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Standard Poodle Health Care & Feeding

By Michele Welton, Dog Trainer, Breed Selection Consultant, Author of 15 Dog Books

Standard Poodle

Start your Standard Poodle off on the right foot by feeding the right food, giving the right vaccinations, finding the right vet, and if you're going to spay or neuter, don't do it too early.


Jump down to this list of
Standard Poodle Health Problems


Or check out my advice for raising a healthy Standard Poodle puppy or adult dog:

Obedience instructor and author Michele Welton Dog Health Care – The Sensible Way
Read my advice on daily health care so your Standard Poodle lives a long, healthy life and seldom needs to see the vet... [read more]

numeral 33 Best Ways To Feed Your Dog Healthy Food
You can dramatically increase your dog's chances of living a long, healthy life by feeding the right food. Cutting right to the chase, the best foods for your Standard Poodle are... [read more]

Real homemade dog food A Quick Way To Make Homemade Dog Food
Your Poodle will love real chicken, turkey, beef, fish, eggs, yogurt, broccoli.... this is not just "people food" and I'll tell you why... [read more]

Dry kibble and canned dog food 5 Best Kibble and Canned Dog Foods
Some are better than others, but I must be honest – I'm not a huge fan of dry or canned dog food. Here are my concerns... [read more]

Information on booster shots for your German Shepherd. Vaccinations and Booster Shots: Needed or Not?
How many vaccinations does your Standard Poodle puppy really need? Does your adult dog need yearly booster shots? The vaccination guidelines have changed! Find out what some vets aren't telling you... [read more]

Information on spaying Spaying Your Female Dog: Pros and Cons
Should your female Standard Poodle be spayed? Current research says, "The AGE at which you spay can be vitally important to your dog's future health." So what's the best age? [read more]

Information on neutering your male dog. Neutering Your Male Dog: Pros and Cons
Have you been told that you must neuter your male Standard Poodle? Current research shows that the issue is not so simple. Pet owners are not being told about some risks associated with neutering male dogs, especially neutering too early... [read more]

Information on choosing the best vet Make Sure Your Vet is the Best!
Is your current veterinarian really the best choice for your dog? Here's how to tell... [read more]

Assisi Loop Assisi Loop Review
Does your Poodle suffer from arthritis, hip dysplasia, disk disease, colitis? My honest review of a veterinary device you can use at home to reduce inflammation and pain. [read more]

Standard Poodle

Complete list of Standard Poodle health problems

Of all three Poodle sizes (toy, miniature, standard), the Standard Poodle has the most serious health problems.

Eye diseases

There are a LOT of blind or partially blind Poodles (of all sizes). Which means that eye diseases are a major concern in the Poodle breeds:

  • Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) can appear at 3-5 years old and always progresses to blindness.
  • Cataracts that appear from birth to 3 years old usually progress to blindness. Cataracts appearing AFTER age 3 are usually milder.
  • Other eye diseases in Standard Poodles are corneal ulcers, eyelash abnormalities, retinal dysplasia, and glaucoma.

An estimated 40% of all Standard Poodle deaths are from cancer, often originating in (of all places) the toes. Poodles as young as 4 years old have been reported with this aggressive cancer.

Skin and ear problems in Standard Poodles

Even though Poodles are the best breed for allergic people, the dogs themselves often have chronic allergies themselves. Unfortunately, allergies cause itchy skin, and constant scratching can break open the skin and lead to infections.

Poodles are notorious for having small skin growths peppered around their head and body.

  • Fortunately, most growths in Poodles are non-tumorous warts and sebaceous cysts. But they're a nuisance if you nick them with the grooming clippers and they bleed.
  • Some growths are true tumors, especially sebaceous gland tumors and basal cell tumors. These are usually benign, but can be malignant.

Skin conditions and growths are common in Poodles, especially allergies (which cause itchy skin and can lead to pyoderma), NON-tumorous skin growths (such as papillomas and sebaceous cysts), and actual tumors (such as basal cell tumors) that may be benign or malignant.

Ear infections are not uncommon due to the abnormally long narrow ear canals filled with wax and profuse hair.

The most serious skin disease in the breed is sebaceous adenitis. Standard Poodles are the most likely of all breeds to develop this disease, with up to 10% of the breed affected.

Neurological diseases in Standard Poodles

Epilepsy is a concern in Standard Poodles.

Degenerative myelopathy gradually causes hindquarter paralysis.

Hormonal/endocrine system diseases

Addison's disease is an extremely serious autoimmune disease. If caught in time, your Poodle's life may be saved, but it requires lifelong medication that can be tricky to manage.

Thyroid disease is much less serious than Addison's, but also requires lifelong medication.

Bloat in Standard Poodles

As with all deep-chested breeds, Standard Poodles are at higher-than-normal risk for the emergency gastrointestinal syndrome called bloat or gastric torsion.

In fact, of all breeds, the Standard Poodle is the 5th most likely to develop bloat.

Blood-clotting diseases in Standard Poodles

Thrombocytopenia, von Willebrand's, and hemophilia A are the Big Three to watch out for.

Orthopedic diseases

The most common orthopedic disease is hip dysplasia. But it's hard to tell exactly how widespread hip dysplasia is in Standard Poodles because the Orthopedic Foundation of America lumps all three poodle sizes (Toys, Miniatures, and Standards) together.

Unofficially, we know that the Standard sizes are most affected. Same with elbow dysplasia – the Standards are the most affected.

Other health problems

Other serious concerns in Standard Poodles are kidney disease, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and heart disease.

Preventing health problems

Some health problems are inherited. For example, if your dog inherits from his parents the genes for an eye disease called PRA, he will go blind and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

Dog feeding and health book by Michele Welton But most health problems can be prevented by the ways you raise your dog.

FREE eBOOK! My free online health care program, 11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy shows you how to raise your Standard Poodle in all the right ways that help prevent health problems. Become your dog's health care champion!

Michele Welton with BuffyAbout the author: Michele Welton has over 40 years of experience as a Dog Trainer, Dog Breed Consultant, and founder of three Dog Training Centers. An expert researcher and author of 15 books about dogs, she loves helping people choose, train, and care for their dogs.

My best-selling books – now available  FREE  on my website


book coverRespect Training For Puppies: 30 seconds to a calm, polite, well-behaved puppy is for puppies 2 to 18 months old. Your puppy will learn the 21 skills that all family dogs need to know. Click here to read for free.
book coverTeach Your Dog 100 English Words is a unique Vocabulary and Respect Training Program that will teach your adult dog to listen to you and do what you say. Click here to read for free.
book cover11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy helps your dog live a longer, healthier life. Get my honest advice about all 11 Things before you bring home your new puppy, because some mistakes with early health care cannot be undone. Click here to read for free.