Tuxedo is a Pomeranian with Dog Health Issues!

Collapsing Trachea and Luxating Patellas are Common to Toy Dogs

Tuxedo is my sweet little Pomeranian! Well, he's sweet most of the time anyway. Actually he's my dog. He has eyes for no one but me.

So when you hear that the Pomeranian is loyal, that is the truth. I understand Tuxedo, but unfortunately the rest of the world doesn't always.

Tuxedo has a nickname. It is ' Boss of the World '. He takes his job very seriously. He feels he must keep track of everyone in the house, and everyone that comes in the house. That includes humans as well as animals.

Once you're inside the house, you are now a member of Tuxedo's pack. Don't try to leave the house! It's a lot of work, trying to keep everyone ( family, friends, visitors, our other pets, whoever... ) corralled together. His work load is heavy.

He doesn't look like a tyrant, does he?

Tuxedo is a Pomeranian rescue dog. All of our dogs are rescue dogs... He came to me when he was a year old. He is an anxious, high strung little guy. He is very bonded to me.

Tuxedo is ten years old now. He is basically a healthy little dog. However, he does have a dog health problem or two, which are breed specific. In other words, he has problems that are common to the toy Pomeranian.

Dog health issues such as luxating patellas, or a collapsing trachea, are very common in Toy breeds generally. Also in the Pomeranian specifically, because they are bred for their cute little fox like appearance.

Because Pomeranians are typically high strung, and anxious dogs, their glandular system... the adrenal glands specifically, can become very overstressed.

The adrenal glands produce cortisol ( natural cortisone ). This hormone is secreted to help the animal deal with stress.

The trouble is, that too much cortisol can weaken connective tissue by destroying collagen, which is a critical component of connective tissue, ligaments and cartilage.

So it is a catch twenty two situation.

The animal is doing it's best to cope, but at the same time it's body is working against itself by destroying collagen. This eventually weakens the whole structural system.

A dogs breeding can potentially, have a huge impact on the state of his health. Unfortunately, this would be the case with the Pomeranian.

Some Pomeranian breeders are not as responsible as they should be. Not all of course, but some breed for appearance only, and don't give much thought to to the hardiness of the breed.

This is true for puppy mills as well. Puppy mills turn out dogs as a commodity...constantly breeding, giving no thought or concern to the health or hardiness of the animal.

If you buy your Pomeranian dog at a pet store, be aware that you may experience some of the health problems I have mentioned. Pomeranian care is not difficult so long as you educate yourself about these Pomeranian facts, and potential health problems.

Do your best to prevent problems before they arise.

Breeding small dogs can sometimes produce specific dog health issues. Fortunately, Tuxedo is in good health.

Tuxedo definitely does not suffer from dog hair loss. Can you believe how dense and lush his coat is?

Health Problems Specific to the Pomeranian are...

~ dog hair loss

~ collapsing trachea ( severe coughing can make it impossible to breathe, and puts a lot of stress on the heart )

~ luxating patellas ( kneecaps that slip out of place )

~ hypothyroidism

~ heart problems

~ Hypoglycemia when young

~ unexplained seizures

~ bad teeth

Since we keep our little Pomeranian healthy by keeping his weight down, using excellent premium dog food and herbal supplements, he does not suffer from most of these problems.

However, since he does have luxating patellas and a collapsing trachea and since these disorders are both structural and genetically based, they are harder to deal with, but not impossible.

When Tuxedo first came to live with me he had very bad teeth. They were covered with tartar.

Better dog nutrition, ensures better dog digestion, thereby ensuring sweeter dog breath. Most bad breath in both dogs and cats however, is caused from varying degrees of periodontal disease.

Employing dog dental care techniques and chewing raw bones will eliminate this problem.

Nutritional Support for Tuxedo

~ keep him lean...we do not free feed. We feed him twice a day, just like the big kids... with small portions, and few treats. He gets grain free dog biscuits only.

I bake these grain free dog treats myself. Find grain free dog treat recipes here.

Overweight increases the risk of contracting a serious dog health problem. Don't kill your dog with kindness.

~ for his legs and his trachea, we give him natural pet supplements twice daily with his food. These supplements work extremely well to improve his skeletal structure and build strong connective tissue.

This is so important for keeping the ligaments strong so they can keep his little kneecaps in place, and also for his tracheal rings, which are made of cartilage.

We give Tuxedo Collatrim which is a supplement containing collagen. Collagen is used to build cartilage, tendons, heart muscle tissue, skin and lean muscle mass.

Tuxedo has had cruciate repair on one leg already, and so we want to make sure this doesn't happen again. It was very traumatic for him. So much pain... ( not to mention, very expensive ).

Together with his calming herbs, as I mentioned previously, I give him a nutritional supplement called Collatrim, to help his body stimulate the production of, and rebuild new cartilage.

This is beneficial for both his trachea and his knee caps. He's almost a new little dog.

Conditions Which Might Cause a Collapsing Trachea

~ getting excited

~ over exertion

~ getting over heated

~ drinking water very quickly

Signs of a Collapsing Trachea

~ coughing ( sort of a honking noise )

~ difficulty breathing

~ retching or gagging ( trying to clear secretions from the throat )

Suggestions for Preventing a Collapsing Trachea

~ keep your dog lean. Overweight puts him at higher risk for this dog health problem. Use a high quality premium grain free dog food. This type of food lessens the chance of allergic reaction to one or more of the ingredients.

~ keep his food and environment as allergen free as possible. Use a grain free food, and non toxic, chemical free household cleaners. Insist that your groomer use a non toxic, chemical free, all natural dog shampoo

~ keep your dog indoors at certain times. Avoid excessive temperature extremes, and humidity.

~ avoid over exertion and keep him calm.

~ keep him as healthy as possible to avoid infections of his respiratory tract.

~ it would be a good idea to use a harness instead of a collar when walking on leash. A harness does not put pressure on the neck.

~ if possible, provide pure reverse osmosis water.

Here's a picture of me with Tuxedo, on a very hot summer day. Weather like this can be hard on a dog with a collapsing trachea.

By the way, Tuxedo is not a fat dog... but he has such a lush dense coat that he appears to be puffed up. Underneath all that hair, is a Pomeranian at his ideal weight which is 12.5 ( twelve and a half ) pounds.

Here's my precious little boy panting from the heat...

Since Pomeranians, as a breed, like some other small toy breeds, tend to be high energy somewhat hyper little dogs...here is some good advice I've learned from The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan.

It is from his book entitled...

Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog . . . and Your Life

Please understand, that I am putting this in my own words, and am not quoting exactly.

Here's what Cesar says about Toy breeds, that was helpful to me. I thought it was time to curtail some of Tuxedo's over the top behavior.

- All dogs want to work for food and water.

- Toy breeds have been bred down from their ancient ancestors to be companion animals only. They don't really have a job to do.

- Because they are small, and always cute, we tend to let them get away with behaviors that we would not tolerate in larger dogs. An example of this would be excessive barking.

- Behind the fluffy mane or sweet little face is an animal-dog, that must have his needs met as an animal-dog.

Cesar's 1-2-3 formula is...

1 exercise ( to drain energy )

2 discipline ( you are the pack leader, not your dog )

3 and affection

...in that order.

The secret is not to let small dogs store too much energy.

When small dogs exhibit compulsive behavio.rs such as excessive barking or chewing, it is because they have found this type of negative behavior drains their energy.

You must provide some sort of activity to drain energy.

Go for a walk with him ( good for you, too )... not too far though, he's small and only has little legs. Play ball with a fixed time duration ( eg. ten minutes only ). Be creative and make it fun, so he will want to do more of it.

Little dogs can benefit from various reward oriented obedience exercises.

I have found these tips very helpful.

When Tuxedo's energy is drained, he's tired, and so it helps to keep him calm. When he's calm, he has less problems with his coughing.

I use the formula of exercise, discipline and then... affection.

It puts me in the position of being the Pack Leader, not Tuxedo. This decreases his work load. He doesn't have to be The Boss. I am. This puts less stress on him. It helps to keep him calm.

So, it's a two part program to keep my precious Pomeranian calm.

1 - calming herbs such as Lobelia which, when taken internally in small doses can clear lymphatic channels, open air passages, and relieve mild pain. I use this when coughing is severe.

2 - drain energy

It takes commitment on your part.

It will take time.

It will be worth the effort.

In Conclusion...

I hope this page has been of help to you.

If you are another lucky Pomeranian owner, then I know you will want to do everything you can to help your sweet little Pom.

Tuxedo spends his whole life watching me and looking for my approval. He tries his best.

In return, I will love him and nurture him.

Decision time again...Where to now?

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