Diseases and Conditions of Labradoodle Dogs

Labradoodle dogs are a cross between a Poodle and a Labrador Retriever dog. Labradoodles are generally intelligent, friendly and affectionate making them one of the most popular designer mixed breed dogs in the United States.

Health Issues Common to Labradoodles

Although generally healthy, labradoodles do have some health concerns. Many of their genetic problems are a result of their genetics and most commonly those of the pure breed heritages of the Poodle and the Labrador Retriever dog. Below is information about the most common conditions as well as links that will tell you more about the various conditions.

Common diseases and conditions seen in labradoodle dogs include:

• Allergic dermatitis or Atopy is an itchy skin disease of animals that is caused by an allergy to substances in the environment.
• Cataracts are opacities within the lens of the eye that affect vision.
• Corneal Dystrophy a disorder of the cornea that involves a malfunction of the inner layer of the cornea that is responsible for keeping the cornea dry and clear by pumping fluid from the cornea into the front chamber of the eye.
• Cranial cruciate ligament rupture is a rupture of a ligament in the knee causing pain and lameness.
• Degenerative myelopathy is a progressive degenerative disease of the spinal cord that slowly results in weakness and eventually inability to use the rear legs.
• Diabetes mellitus is a disease of the pancreas related to insufficient amounts of insulin production.
• Distichiasis is a condition in which there is growth of extra eyelashes (cilia) from the glands of the upper or lower eyelid.
• Drug Reaction to “Glucocorticoids” can occur in some poodles and poodle mixes. Subcutaneous injections may cause local hair loss.
• Ectopic Ureter is an abnormal routing of the tube that takes urine from the kidney to the bladder that can cause incontinence.
• Elbow dysplasia is the abnormal development of certain parts of the elbow joint during the growing phase of a dog’s life.
• Entropion is a disorder of inward rotation of the eyelid causing the eye lashes to rub the cornea
• Epilepsy is a seizure disorder which develops between the ages of 2 to 5 years.
• Food Allergy affected pets develop skin allergies due to a variety of food ingredients.
• Gastric torsion, also known as bloat, is a life-threatening sudden illness associated with the stomach filling with air and twisting.
• Glaucoma is a disease of the eye that develops when the pressure within the eye increases.
• Hemangiosarcoma is a type of cancer that primarily affects the spleen, liver or heart.
• Hip dysplasia is a malformation of the hip joint that results in pain, lameness and arthritis.
• Hyperadrenocorticism is a disorder affecting the adrenal glands. When overactive, the adrenal glands secrete excessive cortisol, resulting in illness.
• Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD) – is a disease of young, large- and giant-breed dogs causing lameness due to bone inflammation.
• Hypoadrenocorticism (Addison’s Disease) – is a deficiency of steroid production.
• Hypothyroidism results when the thyroid gland does not function adequately. Without enough thyroid hormone, illness can occur.
• Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia – is an immune disorder causing destruction of red blood cells.
• Insulinoma is a malignant tumor of the pancreas that secretes excessive amounts of insulin leading to hypoglycemia.
• Interdigital Dermatitis, also known as pododermatitis, is an inflammation of the paws involving the feet and nails.
• Intervertebral Disk Disease is a disorder that affects the spinal disks resulting in pain, difficulty walking and possibly paralysis.
• Iris Cysts
• Hemophilia is a condition that results in excessive bleeding.
• • Laryngeal Paralysisis a disorder of the laryngx in which is become paralyzed creating noisy difficult air flow into the trachea.
• • Limbal Melanoma is a cancer of the eye.
• Lipomas are benign benign fatty tumor of the subcutaneous tissue.
• Lymphosarcoma (lymphoma) is a malignant cancer that involves the lymphoid system.
• Mast Cell Tumors are malignant tumors than can occur in the skin or within the body.
• Myasthenia gravis is a rare condition characterized by muscular weakness caused by an impairment of transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles.
• Osteochondrosis Dissecans frequently called “OCD”, is a condition that occurs as a result of abnormal cartilage development.
• Patellar luxation is a disorder of the kneecap placement.
• Perianal Fistula is an infection and fistulas of the anal glands and tissues around the anal area.
• Progressive Retinal Degeneration is a disease that causes nerve cells at the back of the eye to degenerate. The condition usually begins in older pets and can lead to blindness.
• Perianal Fistula
• • Sebaceous Adenitis is a skin disease that is genetically inherited The exact cause is unknown, but it may be caused by an attack of the immune system against the sebaceous glands.
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the digits (skin cancer).
• von Willebrand’s disease is caused by a deficiency of von Willebrand’s factor (vWF), one of the elements that allow blood to form clots.
• Other diseases that are found more commonly in labs than in other breeds are osteochondrosis, seborrhea, hot spots, diabetes and hypothyroidism. They are also prone to melonoma, a type of cancer. Labradors that hunt and swim are prone to foreign bodies becoming embedded in the ears and under the eyelids and ear infections.