Cockapoos have proven to be quite a healthy and popular dog. They are not especially affected by any particular ailment, if granted proper care by loving breeders and owners. Most dog breeders do whatever is necessary to ensure the health of breeding dogs in order for the next generation to be healthy and less susceptible to, or free of, diseases.

However, there are no guarantees in life. Dogs may become ill at any time. Here are several of the ailments cockapoos are susceptible to and how you can avoid and/or spot them.

Gastric Torsion

If your cockapoo’s stomach is bloated with gas or fluid that may mean that it suffers from gastric torsion. It is essential to recognize this condition and act immediately. This problem could end in fatality if left untreated.

Pay attention to signs like hard breathing, extreme salivation, or continuous nausea. Your cockapoo may be excessively agitated and have a swollen stomach. In this case the cockapoo may shy away from or be sensitive to pressure applied to his abdomen. It is crucial to have your cockapoo examined right away by a vet if you have noticed the symptoms of torsion. In order to amend the dog’s condition, a corrective surgery may be performed. It’s a useful long term habit to control your dog’s eating by feeding it with smaller, more frequent meals instead of one heavy meal. You should also restrict its water drinking, mainly after a meal, so that its stomach doesn’t get inflated by the expansion of food.

Luxating Patella

This condition appears after the dog has suffered a knee dislocation or it has moved from its original position. Luxating Patella may be a result of an innate deformity or it may occur after an accident in which the dog has suffered an injury. If the problem is not taken care of, your dog’s ability to move and its overall health may suffer. You can recognize Luxating Patella by a dog’s stiff walk, as well as its frequent need to stop. Also, it will most likely exhibit signs of pain while running. Corrective surgery is usually the best way to deal with this condition.

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the body doesn’t produce sufficient amounts of certain hormones, resulting in a decreased metabolic rate. If the metabolism of your cockapoo isn’t up to par, hypothyroidism will manifest itself with a number of symptoms. Some of the symptoms to watch out for are weight gain despite your dog’s balanced diet, chronic skin problems, lethargy, and heavy loss of hair. Hypothyroidism is unfortunately incurable, but the effects may be treated. A common treatment includes injecting a synthetic thyroid hormone known as thyroxine.

Noticing any symptoms of ailments and providing urgent treatment is essential to keep your cockapoo healthy for many years. If you act on time your cockapoo won’t be in pain unnecessarily, and you will also raise the chances of successful treatment of curable diseases.