In yesterday’s blog, we provided a link to a quiz that helps you determine your toy poodle’s biological age. We mentioned that toy poodles live an average of 14 years.
The average, of course, means some toy poodles live longer. My grandmother Monique is one such toy poodle. She will be 15 years old on March 15. We’ve heard of other toy poodles living to 18 or 20 years of age. Little dogs generally live longer than big dogs.
Does Monique have health issues? Yup. Just like most elderly human beings do.
In Monique’s case, she is on phenobarbital to avoid seizures, something she started experiencing at the age of 7. At that point her breeding days were over and she was spayed. Several years ago we submitted a DNA sample to a genetics study in California and we will update you on that study as we learn more. We also submitted DNA from Chris who has been seizure-free all his life. Chris’ mother is Monique’s sister.
While our vet told us Monique’s seizures were “idiopathic,” meaning “of uncertain cause,” seizure disorders are fairly common in toy poodles and a genetic component is suspected. Only one of Monique’s puppies (and one grand-puppy) to our knowledge has had seizures but even one is too many. Seizures, even mild ones, are scary. Researchers are trying to find out the exact cause. Meanwhile, a variety of medicines is available to treat the disorder.
You can learn more about toy poodle genetics here at Cape Rose Toy Poodles.
Monique also started taking thyroxin several years ago; her sluggish thyroid was causing her to gain weight. That’s the first clue we had: We were feeding Monique the same food as always but she was getting a tad beefy. And she didn’t seem to have her normal energy. A simple blood test showed our instincts were right-on. Monique’s thyroid levels were below normal. An inexpensive daily treatment is all it takes to rev up Monique’s internal engine.
Like older people, Monique has some problems with hearing, vision, and dental health. We give her wet and dry food mixed with water to soften things up a bit. Monique also has a wide, shallow food dish; the dish is white to provide good contrast with the food.
Monique isn’t blind by any means. She still runs around the house--literally--and twirls at dinnertime. But we protect her from stairs and other hazards.
Monique’s quality of life is excellent and we hope she will be part of our family for years to come!
Until next time,
Mr. Dibs
