What Do Poodles Die From? Common Health Issues! (2023)

When adopting a dog, it’s imperative to research how best to take care of it. This involves getting familiar with the different types of diseases that a particular dog breed is susceptible to. For example, what are some common health issues that Poodles face? What do Poodles die from most often?

Common health issues Poodles face include bloat, cancer, Addison’s disease, hypothyroidism, hip dysplasia, epilepsy, chronic active hepatitis, Cushing’s disease, and Progressive Retinal Atrophy.

Keep reading below for more information on these diseases.

Before reading this guide “What Do Poodles Die From,” check out: 6 Fun Games to Play With Your Poodle! (2023) and Poodle Tails: To Dock or Leave Naturally? (2023).

Common Poodle Health Issues

The following are common health issues that occur in Poodles.

Bloat

Bloat, or gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) complex, is a life-threatening condition requiring immediate medical attention.

When the stomach is full of air, the pressure prevents recirculation to the heart from the abdomen and the lower body. The dog goes into shock because blood collects in the rear end of the body, cutting down on the amount of blood the body can use.

As if all of this terrifying stuff wasn’t enough, there is something more terrifying that takes place, and it is heartbreaking to watch it happen. When the stomach twists, it carries the spleen and pancreas with it, cutting out its blood supply. When the pancreas doesn’t get enough oxygen, it makes hormones that are extremely toxic.

One of them is aimed directly at the heart and can stop it in its tracks. It is possible for a dog to receive effective treatment and appear to be safe before abruptly experiencing cardiac arrest. If left untreated, even the mildest instance of bloat can be fatal for a dog.

Addison’s Disease

Addison’s disease is a long-term disorder characterized by inadequate cortisol and aldosterone production by the adrenal glands. Your dog has two little triangle glands above each of his kidneys; these are his adrenal glands, also called suprarenal glands. They are a component of his body’s endocrine system.

Cortisol is a hormone that allows the body to adapt to stress, such as the stress that comes from having a disease, being injured, or having surgery. It’s also good for the heart, and the immune system, and keeping blood sugar stable. There can be no life without cortisol.

Aldosterone is a hormone that affects the ratio of potassium to sodium in the bloodstream. This, in turn, regulates the quantity of fluid that is eliminated from the body by the renal system in the form of urine, and this subsequently influences both blood volume and blood pressure.

Addison’s disease is sometimes referred to as primary adrenal insufficiency.

Secondary adrenal insufficiency is a condition that can occur when the pituitary gland does not create enough adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), the hormone that stimulates adrenal glands to generate cortisol. This condition is similar to primary adrenal insufficiency.

Hypothyroidism

Dogs that produce an excessive amount of thyroid hormone can develop hyperthyroidism, which is characterized by symptoms such as diarrhea, elevated heart rate, anxiety, and hyperactivity.

The condition known as hypothyroidism, which is the most frequent form of thyroid disease seen in dogs, can occur when the thyroid gland fails to produce an adequate amount of thyroid hormone.

Dogs aged four to 10 years typically receive a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. An autoimmune condition that either shrinks or inflames the thyroid tissue almost always causes hypothyroidism in dogs. The American Kennel Club reports that larger breeds like Poodles face a higher mortality rate than smaller ones.

When a dog has hypothyroidism, it has an effect on every part of its body. This includes the digestive system, the brain system, and the cardiovascular system. Reproduction problems are another side effect of hypothyroidism in unaltered dogs.

Hip Dysplasia

Poodles can get hip dysplasia when they are still young. This causes the hip joint to become more loose, which in turn leads to malfunction and pain in the hip. Hip joint cartilage and bone start to break down as the dog gets older. This, in turn, leads to joint pain, muscle loss, and eventually, mobility problems.

Research indicates this is a genetic disorder that primarily affects large-breed dogs, like Standard Poodles.

If hip dysplasia in dogs is detected early enough, the dog’s chances of developing arthritis later in life are greatly reduced. Canine hip dysplasia is treatable in a variety of ways, both surgically and medically.

Your veterinarian will take your dog’s unique situation into account when making treatment recommendations. Whether you choose surgical or non-surgical treatment for your pet depends on the results of a thorough orthopedic evaluation.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a relatively common neurologic condition that impacts the brain and is characterized by recurrent seizures for which there is no identifiable trigger. It is believed that roughly two percent of dogs are afflicted with this condition.

An increase in the amount of electrical activity in the cortex of the brain can induce a seizure. Dogs with epilepsy may have a seemingly healthy brain on the outside but aberrant electrical activity.

Diagnosing epilepsy requires first ruling out every other potential explanation. This type of epilepsy is often referred to as idiopathic or primary epilepsy.

The aberrant electrical impulses begin in one region of the brain (referred to as the “seizure focus”) and then spread across the rest of the brain, triggering involuntary movements as well as a loss of consciousness.

This increase in electrical activity in the brain can bring on a seizure, which manifests itself as jerking, shaking, tremors, and convulsions in the affected dog.

Chronic Active Hepatitis

Canine adenovirus is responsible for the rapid spread of infectious canine hepatitis. This virus attacks the lining of blood vessels, the spleen, the kidneys, the lungs, and the liver, and it can occasionally attack other organs as well.

The severity of the symptoms might range greatly, from a fever, thirst, or lethargy all the way up to death.

There is a correlation between infectious canine hepatitis and canine chronic hepatitis. Necrosis, also known as cell death, has taken place at some point, and inflammation has developed in the dog’s liver.

Chihuahuas, Springer Spaniels, Beagles, Maltese, West Highland White Terriers, Cocker Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers, Bedlington Terriers, Skye Terriers, Doberman Pinschers, and Standard Poodles appear to be at a greater risk of having this condition than other dog breeds.

Chronic hepatitis can develop in some dog breeds when copper builds up in the liver cells. If untreated, copper poisoning can cause severe chronic hepatitis by damaging liver cells.

When an infection is chronic, it has been doing damage to cells for a while (weeks or more), but the symptoms of acute hepatitis do not appear for several days.

Cushing’s Disease

Hyperadrenocorticism is another name for Cushing’s disease (CD). Despite being more common than we realize and being difficult to diagnose due to the required tests, this condition is underdiagnosed. The treatment process is time-consuming, tedious, and costly.

We previously talked about cortisol, the stress hormone, and the “fight or flight” reaction it triggers. The adrenal cortex, which is found on the outside layer of the adrenal glands, is responsible for controlling cortisol.

These two little glands, about the size of a peanut, lie directly in front of the kidneys and secrete hormones that the body uses to carry out vital processes.

The pituitary gland secretes a hormone known as adrenocorticotropic hormone or ACTH. This hormone then instructs the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol, which is also known as glucocorticoids.

When a dog has Cushing’s disease (CD), the pituitary gland or, less frequently, one of the adrenal glands might become infected with a tumor that triggers an abnormally high level of cortisol production from the cortex.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy

Canine progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is a fatal hereditary disorder of the retina. PRA is a painless disorder that worsens gradually over time, most noticeably manifesting itself in a decline in night vision.

The majority of dogs are able to adjust positively to their visual loss and continue to have a high quality of life despite the absence of a treatment or cure at this time.

The final outcome of PRA, which affects the retina at the back of the eye, is always cell degeneration. The retina contains both rod and cone cells. Cones aid in daytime vision and color perception, whereas rods aid in nighttime vision and movement detection.

Degenerative PRA affects the dogs’ rods and cones, which develop normally at birth but begin to deteriorate with age. The loss of night vision will occur first in those with true PRA because rods die before cones. Achromatopsia, often known as day blindness, occurs when cones deteriorate before rods.

Puppies born with underdeveloped rods or cones go blind rapidly, but this is a rare kind of retinal disease. These diseases are now more commonly known as PRAs, but they are more accurately classified as retinal dysplasia. All known PRA gene variants eventually lead to irreversible blindness.

Cancer

Depending on their function in the body, tumors (also known as growths) can be either malignant or benign.

A tumor is a mass of abnormal cells that has spread uncontrollably from its original location. This results in disease, which usually appears as the formation of a lump inside one or more of the body’s organs, which then disrupts the organs’ normally arranged structures to the point where they are unable to perform their intended functions.

Some tumors are considered “benign” because they never spread beyond the organ or tissue in which they originated. But there are also cancers, which are “malignant” because they can spread within the body.

Some factors appear to increase cancer risk, and some breeds appear to have a higher incidence of cancer-based on statistical analysis. Spaying a female dog before she reaches the age of two has been shown to lessen the likelihood of breast cancer, although direct correlations with canine nutrition and lifestyle have not yet been thoroughly investigated.

Since cancer can affect any organ or system, the signs can be extremely varied. Additionally, a wide range of disorders shares many of the symptoms, making it impossible to diagnose cancer solely from its outward manifestations.

In most cases, a veterinarian will not be able to visually confirm the presence of cancer in an animal. Cancer screening blood tests are just getting off the ground. Additional testing, including blood draws and X-rays, is typically required.

The vet may recommend a diagnostic scan, like an ultrasound or MRI. Veterinarians use these to aid in “staging,” the process of determining whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. They also provide insight into your pet’s overall health, which impacts its resilience to therapy.

A biopsy (removal of a tissue sample for microscopic analysis) will help determine the nature of the tumor and whether it is malignant. It’s not always easy to get a definitive diagnosis; for instance, biopsies don’t always have enough high-quality material for microscopic analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion for “What Do Poodles Die From”

Taking care of a dog entails making sure that you keep it safe from the different diseases that he or she is susceptible to. As such, it’s important to know the different diseases your Poodle may be prone to developing at some point in his or her life.

If you find this guide, “What Do Poodles Die From” helpful, check out:

• Pros and Cons of a Poodle with Long Hair! (2023)
• Do Poodles and Cats Get Along? (2023)
• Are Poodles Good Guard Dogs? (2023)

Learn more by watching “Poodle Facts: 10 Interesting Things You Didn’t Know” down below: