Cockapoos are generally a pretty healthy breed if bred by authorized, scrupulous breeders. Usually, these breeders will conduct a medical examination on their parents, ensuring that they are completely healthy before breeding them. This helps ensure that only disease-free genetic codes are used to produce offsprings that are less vulnerable to diseases.

However, being less vulnerable does not mean being invulnerable. As such, Cockapoo owners should still be vigilant to signs of sickness in their dogs. Here are some common health problems your Cockapoo may face.

Gastric Torsion

Gastric Torsion is a problem whereby your Cockapoo's stomach is over-inflated with gas or fluid, along with torsion of the stomach. Such over-inflation can also happen without the stomach torsion (such a version is commonly called "Bloat"), and both varieties can be deadly rather quickly. Look out for signs such as excessive salivation, attempts to vomit (often without success), excessive restlessness and abdominal discomfort (your Cockapoo whines when you apply pressure to the stomach area). When such an attack happens, rush to your veterinarian and have it treated by him or her immediately. To help prevent Gastric Torsion or Bloat, corrective surgery may be conducted. Alternatively, you may also practice certain measure such as feeding smaller, more frequent meals instead of a big meal, restricting its daily water intake, especially after a meal and keeping it static after a meal to help prevent recurrence.

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is a medical condition whereby there is an insufficient production of thyroid hormone, a hormone responsible for regulating your Cockapoo's overall metabolism. Affected dogs are known to have a wide variety of symptoms, including ease of gaining weight despite eating moderately, chronic recurrent skin problems, excessive hair loss and lethargy. The bad news is that Hypothyroidism is often incurable. The good news is that Hypothyroidism can be treated and managed easily via the administration of a synthetic thyroid hormone called thyroxine.

Luxating Patella

Luxating Patella, is the dislocation or movement of your dog's kneecap out of its normal position. It may be caused by either blunt force trauma or a birth defect. If left untreated, its mobility can become progressively poorer. Signs includes frequent stops and cries of anguish while running and a stiff gait. For most cases, surgery is a viable option to correct this problem.

It is of utmost importance that you be able to identify signs of illnesses quickly so that you can get medical aid for your Cockapoo as quickly as possible. Early detection and treatment helps reduce the amount of anguish your pet needs to face and increase the chances of curing the curable illnesses.