In this article we’ll discuss the most common Doodle health issues that you should know about. We’ll cover health problems that are prevalent in Poodles, Goldendoodles, Labradoodles, Bernedoodles, and Aussiedoodles.
Table of Contents
Poodle Health Issues Are Doodle Health Issues
To understand what diseases and health problems all Doodles are prone to, we need to cover the most common Poodle health issues. Because Poodles are the parent pups to all other Doodles, their health inevitably determines a lot.
Poodle Diseases
The most common Poodle health issues are:
- Addison’s Disease – the most common health concern in standard Poodles. This affects a Poodle’s ability to produce enough hormones in the adrenal gland. Mainly, the stress hormone cortisol (learn more).
- Hip Dysplasia – a common hereditary disease that weakens the Poodle’s hip (or elbow) joints. This can result in weakness in limbs, difficulty when rising up, difficulty and limping when walking (learn more).
- Epilepsy – commonly affects Poodles and causes seizures. The symptoms include walking in place, confusion, difficulty breathing and, of course, sudden unconsciousness. In case a Poodle experiences a seizure, write down all the symptoms you notice. This helps determine the severity of Epilepsy (learn more).
- Bloating and Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (GDV) – GDV is a potentially life threatening disease, as the Poodle’s stomach starts to twist and traps air inside. If a Poodle is experiencing bloating, an immediate vet visit is crucial (learn more).
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) and other eye diseases like cataracts – PRA is a hereditary disease that has a progressive nature, as does cataracts. These eye problems may lead to blindness (learn more).
- Thyroid Issues like hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism – both of these affect the production of thyroid hormones, which regulate metabolism (learn more).
- Sebaceous Adenitis (SA) – a skin condition that causes dry, scaly skin and can ultimately lead to hair loss (learn more).
- von Willebrand’s Disease (vWD) – another hereditary disease. vWD causes problems with blood clotting and can cause extreme blood loss even from small wounds (learn more).
- Patellar luxation – causes a dislocating kneecap, which causes discomfort and limping. This problem is more common in toy and miniature Poodles (learn more).
- Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (LCP Disease or LCPD) – a disorder of hip joints that causes pain and muscle shrinkage. Again, more common in smaller sized Poodles (learn more).
Goldendoodle Health Issues
Naturally, a Goldendoodle’s health is determined by the health of its parents – the Poodle and Golden Retriever. Let’s have a closer look at the most common Golden Retriever and Goldendoodle health issues.
Golden Retriever Health Issues
Like Poodles, Golden Retrievers also tend to commonly suffer from hereditary hip and elbow dysplasia, eye problems, and thyroid issues.
However, other most common diseases and health concerns in Golden Retrievers are cancer, allergies and skin conditions like sebaceous adenitis, ear infections, and heart disease – namely, a hereditary heart disease called subvalvular aortic stenosis.
Goldendoodle Health Problems
Most common Goldendoodle health issues are:
- Hip dysplasia
- Subvalvular aortic stenosis
- Sebaceous adenitis
- Addison’s Disease
- Cataracts
Do Goldendoodles have a lot of health issues?
Thanks to mixing two breeds together, Goldendoodles tend to have less breed-specific diseases than their parent breeds.
Nevertheless, Goldendoodle health issues do generally come from either side of the parents.
What do most Goldendoodles die from?
If bloat, cancer, thyroid problems, heart disease or Addison’s Disease are left untreated, they might cause a Goldendoodle to die.
It is crucial that you take your Goldendoodle for regular vet checkups to catch any warning signs early on.
What is the average life expectancy of a Goldendoodle?
The average life expectancy of a Goldendoodle is about 10 to 15 years. However, smaller sized Goldendoodles usually have a longer life expectancy.
Are Golden Doodles prone to cancer?
Unfortunately, the most common cause of deaths in Golden Retrievers is cancer. Because of this, Goldendoodles might be more prone to developing cancer.
The best way to prevent it is by making sure your Goldendoodle stays at a healthy weight, avoid overfeeding, and provide them regular exercise.
You should also limit your Goldendoodle’s exposure to sun, smoke, and other harmful substances like pesticides. Moreover, visit the vet regularly to detect any early signs of cancer.
Labradoodle Health Issues
Labradoodle is a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle. As with the other Doodle breeds, Labradoodle health issues are mostly inherited from its parent breeds.
See Also:
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Labrador Health Issues
Labrador Retrievers are prone to joint diseases like hip and elbow dysplasia, and eye disease like PRA and cataracts. Also, diseases like bloat, obesity and cancer are prevalent in Labradors.
Like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers have a high number of cancer-related deaths.
What diseases are Labradoodles prone to?
Most common Labradoodle health issues include:
- Hip dysplasia
- Eye disease like PRA, cataracts, retinal dysplasia
- Thyroid issues like hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
- Bloat
- Cancer
- Addison’s Disease
What is the life expectancy of a Labradoodle?
Labradoodles have a pretty long life expectancy at around 12 to 15 years.
In fact, the longest living Labrador and the longest living Poodle both lived to 27 years! Therefore, provide your Labradoodle good nutrition, weight management, exercise, and an overall happy life.
See Also:
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Is cancer common in Labradoodles?
Because cancer is one of the main health concerns for Labradors, Labradoodles are more prone to developing cancer.
Cancer may be prevented with a healthy lifestyle. On the other hand, it might also be caused by hormonal or hereditary issues.
Bernedoodle Health Issues
Bernedoodle results when a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Poodle have been crossed. Let’s discuss the most common Bernese Mountain Dog and Bernedoodle health issues.
Bernese Mountain Dog Health Issues
Like other large breeds, Bernese Mountain Dogs are most commonly prone to canine hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia. Other common health concerns include PRA, von Willebrand’s Disease, bloat and a type of cancer called histiocytosis.
Less common health issues in Bernese Mountain Dogs include epilepsy, heart disease, thyroid issues, and allergies.
What Health Problems do Bernedoodles Have?
The most common Bernedoodle health issues are inherited from either the Poodle or the Bernese Mountain Dog side. And as we know, many of these overlap for both breeds:
- Hip and elbow dysplasia
- Skin problems and allergies
- von Willebrand’s Disease
- Bloat
- Eye issues like PRA and cataracts
- Less common Bernedoodle health issues are epilepsy, thyroid issues, and allergies
To combat the discomfort and pain caused by hip and elbow dysplasia, it is crucial for all Doodle breeds to stay at a healthy weight and avoid obesity.
What is the life expectancy of a Bernedoodle?
The typical lifespan of a Bernedoodle ranges from 12 to 15 years. However, smaller Bernedoodles can live longer than that.
Aussiedoodle Health Issues
Aussiedoodle health issues may develop thanks to either its parent Australian Shepherd, Poodle, or both.
Australian Shepherd Health Issues
Common health problems in Australian Shepherds include hip and elbow dysplasia, eye diseases like cataracts, PRA, and Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA).
Australian Shepherds are also prone to drug sensitivity (multiple drug sensitivity aka MDS). Other health problems include canine epilepsy, cancer, autoimmune disease, and thyroid issues like Cushing’s Disease.
What Health Problems do Aussiedoodles Have?
Most common Aussiedoodle health issues are:
- Hip dysplasia
- Eye problems like cataracts, PRA or CEA
- Multiple drug sensitivity
- Cushing’s Disease
- Epilepsy
- Pancreatitis
What is the lifespan of an Aussiedoodle?
Aussiedoodles have a life expectancy of around 12 to 18 years.
In conclusion, it all starts with proper health testing of the Doodle pup’s parents. In this article we discussed that a responsible breeder will properly test a Doodle litter’s parents before breeding any new puppies. There, you can have a look at what testing should be done for different Doodle health issues.
In addition, regular visits to your vet and keeping an eye on your Doodle’s behavior are crucial to catch any Doodle health issues early on. Most of them are treatable or manageable with proper, early care.
Does your Doodle have any of the above health issues? Join the discussion by leaving a comment below.
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The information on this page is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for qualified professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your veterinarian or other qualified animal health provider with any questions you may have.
Our Goldendoodle, Bebelle, was just diagnosed with liver cancer and is undergoing chemo. Our hearts are breaking. If anyone has any suggestions to help our beautiful angel, please respond. Thank you.
November 4, 2020 at 7:00 pm