One of the most important steps before getting a dog is researching which breeds are suitable for your lifestyle. An important aspect of this research is looking into disadvantages and potential health problems to learn if you could take care of those problems. So what issues are common with Goldendoodles?
Some of the most common problems with Goldendoodles are tied to anxiety due to separation and their need for exercise. In addition to this, many joint conditions and diseases of the nervous systems are tied to Goldendoodle.
This article will explain how to deal with these issues, how they will affect your life, and which treatments are most appropriate for the most common health issues.
What are some pros and cons of buying a mixed breed dog?
When looking into getting a dog, many people are faced with whether they should get a purebred dog or a mixed breed. Most people associate purebred dogs with health. However, there are many reasons why you should consider a mixed breed.
For starters, a purebred dog from a reputable breeder will cost you quite a lot of money. While designer breeds can also be expensive purebred dogs will be much more expensive. In addition to this, if you are not looking for a specific trait in your dog, adopting is also an option.
Furthermore, purebred dogs will be more likely to have health problems typical for their breed. This has to do with the history of competitive dog breeding in England. Once this took wind, the Kennel clubs prohibited breeders from breeding purebred dogs outside their breed. This often leads to breeding among the same family. These breeding practices were implemented to increase the number of dogs that inherit desired traits specific to their breed. This caused a significant lack of genetic diversity, and specific health problems appeared more often.
If both parents are carriers of a gene that could cause illness, the offspring will likely contract the disease. If parents are of different breeds, this will mostly successfully avoid carrying the disease forward. However, if both parents are of the same breed, this specific gene will show up more often as time goes by.
Some of the most known issues caused by this kind of breeding appear in Bulldogs, Great Deans, Golden retrievers, and King Charles Spaniels. King Charles Spaniels have been modified in a way that causes about a third of all dogs to have brains too big for their skulls, causing them pain throughout their lives. Golden retrievers are more prone to contracting cancer, and today around 60% of all Golden retrievers die of cancer-related causes. It’s common for Great Danes to be born with hearths too small to support their bodies. These health problems are the most prominent with Bulldogs. They have squashed noses that make breading difficult, and their heads are usually too big for regular births and usually require a caesarian section. All the health problems cause them to have a life expectancy of 6 years.
Most of these health problems can be elevated with cross-breeding. Health problems can be avoided by breeding a purebred dog with a high chance of having a certain disease with another dog of a different breed that doesn’t carry the gene for that disease. However, it would be best if you didn’t do this independently or without consulting a professional. The results are usually great, but without a proper analysis, the results can just as easily turn out horrible.
Do Goldendoodles have some specific problems?
Goldendoodles as a breed have a few things to look out for when getting them. While there is a pretty easy solution to all of them, it is important to consider how these things would affect your life if you can’t dismiss them. Goldendoodles are very sensitive regarding these issues, and it is important that you can adapt to them if you are unable to eliminate them.
The most important things you should look out for are the F status of your Goldendoodle, Social anxiety, amount of exercise, and the price.
The F status of your Goldendoodle is important for determining the lineage of your Goldendoodle puppy. The F categories determine the status of your dog. The most sought out category is the F1 category. A dog that belongs in this category is an offspring of a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. Dogs belonging to the F2 category are born from Goldendoodle parents, and the F3 category involves any dog beyond the F2 category. This is important when determining which potential problems your dog can have, depending on which parent breed is more pronounced.
Social anxiety is fairly common with this cross-breed. While Goldendoodles are more adaptable than most of the other dogs, this is one thing they don’t tolerate well. Their lovable and affectionate personality makes them bond with their family easily. Once the bond is formed, their separation anxiety progress. If the separation is often, they will start to cope with destructive behavioral patterns such as chewing anything in their vicinity.
Even though Goldendoodles are usually on the smaller side than other large dogs, they need a lot of exercise. Regular exercise is beneficial for all dogs, but in the case of Goldendoodle’s, this routine can also help with some of the health issues specific to their breed. Most veterinarians recommend around an hour of activity daily, depending on the size and age of your dog. This can contain various activities, which is perfect if the owner is also an active person. However, these activities must be paired up with some playtime.
Another thing that is important for any potential owner is the price. Since Goldendoodles are a designer breed, it is no surprise that they come with a hefty price tag, anywhere between 1 500 and 2 500 dollars. Many things impact the price, and it will mostly depend on the traits you are looking for in your Goldendoodle and how rare they are.
What health issues to look for when getting a Goldendoodle?
Goldendoodles are generally considered a healthy breed, but certain health problems are tied with them, such as Atopic Dermatitis, Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture, Epilepsy, Hip Dysplasia, von Willebrand’s Disease, and other similar conditions. The most commonly occurring conditions are either tide to their joints, especially the knees, and issues with their nervous systems.
Atopic Dermatitis is a skin condition that involves severe allergic reactions. This reaction is caused either by inhaling or absorbing allergens through the surface of the skin. Some of the most obvious symptoms of this condition are itching, redness, and malodor of the paws and ears. It is really curable, but there is a wide range of treatments that deal with the symptoms.
Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture is a condition that involves the cruciate ligament, which is largely responsible for the stability of the knee joints. If it is not treated, the condition will cause strain during actions involving hinged motions. If the ligament is torn, it will most likely heal within 6 weeks if the dog is resting properly. This can be combined with Patellar Luxation, which involves the kneecap falling out of its position. The best solution for this problem is surgical treatment, and it mostly gives good results.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy or more commonly known as night blindness. It is caused by the degeneration of retinal nerve cells and will manifest as the decreased vision in the dark and can progress to loss of vision in middle-aged Goldendoodles. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for this condition.
Von Willebrand’s Disease is a clotting disorder caused by platelet function. This is usually not a serious condition. However, it rarely progresses into a life-threatening condition, most easily recognizable by heavy bleeding and excess injuries since they heal much slower. There is no known cure, but some treatments which help with healing were developed and are proven to be very effective, such as special clotting sponges or styptic powder.
Hip Dysplasia is common with many different breeds of dogs. It is usually noticed while the puppies are still young. This condition is inherited genetically and causes the hip joints to develop irregularly. Most breeders radiographically check their dogs for this condition and remove dogs with this condition from the breeding pools, so you will probably be able to avoid this condition.
