Common Health Concerns

The Pomeranian Dog

Lee Dobbins
The Pomeranian is one of they toy breeds and weighs between 3 and 7 pounds (there are larger poms, and although not
to the breed standard, they still make wonderful loving pets!). Intelligent and vivacious, these little dogs will steal your
heart, but don't let them get away with too much as they must be properly trained or they will become too demanding.
With proper care your Pom can live to about 15 years old.

History
Did you know the Pomeranian was once a much larger dog that weighed around 35 pounds? A cousin to the spitz type
dogs, this pampered lap dog once called the arctic home.
Bred down to it's tiny size over the centuries, the Pomeranian became popular in the late 1800's when Queen Victorian
brought a 12 pound Pom back from Italy. This vivacious little dog soon became a favorite of European royalty and was
bred to be even smaller until it reached the average of 5 pounds.
Historically, the Pomeranian has been fancied by many famous Europeans. Michelangelo had a little Pom that sat on a
silk pillow and watched him while he painted the Sistine Chapel. Martin Luther, the great church leader had one of these
little dogs that he mentioned often in his work. Mozart had a Pomeranian that he dedicated an Aria to and Chopin
composed the Valse des Petits Chiens for his girlfriends Pom.

Care and Grooming

Pomeranians are easy to care for but do need some special attention. They can be easily groomed in less than 1 hour a
day, but I am sure you will want to spend much more time than that bonding with your pet!
Brushing your Pomeranian every day is a good way to bond with your pet as well as insure his coat is healthy and looks
good. Poms have a double coat that can easily become matted so brushing is necessary. A once a week or every
couple of weeks bath is a nice way to keep your Pom smelling and looking good! Don't forget to groom around his paws
and tail area as well as clip his nails.
Unfortunately, Pomeranians can be prone to tooth problems. Tooth loss and bacterial buildup is not uncommon in these
little dogs so you should take extra care to make sure your pet has the proper dental care. Brush your dogs teeth daily
with a specially formulated enzymatic tooth paste that fights bacteria and have yearly dental checks and scaling if
necessary. Tooth care is quite important to your dogs overall health as if bacteria is left unchecked in the mouth, it can
spread throughout the dogs body and cause health problems for your pet.
The Pom's eyes are another area where you should pay some special attention. Like most small dogs, discharge from the
eye can accumulate causing staining and, sometimes a goopy mess. Clean the area around the eye daily with a Q-tip (be
careful not to get too close to the dogs eye). If the fur around the eye becomes stained, you can buy a special liquid that
helps remove the staining.

Health Problems
Luxating Patellas or a knee that slips out of place is common in Pomeranians and in some cases this may require surgery.
Many Poms suffer from hypothyroidism which can cause other problems and should be checked by your vet. Some Poms
lose patches of hair as they grow older. This usually starts at the back and moves forward. If your Pom sounds like he is
coughing then he may have a collapsing trachea which is not uncommon in this breed. An xray can determine if this is the
problem and medication can be given to reduce coughing. Tooth loss and bacteria build up is a problem in Pomeranians
as well as other small dogs.