By Dr Anthony Zambelli
Intelligent, long-lived, and attractive, Poodles are an incredibly under-rated breed. Often dismissed as “girly” dogs, the Standard Poodle in particular is an incredible working dog, exceptionally trainable and hardy. It is perhaps a pity that they are not as popular in SA as their smaller cousins, the Mini and Toy Poodles. What is interesting is the similarity and in some cases, the massive differences in the typical breed-associated medical conditions of this “super family” of dogs. As with my previous articles on the subject of breed-related conditions, this piece is not meant to dissuade, but rather inform the prospective Poodle owner.
Poodles are of great interest to scientists, veterinarians an dog fanciers world-wide. For example, did you know that…
A few years ago, South Korean scientists created a cloned puppy that was born from cells retrieved from a 14-year-old Toy Poodle 1?
What’s the best dog if you have allergies? Well, the common wisdom is that Poodles are an excellent choice (and Rex cats!). This is completely wrong! The curly hair of Poodles is super-curly – and super-fragile too! The fragility causes microfragments, covered in the Can f 1 allergen, to be carried better into airways and onto oculonasal surfaces of sensitized humans. In one study from France, they compared the amount of this allergen produced by difference breeds of dog, and Poodles and Yorkies produced almost EIGHT times as much Can f 1 Allergen as Labradors! 2
In another study on the association between coughing and exposure to tobacco smoke, researchers from the University of North Carolina found that Toy Poodles were more likely to be affected by exposure!3?
What follows is not an exhaustive list of conditions, but rather a mixture of common and/or interesting conditions. An educated Poodle owner and veterinarian with a genuine interest in breed disease risk management can then structure an annual health plan to keep your curly-haired hunter in tip-top condition for many years of pleasure!
Blood system & Circulation
Haemophilia A (Factor 8 Deficiency)
The most common inherited bleeding disorder of dogs, Haemophilia A has been reported for over 30 years in the Standard Poodle4. Bleeding is most often noticed at birth as excessive bleeding from the umbilical cord, when the milk teeth are lost, or in early life after surgery (eg neutering). It looks very similar to other bleeding conditions such as von Willebrand’s disease.
Liver and bowels
Portosystemic shunts (PSS, Portovascular Anomalies)
PSS is the persistence of a foetal blood vessel after birth that allows blood that would normal come through the liver from the bowels, kidneys, pancreas or spleen, to bypass the liver. This “dumps” ammonia- and chemical-rich blood from these organs into the circulation where it causes brain damage (depression, seizures, and coma) because the liver doesn’t have an opportunity to detoxify it. Shunts in large dogs like Standard Poodles are normally “intrahepatic” ie, occurring within the liver tissue. It is diagnosed by clinical signs (most notable as altered mental status after a meal), blood tests, an ultrasound done by an expert, and possibly a portal contrast study. Some PSS can be surgically corrected, for which a specialist should be consulted, but management is normally curative. Affected dogs should not be bred, and littermates should be checked by blood tests and possibly ultrasound. Notably, the Toy and Mini Poodles have also been described as having intrahepatic shunts, despite being small breed dogs.5
Gastric Dilation (GD) and Gastric Dilation-Volvulus (GDV)
Deep-chested breeds such as Wolfhounds, Great Danes, Dobermans, Setters, Rotties and, yes, Standard Poodles, are prone to this devastating condition.6 It can strike without warning, but there are certain risk factors that increase the chances of a “bloat” or “bloat progressing to torsion”, such as:
Dogs become distressed or depressed; may groan or pace; look at their abdomens; vomit or dry heave. They can collapse in shock with very little warning, often late at night. This is an emergency and requires massive doses of IV fluids, gastric decompression and sometimes surgery. In every instance, surgery to derotate the stomach is pointless unless the stomach outlet (pylorus) is “tacked” (gastropexy) to the body wall, which vastly reduces the risk of torsion (up to 6 – 30x reduction in risk, depending on breed). At Inanda Vets we are pioneering the use of true keyhole surgery (laparoscopy) to perform prophylactic (ie, preventative) gastropexy. In a study from the USA, it was shown to reduce the lifetime risk and cost of GDV substantially.
Skin (Dermatological) & Hormonal (Endocrine)
Sebaceous Adenitis (SA)
SA is a serious, albeit rare and peculiar skin disease which attacks not the hair follicle, but the glands associated with the hair (sebaceous glands). It is thought that the basic problem is an abnormality in the metabolism of certain fats, leading to a build-up of toxic precursors. It may be genetically determined, immune-mediated or purely metabolic. Dogs will lose mostly truncal hair; have dull, brittle coats with lots of adherent silvery skin scale; hairs are lost with adhere scale and in tufts; and it is often smelly, infected and itchy8. The disease is diagnosed by its clinical appearance, exclusion of mange, ringworm, hormonal diseases, infection and biopsies. Severely affected dogs may be controllable but be permanently bald in affected areas, as the follicles are obliterated. More mildly affected dogs, when diagnosed early, can be managed with a combination of medications and medicated shampoos such as Virbac’s Sebomild.
Yeast (Malassezia pachydermatis) Otitis Externa (ear infection)
In the past we considered Malassezia to be a secondary pathogen, but these days we know it can be a cause of ear infection in its own right. In a Brazilian study from 2006 9 it was shown that the Poodle was the most common breed affected by Malassezia otitis (39% of cases). In this instance, more attention should be paid to the antifungal agent in the ear medications selected, rather than the steroid or antibiotic. This only emphasizes the importance of doing ear swab cultures in recurrent or serious otitis.
Central nervous system
Neonatal Encephalopathy (with Seizures; NEWS)
This rare disease is a genetic, fatal disease of pups that starts with seizures at about a month of age; pups normally die. Pups may develop signs from as early as a week old, and are often born small and week. Those surviving past a week are often wobbly although this becomes so bad that they cannot walk and invariably die by 7 weeks of age. A genetic test is available through your veterinary specialist, although the condition is very rare and has never been reported in SA. The condition is an “autosomal recessive” one, with the defect having been identified as being in the CFA36 gene, which is analogous to the human ATF2 gene.10
Musculoskeletal
Shoulder instability
In one study 11 of the patients seen for painful shoulder disease, and diagnosed with shoulder instability, Standard Poodles were over-represented (13%). Surgical management resulted in a much higher response rate and pain cure (85-88% versus 25% for conservative treatment).
Hormonal (Endocrine)
Addison’s Disease (Hypoadrenocorticism)
When the adrenal glands pack it in, a disease known as Addison’s will result. This condition is irreversible, and sometimes hard to diagnose (it’s not called “the great imitator” for nothing!) It is also quite common in this breed – 8.6% of 778 Californian dogs were positive for the condition. It affects Poodles of both sexes equally (normally more common in females of other breeds), and is considered to be an autosomal recessive disease. Addison’s can cause vague symptoms such as intermittent bouts of lethargy, vomition, diarrhoea, and weakness. Complicating this fact is the recent discontinuation of Florinef, the oral medication for the management of Addison’s.
Urinary Tract
Renal dysplasia
A genetic test is available to detect this important albeit rare cause of kidney insufficiency and failure in young Poodles. It has very characteristic features on a kidney biopsy, although these patients should be anaesthetized with care; referral to a specialist for Tru-Cut biopsies should be considered, to minimize risk. Management is very frustrating, although dietary management eg Eukanuba Renal or Hill’s k/d or u/d, may slow progression of clinical signs.
Haemangiosarcoma
This tumour of the spleen, right heart, liver (and occasionally other organs) can be devastating as it can cause unexpected “bleed outs” into the abdomen (see my previous article on Medical Conditions of the Boerboel). German Shepherd dogs and Standard Poodles are the most commonly affected breeds. Early surgery and follow-up chemotherapy can provide a medium- to long-term remission in a minority of dogs.
Skin (Dermatological) & Hormonal (Endocrine)
Hyperadrenocorticism (HAC, Cushing’s Disease)
Overproduction of the hormone ACTH by the pituitary, a tiny gland at the base of the brain, is 4.4x more likely in the Mini than in other breeds of dog 12. This causes excessive production of cortisol by the adrenal glands, a small pair of glandular organs located adjacent to the kidneys. A small amount of daily cortisol production is necessary for life, but the massive amount produced over months or years suppresses the immune system, thins the skin, and seriously affects the metabolism of the patient. Dogs lose hair over the trunk, get repeated secondary infections (causing itching, a red herring for “allergy”) and pick up weight – the same symptoms you get from long-term cortisone therapy. After all, cortisone is just man-made cortisol! The condition is diagnosed by a combination of the clinical signs, supporting blood tests, an “ACTH Stimulation test”, and abdominal ultrasound. Occasionally, a specialist may diagnose “atypical” Cushing’s in which the ACTH stimulation test appears negative but another hormone is responsible. HAC is treatable but if left unmanaged results in death through thrombosis (clots), infection, secondary diabetes or pancreatitis.
Castration-Responsive Dermatosis
A rare condition seen in Minis and other breeds aged 1 – 4 years old, this condition is difficult to diagnose as the hormone concentrations can be variable. It is seen in intact males with normal testicles who lose their body (trunk) hair without any itching (usually, unless there is secondary infection). It is critical to have other hormonal conditions such as an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) or hyperadrenocorticism (HAC; Cushing’s Syndrome) excluded first, as well as infectious causes (fleas, mites, bacterial infection, ringworm). It is also important for your vet to know that high levels of sex hormones (as produced by the gonads or the adrenal glands) can influence thyroid hormone measurements. Specialist referral to a theriogenologist or physician may be necessary to diagnose this condition, and although it is castration-responsive, inexpensive, specialised hormone treatments may be helpful in some instances. Two to 4 months are required for a complete response to treatment.
Cancer
Melanoma
Standard Poodles are less likely than average, to develop oral melanoma, whereas miniature Poodles are 2.6 times MORE likely 13. In the past, this disease had a dismal prognosis, averaging 5 – 9 months with treatment (surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy) and <2-3 months with no treatment (although many factors influence this, such as location in the mouth, and pathological grade). I have been treating melanomas with the new Oncocept Melanoma vaccine, with no side effects and some patients living over 3 years, even with extensive disease. This treatment is only available from specialist physicians in South Africa.
Eyes (Ocular)
Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration (prcd)
A devastating condition thought to be due to a “general membrane defect” and possibly also abnormal lipid metabolism in the eyes of affected dogs14-15. A diagnosis of prcd-PRA is normally made around 3 years of age, based on an eye exam by a specialist veterinary ophthalmologist. Some prcd-PRA affected dogs retain a degree of sight throughout their lives, while others progress to blindness by 7 years of age. There is no treatment or cure for this disease.
Short-sightedness (Myopia)
In a study of breed and “sightedness”, Toy Poodles were one of the 4 breeds found to be short-sighted more often than the general population of 1440 dogs surveyed (90 breeds). This is unlikely to be of any clinical significance unless Fifi enjoys the Sunday papers!
Epiphora (tear staining)
A common condition seen in Poodles, especially the Toy and Minis, is tear staining. This is caused by bacterial growth on the moist skin, which results from spillage of tears as they are not drained through the tear ducts, into the nose. The tear duct appears to be malformed or completely obstructed in these breeds. It can be surgically managed in some instances by opening up the tear duct; a veterinary ophthalmologist from the Johannesburg Animal Eye Hospital should be consulted.
Cataracts & Glaucoma
Poodles are one of the MANY breeds known to develop inherited cataracts, although they are also amongst the most commonly affected (Toy Poodles 10.2% in one survey of nearly 40,000 dogs, 16. Poodles of all 3 varieties are also amongst the most common breeds to suffer from secondary glaucoma,17 and Toy Poodles form 1.68% of all primary glaucoma patients18. Cataract formation is thought, in part at least, to be due to decreased antioxidant activity within the eye 19
Urinary Tract
Calcium oxalate bladder stones
In a study of over 2,800 dogs (1,074 with calcium oxalate bladder stones) and breed, Toy and Mini Poodles were over-represented in the study population 20. Feeding of a high-quality, commercial pet food with annual health checks (or more intensive investigation, particularly annual urinalysis when 7 years or older) should minimize the risk. Recurrent urinary tract infection should always be investigated further.
Skeletal
Atlanto-axial malformation
Mini Poodles are one of the breeds predisposed to malformations of the second cervical (neck) vertebra. Dogs often develop signs within the first year of life. It may begin as clumsiness, progressing to more pronounced weakness of the fore- and hindlimbs, and often severe neck pain. The neck of these animals should never be flexed or manipulated! An MRI or myelogram may be necessary to diagnose the problem. Inappropriate flexing of the neck (eg during X-rays) can be fatal! Surgery by a specialist can be curative however.
Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (Avascular necrosis of the femoral neck)
LCPD is a developmental abnormality of the blood vessels supplying the neck of the femur, the main bone of the hind limb. Dogs develop pain, manifesting as limping or even severe lameness, and pain over the hips. They are usually 3 – 9 months of age. The disease can be diagnosed with X-rays; it normally responds to rest, anti-inflammatories and hydrotherapy, although severely painful dogs may require surgery to remove the head of the femur.
Cardiac (Heart)
Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Persistence of this artery-vein connection more than 6 days after birth can cause a serious heart condition. This is one reason pups should have a proper physical examination at their first and all subsequent vaccinations. “Free” or “cut-rate” vaccinations which do not receive a full and thorough physical are, in my opinion, negligent. Pets with any murmur (abnormal, turbulent heart sound) at 6 weeks are ABNORMAL and should be investigated by X-rays and an echocardiogram by a veterinary radiologist or physician. PDA can be managed surgically or by coil embolisation, with an excellent prognosis (>90% cure rate). Affected dogs should not be bred. The relative of dogs with PDA, particularly their siblings, offspring and parents, should be screen for evidence of this disease.21
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