Poodle — questions to ask before paying a deposit
A responsible breeder will have these readily available. Deflection is a red flag.
Hip dysplasiacan shorten life or cause chronic pain
Malformation of the hip joint that lets the femoral head sit loosely in its socket, leading to wear, arthritis and pain. Chiefly assessed in the STANDARD and MINIATURE varieties; the Toy variety's CHIC protocol does not require it.
Ask to see: An OFA (or PennHIP) hip evaluation on both parents, registered with OFA
Poodle Club of America Foundation / OFA CHIC screening protocol (https://poodleclubofamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/poodle_health_screening_2020.pdf) · OFA / Hip Dysplasia (https://ofa.org/diseases/hip-dysplasia/)
Progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
An inherited, blinding degeneration of the retina's rod and cone cells; night vision fails first, then daytime vision, usually diagnosed around age three with no treatment. This is the TOY and MINIATURE Poodle's CHIC-required eye test; it is not a Standard Poodle CHIC requirement.
Ask to see: A prcd-PRA DNA test from an OFA-approved laboratory on both parents, plus a current annual ACVO ophthalmologist eye exam
Poodle Club of America Foundation / OFA CHIC screening protocol (https://poodleclubofamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/poodle_health_screening_2020.pdf) · UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory / PRA-prcd (https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/pra-prcd)
Sebaceous adenitis
An inflammatory skin disease in which the sebaceous glands are destroyed, causing scaling, odour and progressive hair loss; manageable with lifelong topical treatment but not curable. Reported mainly in the STANDARD Poodle.
Ask to see: An OFA Sebaceous Adenitis evaluation by an OFA-approved dermatopathologist on both parents
OFA / Sebaceous Adenitis (https://ofa.org/diseases/other-phenotypic-evaluations/sebaceous-adenitis/) · PMC / Effect of genetic bottlenecks and inbreeding on sebaceous adenitis and Addison's disease in Standard Poodles (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4579369/)
Hypoadrenocorticism (Addison's disease)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
Autoimmune destruction of the adrenal cortex, causing loss of the hormones that regulate salt balance and stress response; untreated, an adrenal crisis can be fatal, and lifelong medication is needed once diagnosed. Reported specifically in the STANDARD Poodle, where it is estimated to be highly heritable.
Ask to see: No DNA test exists; the causal genes have not been identified. Ask whether Addison's disease has occurred in the sire's or dam's parents, full siblings or previous offspring, and request the OFA Thyroid or cardiac elective result the breeder has on file (one of the three CHIC health-elective options for this variety)
PMC / Effect of genetic bottlenecks and inbreeding on sebaceous adenitis and Addison's disease in Standard Poodles (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4579369/) · Poodle Club of America Foundation / OFA CHIC screening protocol (https://poodleclubofamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/poodle_health_screening_2020.pdf)
Patellar luxation
The kneecap slips out of its groove, causing an intermittent skipping gait that can progress to lameness and arthritis if severe. A TOY and MINIATURE Poodle CHIC requirement.
Ask to see: An OFA patellar luxation evaluation on both parents
Poodle Club of America Foundation / OFA CHIC screening protocol (https://poodleclubofamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/poodle_health_screening_2020.pdf) · OFA / Patellar Luxation (https://ofa.org/diseases/patellar-luxation/)
Legg-Calvé-Perthes diseasecan shorten life or cause chronic pain
The head of the femur loses its blood supply and breaks down in young, small dogs, causing pain and lameness that usually needs surgical correction. Reported in the TOY and MINIATURE varieties, typically between four months and a year of age.
Ask to see: An OFA Legg-Calvé-Perthes evaluation on both parents
OFA / Legg-Calvé-Perthes (https://ofa.org/diseases/other-phenotypic-evaluations/legg-calve-perthes/)
Osteochondrodysplasia (Miniature Poodle dwarfism)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
A deforming, crippling skeletal disorder producing stunted growth, bowed limbs and enlarged joints, visible from about three weeks of age. Specific to the MINIATURE Poodle; an estimated one in ten Miniatures carries the mutation.
Ask to see: A DNA test for the SLC13A1 deletion (osteochondrodysplasia) from an OFA-listed laboratory on both parents
UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory / Osteochondrodysplasia (Miniature Poodle) (https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/ocd-miniature-poodle) · PMC / Partial deletion of SLC13A1 associated with osteochondrodysplasia in the Miniature Poodle (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3530542/)
Neonatal encephalopathy with seizures (NEwS)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
A fatal inherited brain disorder: affected puppies are weak at birth, develop tremor and severe seizures by four to six weeks, and none survive past seven weeks. Reported specifically in the STANDARD Poodle; about a third of Standard Poodles tested carry one copy.
Ask to see: A DNA test for the ATF2 mutation from an OFA-listed laboratory on both parents
UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory / Neonatal Encephalopathy with Seizures (NEwS) (https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/news) · PubMed / A neonatal encephalopathy with seizures in standard poodle dogs with a missense mutation in the canine ortholog of ATF2 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18074159/)
Von Willebrand disease Type I
A mild-to-moderate inherited bleeding disorder from low von Willebrand clotting factor; many carriers show no signs, but affected dogs can bleed excessively after injury or surgery. The DNA test is validated across all three Poodle varieties, though the Standard Poodle's parent club specifically recommends it as a breeding elective.
Ask to see: A vWD Type I DNA test from an OFA-listed laboratory on both parents
UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory / Von Willebrand Disease I (https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/vwd-type-1) · Poodle Club of America Foundation / OFA CHIC screening protocol (https://poodleclubofamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/poodle_health_screening_2020.pdf)
Gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
The stomach fills with gas and twists on itself, cutting off its own blood supply; without emergency surgery it is fatal within hours. The Standard Poodle is one of the deep-chested breeds named at elevated risk, and a first-degree relative's history of the condition raises an individual dog's own risk.
Ask to see: No DNA test exists. Ask whether the sire or dam has had a prophylactic gastropexy, and whether gastric dilatation-volvulus has occurred in the litter's close relatives
Merck Veterinary Manual / Gastric Dilation and Volvulus in Small Animals (https://www.merckvetmanual.com/digestive-system/surgical-problems-of-the-gastrointestinal-tract-in-small-animals/gastric-dilation-and-volvulus-in-small-animals)
Chondrodystrophy-linked intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
A raised risk of premature disc degeneration and disc herniation from the FGF4 retrogene insertion (CDDY) also implicated in Dachshunds. Testing-lab data show it at very different frequencies by variety: roughly 9% of Standard Poodles carry it against roughly 60% of Miniature and Toy Poodles, so the practical risk is materially higher in the smaller varieties.
Ask to see: A CDDY/IVDD-risk DNA test on both parents
UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory / Chondrodystrophy (CDDY and IVDD) and Chondrodysplasia (CDPA) (https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/cddy-cdpa) · OFA / Chondrodystrophy with Intervertebral Disc Disease (CDDY/IVDD) (https://ofa.org/chondrodystrophy-with-intervertebral-disc-disease-cddy-ivdd/)