The Pomeranian is one of the varieties of the German Spitz breed. The Pomeranians are sturdy and long-haired dogs named after the maritime part that connects Germany and Poland. The breed was celebrated and popularized by Queen Victoria. Pomeranians are very active dogs, they like to bark and show a “big dog” attitude, despite their size. They are known in the world as one of the breeds that gives the least number of individuals in a litter – from one to three puppies per litter.
Initially, these dogs weighed up to 66 pounds, and over time they became shorter and lighter. Despite their seemingly thick coat, Pomeranians are prone to hypothermia in cold weather, so it’s mandatory to keep them indoors.
Pomeranians are generally resistant and healthy, but due to poor hygiene of the neck, teeth, and eyes, certain health issues can develop. They have thin and weak teeth that can potentially fall out prematurely, so feeding them with wet food is recommended. They also tend to overheat very quickly, due to increased physical activity at high temperatures and humidity, and this can cause heat stroke.
In order to inform you about other potential health issues that can occur in Pomeranians, we have compiled a list of issues that have been reported in this breed over the years.
Common Health Issues in Pomeranians
Diseases and hereditary health issues that can occur in Pomeranians are the following:
- Orthopedic issues: Legg-Perthes disease, patellar luxation, broken bones, ligament damage, dislocation of shoulder, hypoplasia of dens
- Eye problems: distichiasis, entropion, ametropia, microphthalmia, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), intraocular pressure (IOP), cataract, glaucoma, blindness, dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca), epiphora, lacrimal duct atresia, lens luxation
- Skin problems: “black skin disease”/pseudo-Cushing’s disease (alopecia combined with hyperpigmentation), chronic skin infections, allergies, granulomatous sebaceous adenitis
- Heart diseases: patent ductus arteriosus, congestive heart failure, hepatic portosystemic shunt or arteriovenous fistula
- Blood clotting diseases: cyclic neutropenia, globoid cell leukodystrophy
- Reproductive issues: cryptorchidism, adrenal sex hormone dermatosis/alopecia-x, hyposomatotropism
- Hereditary diseases: Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia (CM/SM), insufficient closure of the fontanel, colomba
- Autoimmune diseases: hypothyroidism, lymphocytic thyroiditis
- Dental problems
- Heat stroke
- Tracheal collapse
- Hydrocephalus
- Cushing’s disease
- Glycogen storage disease
- Epileptic seizures
- Deafness
You can avoid most of these problems if you get a dog exclusively from a responsible breeder who maintains the highest health standards of this breed that are established by kennel clubs.
The goal of this list is to inform you about the potential health issues so you can recognize them in time and help your dog. It doesn’t necessarily mean that your dog will develop some of the above-mentioned health issues, but it’s good to be aware of them.
The Pomeranians are playful dogs and their attention span is very short, so they need to be provided with as many toys as possible to have fun during the day. It’s also necessary to take them for moderate daily walks in order to expend energy in a quality way.