Puppy First, Health First
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The big picture
Pomeranians typically live 12–16 years.
A few everyday habits go a long way. Brush the teeth every day, walk your Pom on a harness, keep it lean and watch the coat as it grows in. Regular checkups let your vet keep an eye on the knees, teeth and coat, and later on the heart.
Pomeranians are known to be prone to a few conditions, and most are easier to manage when they are caught early.
This page explains each one in plain words: what it is, what you might notice and what you can do.
Worth knowing
This list is not exhaustive or official. Keep asking your veterinarian as your puppy grows.
A slipping kneecap (patellar luxation) pops out of its groove, and it is the breed's most common problem. Among Pomeranians screened by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), about 3 in 10 had knee results outside normal, most often the mildest grade.
A skipping step or an odd way of carrying a back leg can be a sign.
Keep your Pom lean, use ramps or steps instead of jumps off furniture, and have the knees checked at puppy visits.
In tracheal collapse, the rings that hold the windpipe open weaken and flatten, usually from middle age.
A honking cough is the sign to watch for.
Walk your Pom on a harness instead of a collar, keep it lean and keep it away from smoke.
Alopecia X is coat loss in an otherwise healthy dog. It is seen more often in males and in dogs with a woolly coat.
No test can predict it in a young puppy, so watch that the adult coat grows in normally and look out for thinning later.
Ask your vet about any thinning, and about a thyroid check if the coat or energy level changes.
Small mouths collect tartar, and gum disease can lead to early tooth loss.
Your vet checks the teeth and gums at each visit.
Brush the teeth every day from puppyhood, and plan professional cleanings when your vet advises.
Very small puppies can get low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), most often under about 3 months and around the move to a new home.
Signs are weakness, trembling and wobbliness.
Feed small, frequent meals and keep your puppy warm. If signs appear, rub a little syrup or honey on the gums, offer food and call your vet.
An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) is a hormone problem seen in Pomeranians.
Changes in the coat or in energy are worth mentioning to your vet.
A blood test from your vet can check the thyroid.
Less common
Seizures with no known cause (epilepsy) usually first appear between 3 and 7 years, so call your vet about any seizure.
Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease is a hip problem of small breeds that shows up as a limp, most often between 4 months and a year.
Hip dysplasia, a badly formed hip joint that can lead to arthritis, is also seen in the breed.
Heart problems tend to appear with age in toy dogs, so regular heart checks matter in the senior years.
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is an inherited, slow loss of sight that starts with night blindness, and a DNA test can find it.
In a male puppy, a testicle that has not come down (cryptorchidism) is checked at the puppy exam.
DNA tests
A cheek-swab DNA test checks for several inherited conditions.
Results come back as clear, carrier or at risk.
A carrier stays healthy, and carrier status matters only for breeding.
An at-risk result means a higher chance, not a diagnosis: an at-risk dog may never develop the condition, or may develop it late. Lab panels for the breed cover three inherited forms of progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), along with other inherited conditions. A test on a lab's panel shows that the test exists, not that the condition is common in Pomeranians. All 102 Pomeranians tested by OFA for one form of PRA had a normal result. For your puppy, that is good news, and because this form is recessive, carriers stay healthy.
Checkups your dog will get
Care plan by life stage
Planning for Pomeranian vet costs
These are typical published costs for treating what a Pomeranian vet exam looks at and the conditions the breed is 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 | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist's first exam (consultation fee only) | $198–$350 | per visit | at US veterinary teaching hospitals (Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee) | 2023–2026 |
| Allergy skin test (intradermal) | $350–$550 | per test | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Michigan) | 2024 |
| Allergy blood test (serology) | $340–$350 | per test | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Michigan) | 2024 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist's first exam (consultation fee only) | $198–$350 | per visit | at US veterinary teaching hospitals (Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee) | 2023–2026 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collapsing trachea workup (before a stent) | $2,000–$3,500 | per workup | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023 |
| Tracheal stent placement | $3,200–$3,600 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023 |
| Tracheal stent, workup and placement together | $5,900–$6,500 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023 |
Planning for pet insurance
When you are ready to compare plans, here is one option for Pawrade buyers.
Only with Pawrade, you receive a pet insurance policy with no waiting period included for immediate accident or illness coverage, 1 month, with every puppy.† You activate it by calling MetLife; instructions arrive with your travel details. Continuing MetLife coverage after the first month is strongly recommended.
View the MetLife 30-day offer →†NH, NY, RI, SC and TN residents excluded. Activated by calling MetLife; coverage begins immediately following policy activation. See the offer for full terms.
Whichever plan you look at, read the policy before you buy. Check the waiting periods, how it defines a pre-existing condition, and its deductible, reimbursement percentage and annual limit.
A waiting period is how long after you buy a pet insurance policy before a claim counts.
| Policy | Accidents | Illness | Joints |
|---|---|---|---|
| MetLife policy included with your Pawrade puppy† | None | None | None |
| MetLife, bought directly | None | 14 days | Not listed |
| Industry standard | 0–14 days | 14–30 days | 6–12 months |
| Nationwide | 14 days | 14 days | Not listed |
| Trupanion | 5 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Embrace | 2 days | 14 days | 6 months |
| Figo | 1 day | 14 days | Not listed |
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.
Focus
Heart
Heart murmur, and how loud it is (grade)
02
Breathing
How open the nostrils are · Coughing or congestion
03
Temperature, pulse and breathing rate
Temperature · Pulse · Breathing rate
04
Eyes
Discharge · Vision problems · Eyelash problems · Cherry eye
05
Ears and hearing
Debris or discharge · Ear mites · Signs of infection · Hearing
06
Mouth and bite
Teeth and jaw alignment · Bite (overbite or underbite)
07 Focus
Skin and coat
Fleas and ticks · Hair loss · Signs of infection
08 Focus
Kneecaps
Kneecaps that slip, and how much (grade)
09
Hips
Hip pain
10
Hernias
Belly-button (umbilical) hernia · Groin (inguinal) hernia
11
Soft spot on the skull
An open soft spot, and its size
12 Focus
Body condition and weight
Body condition score · Weight
13 Focus
Reproductive organs
Both testicles in place (males) · Extra skin folds around the vulva (females)
14
History of vomiting or diarrhea
Any history of vomiting or diarrhea (reported, not examined)
15
Stool test for parasites
Fecal flotation test, with any treatment given
16
Past surgery and notes
Any past surgery · The vet's explanation of anything abnormal
The vet listens to the heart with a stethoscope for a murmur, which can point to a heart problem present from birth.
Heart problems in toy dogs tend to appear with age, so your own vet keeps listening at later check-ups.
The vet looks over the skin and the puppy coat.
Coat loss from alopecia X cannot be predicted in a puppy, so it is worth watching that the adult coat grows in normally.
The vet feels both knees for a kneecap that slips out of place.
A slipping kneecap (patellar luxation) is the most common problem in Pomeranians, and it can already be felt in a young puppy.
The vet checks the puppy's body condition.
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is most likely in very young Poms and around the stress of moving to a new home.
In a male puppy, the vet checks that both testicles have come down.
The vet listens to the heart with a stethoscope for a murmur, which can point to a heart problem present from birth.
Heart problems in toy dogs tend to appear with age, so your own vet keeps listening at later check-ups.
The vet looks over the skin and the puppy coat.
Coat loss from alopecia X cannot be predicted in a puppy, so it is worth watching that the adult coat grows in normally.
The vet feels both knees for a kneecap that slips out of place.
A slipping kneecap (patellar luxation) is the most common problem in Pomeranians, and it can already be felt in a young puppy.
The vet checks the puppy's body condition.
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is most likely in very young Poms and around the stress of moving to a new home.
In a male puppy, the vet checks that both testicles have come down.
Puppies grow and change quickly, and their immune systems are still developing, so no exam can find everything. The Veterinary Health Report is a strong early look at your puppy and a written starting point that your own vet builds on.
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.
Customers Love Us!
Hammond · Pomeranian“Was not excited about the 4am delivery but the delivery team was great.I had been scammed by another company so was real Leary about trying again but Pawrade was the best. My puppy arrived in great condition and ready to chew up everything I own. I’m a happy camper though.”
Pomeranian Puppies for Sale
Frequently asked questions
Pomeranians are known to be prone to a slipping kneecap (patellar luxation), a weak, flattening windpipe (tracheal collapse) and a coat-loss problem called alopecia X. Gum disease, an underactive thyroid and low blood sugar in young puppies are also worth watching for. A lean weight, a harness instead of a collar, daily tooth brushing and knee checks at puppy visits help you stay ahead of them.
The American Pomeranian Club names the slipping kneecap (patellar luxation) as the breed's most common problem. It can be felt in puppies as young as 8 weeks, so your vet checks the knees at every puppy visit. Among dogs screened by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), grade 1, the mildest grade, was the most common abnormal result.
Tracheal collapse is one of the conditions the breed is known to be prone to, and it usually shows from middle age as a honking cough. A harness instead of a collar, a lean weight and a smoke-free home help.
Alopecia X is coat loss in an otherwise healthy dog, and the Pomeranian is known to be prone to it. It is also called hair cycle arrest or black skin disease, and it is seen more often in males and in dogs with a woolly coat. No test can predict it in a young puppy, so watch that the adult coat grows in normally.
Heart problems tend to appear with age in toy dogs, so senior Poms do best with regular heart checks. Nearly all Pomeranians screened by OFA for heart defects present from birth were normal, and a vet can listen for a murmur even in a young puppy.
Cheek-swab DNA panels test for three inherited forms of progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), a slow loss of sight that starts with night blindness. They also test for other inherited conditions, such as hyperuricosuria, degenerative myelopathy and von Willebrand disease. A test on a lab's panel shows that the test exists, not that the condition is common in Pomeranians.
A carrier stays healthy, and carrier status matters only for breeding. An at-risk result means a higher chance of the condition, not a diagnosis, and an at-risk dog may never develop it or may develop it late.
Pomeranians typically live 12–16 years. In the senior years, regular heart checks and continued dental care help your vet catch changes early.
Book regular heart checks, because heart problems tend to appear with age in toy dogs. Tracheal collapse becomes more common from middle age, so keep using the harness. Keep up daily dental care too.
Brush the teeth every day and plan regular professional cleanings. Poms are prone to tartar and gum disease, which can lead to early tooth loss.
Keep your Pom lean, and check its weight by feel, because the thick coat can hide extra pounds. A lean weight also helps protect the knees and eases a weak windpipe.
When to spay or neuter is a decision to make with your own vet, because it depends on factors such as your dog's sex and adult size. Ask about it at a routine checkup while your Pom is growing.
