Labradoodle health
Labradoodle health: a guide for new owners
Labradoodles typically live 12–15 years. Like any cross, a Labradoodle can inherit health problems from either parent breed, the Labrador Retriever or the Poodle. Being a cross does not make a dog healthier on its own, and conditions from both sides still turn up. This page explains the conditions the breed is known to be prone to, the ones its parent breeds pass on, and what you can do about each.
Labradoodle health overview
The big picture
Labradoodles typically live 12–15 years. Like any cross, a Labradoodle can inherit health problems from either parent breed, the Labrador Retriever or the Poodle. Being a cross does not make a dog healthier on its own, and conditions from both sides still turn up. This page explains the conditions the breed is known to be prone to, the ones its parent breeds pass on, and what you can do about each.
A few everyday habits do a lot of the work. Keep your dog lean, dry its ears after baths and swims, and book a yearly checkup with an eye exam.
Common Labradoodle health conditions
Worth knowing
Each entry is a condition the breed or its parent breeds are known to be prone to, with what you might notice and what helps.
Small folds in the retina, called multifocal retinal dysplasia, are a condition the breed is known to be prone to. Both parent breeds can pass on a slow loss of sight called progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). The Poodle side can also pass on cataracts, a clouding of the lens.
What you might noticePRA starts with night blindness, and a cataract makes the eye look cloudy.
What you can doA yearly specialist eye exam finds the retinal folds. A DNA test can find one form of PRA.
Addison's disease is a hormone problem in which the adrenal glands make too little of their hormones. It is the breed's other known condition, and while it is still uncommon, Labradoodles get it more often than crossbred dogs.
What you might noticeSigns are vague and come and go, such as stomach upsets and tiredness, usually starting in young adults.
What you can doTell your vet about upsets that keep coming back, so a blood test can check for it early.
Hip and elbow dysplasia are joint problems that develop as a puppy grows. Hip dysplasia comes from both parent breeds, and elbow dysplasia from the Labrador side.
What you might noticeWatch for limping on the back legs or a bunny-hopping run in a growing dog.
What you can doKeep your puppy lean and skip forced running until it has finished growing. Your vet can check the hips and elbows with X-rays.
Labradoodles get more ear infections than Labradors, partly because hairy, floppy ears hold moisture. The Standard Poodle side can also pass on sebaceous adenitis, an inflammation of the skin's oil glands.
What you might noticeAny lasting change in the skin or coat is worth a mention at a checkup.
What you can doDry the ears after every bath and swim, and clean them as part of grooming. For lasting skin problems, a small skin sample is the only test for sebaceous adenitis.
Exercise-induced collapse comes from the Labrador side. Dogs with two copies of the gene change can collapse after 5–20 minutes of hard exercise.
What you might noticeExcitement and heat make an episode more likely.
What you can doA DNA test shows whether a dog is at risk, so test before any intense training.
Less common conditions in the Labradoodle
Less common
- A torn knee ligament, called cruciate ligament rupture (Labrador side): it runs strongly in Labrador families.
- Weight gain (Labrador side): some Labradors carry a gene change linked to a bigger appetite, so measured meals matter.
- A muscle disease of young puppies, called centronuclear myopathy (Labrador side): a DNA test can find it.
- A crusty, cracked nose, called hereditary nasal parakeratosis (Labrador side): a DNA test can find it.
- Eye and leg defects from birth, called oculoskeletal dysplasia (Labrador side).
- Copper build-up in the liver, called copper-associated hepatitis (Labrador side): it usually shows in middle age.
- A heart valve problem from birth, called tricuspid valve dysplasia (Labrador side): a vet may hear a murmur in a puppy.
- Seizures, called epilepsy (Labrador and Standard Poodle sides): they usually start in young adults.
- A slipping kneecap, called patellar luxation (Miniature Poodle side): your vet checks the knees at routine visits.
- An optic nerve that did not fully form, called optic nerve hypoplasia (Miniature Poodle side): it is present from birth.
- A form of dwarfism, called osteochondrodysplasia (Miniature Poodle side): a DNA test can find it.
- A heart valve that wears out with age, called mitral valve disease (Miniature Poodle side): it usually starts late in life.
- Diabetes (Miniature Poodle side): it shows up mostly in middle-aged and older dogs.
- Bloat (Standard Poodle side): the stomach fills with gas and can twist, so ask your vet how to feed a standard Labradoodle.
- A brain disease of newborn puppies, known as NEwS (Standard Poodle side): a DNA test can find it.
- A brain defect from birth, called polymicrogyria (Standard Poodle side): it can cause blindness.
Labradoodle DNA tests
DNA tests
A cheek-swab DNA test can check a puppy for several uncommon inherited diseases from both parent breeds. Most results come back as clear, carrier or at risk. A carrier has one copy of the gene change and is healthy. An at-risk dog has a higher chance of the disease, not a diagnosis, and some at-risk dogs never develop signs. A bleeding disorder called von Willebrand disease comes from the Poodle side, and its results read as clear, one copy or two copies. A test on a lab's Labradoodle panel does not mean the condition is common in Labradoodles.
Labradoodle vet checkups
Checkups your dog will get
- Your vet listens to the heart, checks the eyelids, eyes and bite, feels for hernias and sets the vaccine plan.
- Listening early matters, because a heart defect present from birth has been reported in Standard Poodles and their crosses.
- Your own vet completes the vaccine series that the breeder started.
- Your vet keeps an eye on growth, weight and how your dog moves.
- It is a good time for the first yearly eye exam, and to talk about spaying or neutering.
- Your dog has a yearly exam with an eye check, a weight check and ear care.
- Mention stomach upsets that come and go, any seizure, or trouble seeing at night.
- Checkups move to twice a year, with bloodwork.
- Have any new lump checked, and mention cloudy eyes or slowing down.
Labradoodle life stages
Care plan by life stage
- At the first vet visits, ask for the heart to be listened to and the eyelids, eyes, bite and hernias checked.
- Keep up the vaccine series, start puppy class, and socialize widely in the first 3 months.
- Feed measured meals for lean growth, and keep exercise sessions short.
- Brush daily and dry the ears, so both become habits.
- Watch for a heart murmur, squinting or tearing (a sign of extra eyelashes) and ear infections.
- Keep your dog lean, and avoid forced running until growth ends at 12–18 months.
- Book the first yearly eye exam.
- Brush out mats as the adult coat comes in, and keep up regular grooming.
- Watch for hind-leg lameness or bunny-hopping (hip or elbow dysplasia), and for exercise intolerance or collapse (exercise-induced collapse in Labrador lines).
- Book a yearly exam and eye exam, and keep weight under control.
- Keep up professional grooming every 2–3 months and regular ear care.
- Watch for vague stomach upset with lethargy (Addison's disease), seizures, night blindness (PRA) and ear infections.
- Book exams twice a year, with bloodwork.
- Support the joints with weight control, and keep up yearly eye checks for later-onset cataract.
- Adjust grooming for comfort.
- Watch for slowing down, cloudy lenses and new lumps.
Labradoodle vet costs
Planning for Labradoodle vet costs
These are typical published costs for treating what a Labradoodle vet exam looks at and the conditions its parent breeds are known to be prone to. Each range shows where it comes from and when, and your own vet's estimate will differ.
| Item | Typical cost | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eyes Specialist's first exam (consultation fee only) | $198–$350 | at US veterinary teaching hospitals | 2023–2026 |
| Eye tests before cataract surgery (ERG and eye ultrasound) | $500–$1,300 | at US veterinary teaching hospitals | 2025–2026 |
| Cataract surgery, one eye | $3,800–$5,500 | at one US veterinary teaching hospital | 2023–2025 |
| Cataract surgery, both eyes under one anesthetic | $5,600–$6,700 | at one US veterinary teaching hospital | 2025 |
| Kneecaps Specialist's first exam (consultation fee only) | $198–$350 | at US veterinary teaching hospitals | 2023–2026 |
Costs vary by state and clinic; the vet costs page shows state figures where a source publishes them. Vet costs by state →
First-year routine care costs (exams, vaccines, spay or neuter) are on the vet costs page. First-year care →
Labradoodle pet insurance
Pet insurance is highly recommended.
Labradoodle Veterinary Health Report
What the Veterinary Health Report checks
The breeder's licensed vet checks your puppy before it goes home. The vet follows PetPay's exam standards, and the results go in your puppy's Veterinary Health Report.
- Puppies must be at least 8 weeks old and weigh at least 2 lb before they travel.
- If the vet finds something that could put your puppy at risk during travel, your puppy stays with the breeder until it's resolved.
- Problems that can be treated before travel are treated by the breeder's licensed vet first.
- Anything else the vet notes is shared with you.
Labradoodle puppy health guarantee
Health guarantee
Every Pawrade puppy comes with a health guarantee administered by PetPay, independent of the seller. The terms are on the health guarantee page.
Frequently asked questions about Labradoodle health
Frequently asked questions
Two conditions the breed is known to be prone to show up in studies of Labradoodles themselves: small folds in the retina and Addison's disease. A Labradoodle can also inherit conditions its parent breeds are known to be prone to. From the Labrador side, these include hip and elbow dysplasia, exercise-induced collapse and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). From the Poodle side come cataracts, slipping kneecaps, sebaceous adenitis and bloat, among others.
Not automatically. In UK owner data, Labradoodles were no different from their parent breeds for most of the disorders compared. Conditions from both sides, such as hip, eye and adrenal problems, still occur.
Labradoodles are more likely than crossbred dogs to get Addison's disease, a hormone problem that usually starts in young to middle-aged adults. It is still uncommon, but its signs are vague and come and go, such as stomach upsets and tiredness. Tell your vet about upsets that keep coming back, so a blood test can check for it early.
Cheek-swab tests check for several uncommon inherited diseases from both parent breeds, including exercise-induced collapse and a form of progressive retinal atrophy. Each result is clear, carrier or at risk. A carrier has one copy of a gene change and is healthy, and an at-risk result means a higher chance of the disease, not a diagnosis.
Hip and elbow problems can't be ruled out in a young puppy, so checks come later. Hip X-rays are possible from 16 weeks of age, and your vet can tell you whether your dog needs them.
Labradoodles typically live 12–15 years. A yearly checkup with an eye exam, and twice-yearly visits once your dog is a senior, help catch problems early.
Older Labradoodles do best with checkups twice a year, with bloodwork. Weight control helps with arthritis, and yearly eye checks catch cataracts that start later in life.
They can, because hairy, floppy ears hold moisture, and UK owner data found more ear infections in Labradoodles than in Labradors. Dry the ears after every bath and swim, and clean them as part of grooming.
Everyday habits do most of the work: keep your dog lean, dry its ears after baths and swims, and book a yearly checkup with an eye exam.
Puppy first, every step of the way.
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