Goldendoodle Health Issues: Pet Insurance is a Must

Thinking about getting a Goldendoodle? Wondering what Goldendoodle health issues you need to be aware of? Read on to learn why Goldendoodles are one of the most popular dogs in the country, and also why Goldendoodle parents should absolutely sign their pup up for pet insurance ASAP!

Goldendoodle Personality

What’s 50% Golden Retriever, 50% Poodle and 100% adorable? The Goldendoodle of course! This mixed breed has gained in popularity over the past few decades and for good reason, they charm the pants off of you with their outgoing nature and super friendly personality. Goldendoodles are always happy and silly and seem to want to please you and make you laugh. They really are like big, fluffy toddlers. (And that can get them into some trouble, but we’ll get to that in just a minute.)

Because Goldendoodles are so friendly and playful and seem to get along with pretty much everybody, they have become known as one of the best family dogs. They also seem to have a lot of patience with little ones and are happy to run around with them all day long.

Having said that, dog personalities have a lot to do with training and socialization. So if you are bringing a Goldendoodle pup into your life and home, be sure to give them proper socialization and training to set them up for success!

Goldendoodle Health Issues

Before you decide to take care of any animal, it’s important to understand what kind of health issues that fur baby may be prone to. If you do a search for Goldendoodle health issues, as you’ve probably just done, you may find resources that state the Goldendoodle is a relatively healthy dog that can live as long as 10-15 years. And that is true, they can.

You may also read that Goldendoodles, being a mix of two sets of genetics – Poodles and Golden Retrievers – are prone to the same health conditions as these two breeds. That is also true. 

Goldendoodles are prone to the following health issues:

Hip Dysplasia  

A common health issue for larger breeds, hip dysplasia occurs when the hip joint has developed abnormally, resulting in a loose and painful joint. As the pup ages, mobility becomes affected.

Congenital Eye Issues 

Goldendoodles are susceptible to glaucoma and cataracts, which can be treated with either surgery or medication. However, if left untreated, both eye conditions can lead to total vision loss.

Heart Disease  

Goldendoodles are also prone to heart disease, particularly a congenital defect called subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS). This is a condition when the heart’s aortic valve narrows, creating an obstruction in blood flow. SAS comes from the Golden Retriever side. If your pup is more Golden than Doodle, they may be at higher risk.

One thing to also mention is that with any congenital disease, it can take up to 18 months for them to present themselves. So while your young puppy may have gotten a clean bill of health at their first exam, you shouldn’t wait to get pet insurance until they get older. Once something has been diagnosed, a pet insurance policy will not cover the cost of care.

The #1 Health Issue for Goldendoodles

The above health issues are all commonly reported. What’s not as well-known outside of the veterinary community but a major health concern for Goldendoodles is that they are the NUMBER ONE BREED seen in emergency clinics for ingesting foreign objects that result in GI blockages that require emergency surgery!

“They’re like the poster child of foreign body obstructions,” said Katie Clark, RVT, Emergency Veterinary Nurse with Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) in South Charlotte, NC. 

Goldendoodles (and actually any mixed breed with Doodle in the name) are notorious for ingesting socks. And not clean ones, USED socks! That seems to be their favorite. But they have also been seen in the ER having ingested dog ID tags, underwear (typically used womens’), hair ties, tampons (yep, used), bars of soap, rocks and corn cobs. And this is not even an exhaustive list of ingested items!

So why does this happen? For all of their intelligence (the Golden Retriever and Poodle both make the top 10 lists of most intelligent breeds), why is it that Goldendoodles seem to ingest things that other dogs don’t?

Well, if you remember, the Goldendoodle has been described as a childlike and fun-loving dog. They really are like giant, fluffy toddlers. And like toddlers, they are incredibly curious about their environment. The Goldendoodle seems to constantly be saying, “Hey, look at that!” ‘Hey, what’s that?” And like toddlers, every interesting item they find in their environment winds up right in their mouth!

Repeat Offenders

A good rule of thumb with Goldendoodles is, once they’ve ingested a foreign object, they’ll do it again. And again. And if given the opportunity – again. 

“We had a Goldendoodle at our clinic whose first foreign body surgery was at 8 months. Then again at one year and then another one a few weeks later,” said Clark. 

Just like toddlers don’t understand “danger,” a Goldendoodle doesn’t understand their dangerous behavior either. It’s up to the pet parents to do everything they can to keep their Doodle safe.

Since the Goldendoodle is a perpetual toddler, it is recommended that pup parents take intensive measures to childproof their home to keep their pups out of trouble and out of the ER. 

Take extra precaution with dirty laundry. Dirty socks and underwear are the two main items the Goldendoodle ingests. Make sure your pup cannot gain access to your dirty laundry.

Get Them to the ER ASAP!

When a dog ingests a foreign object, that object will sit in her stomach for a little while before it passes into the small intestines. Once it is in the intestines, that is when a life-threatening blockage occurs.  

“The sooner you can get your Doodle to the ER, the better the outcomes are going to be,” said Clark. 

We can’t stress this enough: if you KNOW your Doodle has ingested something she shouldn’t have, do NOT wait and hope that it passes. There is every chance that it will NOT pass but instead become lodged in your pup’s GI tract. And now they require an expensive surgery and will have a lengthy recovery time with possible complications.

Some clinics across the country have emergency endoscopy capabilities. This means if your pup just ingested something a short time ago, the vets can go in with a scope and pull out the object before it can pass into the intestines and cause a life-threatening blockage. 

Depending on what type of object it is, you may not even need an endoscopy procedure. Vets can induce vomiting so your pup can, well… puke the offending object right out.

Pet Insurance is Absolutely Necessary with Goldendoodles

As you’ve read, the Goldendoodle is notorious for winding up in the ER clinic having ingested a foreign object that can potentially lead to a GI blockage requiring surgery. And that surgery is expensive. With hospitalization, X-rays and other treatments, you can easily be looking at a bill of $5,000 or more. 

If you have a Goldendoodle, you’ll hopefully childproof your home and keep laundry and other harmful items out of reach. But even if you take every precaution, there are still those Doodles that will get themselves into trouble. 

Responsible pup parents of this lovable breed should enroll their Doodle into a pet insurance plan as soon as possible. This way they have peace of mind knowing they can afford life-saving surgery should their Doodle need it.

If you’ve never looked into pet insurance before, now’s the time. You may be surprised how affordable it really is and how high some of the reimbursement rates go. For instance, some plans reimburse for up to 90% of the vet bill!

Take two minutes to get a free customized quote from some of the top providers in the country.

This blog post was made possible through a collaboration with Katie Clark, Emergency Veterinary Nurse with Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) in South Charlotte, NC.  Katie’s content can be found on her Instagram channel @katiethevetnurse and on her website http://Katiethevetnurse.com.

References:

1. https://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/goldendoodle “Goldendoodle Dog Breed Health and Care.”
2. https://www.rover.com/blog/breeds/goldendoodle/ “Goldendoodle, the Essential Guide to Dog Breeds.”