dogs are susceptible to and the information below concerns the most common.
HEREDITARY DISEASE AND COMMON ILLNESSES
There are two particularly common problems that affect the health of Poodle dogs. Both can be incredibly painful and jeopardize the quality of life of your Poodle so you need to know about them.
The first is Addison’s Disease. It is essentially the most common ailment and is effectively where the adrenal glands stop working to produce hormones properly.
Insufficient production of these hormones will cause lethargy, gastric problems and stress but these are quite vague symptoms so it is hard to diagnose.
It can be fatal because it ultimately causes an imbalance of sodium and potassium and that can cause a painful death but diagnosis will help your Poodle dogs to live normal lives with medication.
GDV is the second problem that affects Poodle dogs. Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (GDV) is essentially when gas gets trapped in the stomach and results in bloat.
This is not a problem once in a while for most breeds but it is for Poodles because it can result in twisting of the stomach, which is incredibly painful and can be fatal.
A swollen stomach, restlessness, retching and pacing are all symptoms of this and it is relatively easy to spot. As soon as you notice GDV though go straight to the vet.
Never wait for it to improve because immediate vet attention is required.
OTHER POODLE HEALTH ISSUES
In addition to the issues listed above, there are several other health issues that you may want to be aware of. For example, ear infections are common in Poodle dogs as a result of the way their ears lay.
It is quite easy for bacteria to get under the ear flap and into the canal so the best possible way to avoid this is to clean them regularly and ensure that you are vigilant.
More serious issues are hip dysplasia, various forms of cancer and thyroid problems.
However, providing that you pay attention when grooming your Poodle dogs and remain vigilant to changes in Poodle health in general then there is no reason why you cannot ensure that your Poodle is treated quickly and easily by your vet.
I hope this has been informative and helpful for you.
Thanks for reading and for taking this newsletter seriously. It could save your Poodle’s life.
All the best and take care
Warmly,
Sharda Baker