Pomeranian knees, joints and aging: what to watch and when
Watch the knees first: 29.1% of Pomeranians evaluated by OFA had a luxating kneecap, the highest rate of any breed. The senior stage starts at about 9 years.
Pomeranian at a glance
The short version
- 29.1% of 3,563 Pomeranians in the OFA patella database had a luxating kneecap, the highest rate of any breed.
- The typical sign is a skip: a hind leg carried for a few steps, then used again.
- UK median life expectancy is 12.2 years, which puts the senior stage at about 9 years.
- Labored breathing, blue gums or fainting is an emergency.
Pomeranian owners should watch the knees first. The breed ranks first in the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) patella database, with a luxating kneecap found in 29.1% of evaluated dogs.3
What is a Pomeranian built for?
The AKC breed standard describes the Pomeranian as "a compact, short-backed, active toy dog of Nordic descent." The standard weight is 3 to 7 pounds, with 4 to 6 pounds the ideal for show dogs. It sets no height.1 The job today is companionship.
At that size everything is fine-boned. The kneecap is a small bone that rides in a groove at the end of the thigh bone,4 and in a dog this small there is little margin when the groove and the kneecap do not line up. For a 5-pound dog, a sofa is a tall jump.
Which joint and mobility problems are Pomeranians prone to?
One has strong breed evidence, and two have thinner evidence. OFA figures come from dogs whose owners chose to submit exam results, so they are not a random sample of pet Pomeranians.
| Condition | What it is | When it tends to show |
|---|---|---|
| Patellar luxation | The kneecap slips out of its groove as the knee moves4 | Usually developmental, so often seen in young dogs4 |
| Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease | Bone at the top of the thigh bone dies and the hip joint becomes irregular2 | 4 months to 1 year2 |
| Hip dysplasia | A hip joint that develops abnormally and leads to arthritis2 | Variable |
Patellar luxation. Of 3,563 Pomeranians evaluated, 29.1% had a luxating patella: 15.0% grade 1, 11.3% grade 2 and 2.5% grade 3. That is the highest rate of any breed in the OFA patella database.3 The American Pomeranian Club calls it the most common problem in the breed and notes that grades 3 and 4 may need surgery early in life.2 The typical sign is a skip: the dog suddenly carries a hind leg for a few steps, then uses it again. Dogs with patellar luxation are also predisposed to cranial cruciate ligament disease.4
Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. The parent club lists it as a toy-breed hip problem that appears between 4 months and 1 year.2 Breed data are thin: only 360 Pomeranians are in the OFA registry for it, with 1 abnormal result.3
Hip dysplasia. Of 412 Pomeranian hip evaluations, 18.7% were rated dysplastic.3 That is a small, self-selected group, so read it as "it happens in this breed," not as a rate for all Pomeranians.
How long do Pomeranians live, and when is one a senior?
A 2024 study of UK dogs put the Pomeranian's median life expectancy at 12.2 years (2,941 dogs), close to the 12.5-year median for all dogs.5 These are UK data, and US dogs may differ.
AAHA defines the senior stage as the last 25% of estimated lifespan.6 Our arithmetic: 75% of 12.2 years puts the start of the senior stage at about 9 years.
What else should a Pomeranian owner watch?
- Collapsing trachea. The parent club describes a honking noise, or a sound like coughing up a hairball, and warns that the condition can be life-threatening.2
- Alopecia X. Severe coat loss that occurs in both sexes and more often in males. The club describes it as not life-threatening.2
- Low blood sugar in puppies. Hypoglycemia occurs in young Pomeranians, particularly very small or very active puppies. Most outgrow it.2
What can you do at home?
Keep your Pomeranian lean. A study of more than 57,000 neutered dogs from 900 US veterinary clinics found that, in every breed studied, dogs of normal weight were predicted to live longer than overweight dogs. The gap was up to 2.5 years in male Yorkshire Terriers, another toy breed.7 On a 5-pound dog, half a pound is 10% of body weight (our arithmetic).
Exercise for the build. General guidance, not a Pomeranian study: a ramp or steps to the sofa removes a lot of daily jumping.
Keep notes. Record which hind leg skips and how often. A short phone video is worth bringing to the appointment.
Check tonight
Call your Pomeranian down a hallway three or four times and watch the back legs from behind. Count how many times a hind leg is carried for a few steps and then put down again. That skip is the classic sign of a slipping kneecap.4 Write down the count and which leg. This is an observation, not a diagnosis.
What should you ask your veterinarian?
When to call your veterinarian
- Labored breathing, blue or gray gums, or fainting: emergency, go now.
- A hind leg held up that does not come back down, or a dog that cries when the leg is touched: same day.
- A young puppy that is suddenly weak or wobbly: same day.
- A honking cough that keeps returning, or a puppy under a year old limping on a hind leg: book a visit this week.
Questions worth bringing:
- What grade is each kneecap, and at what point would you refer us to a surgeon?
- Is this cough coming from the trachea, and would a harness be better than a collar?
- What should my dog weigh, to the nearest quarter pound?
The screening tests OFA lists for the breed with the parent club are an advanced cardiac exam, a veterinary evaluation for patellar luxation, and either an eye exam or a thyroid evaluation. Hip and Legg-Calvé-Perthes X-rays are optional.3 You can ask whether your dog's parents had them.
Quick answers
Why does my Pomeranian skip on a back leg?
A skip, where a hind leg is carried for a few steps and then used again, is the typical sign of a luxating kneecap. In OFA data, 29.1% of evaluated Pomeranians had one. Ask your veterinarian to grade both knees.
At what age is a Pomeranian considered a senior?
At about 9 years. AAHA defines senior as the last 25% of estimated lifespan, and UK data put the Pomeranian's median lifespan at 12.2 years.
How long do Pomeranians live?
A 2024 UK study put the median at 12.2 years, close to the 12.5-year median for all dogs. Many individual dogs live longer, and US figures may differ.
Sources
- American Kennel Club. Official Standard of the Pomeranian
- American Pomeranian Club. Pomeranian Health
- Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (2026). Pomeranian: CHIC program requirements and testing statistics (Browse by Breed)
- American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Patellar Luxations
- Scientific Reports (2024). Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death (McMillan et al.)
- American Animal Hospital Association (2019). Canine Life Stage Definitions (2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines)
- Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Riney Canine Health Center. Aging: body condition and life span in dogs
Written by the Tailwise editorial team from the sources above. We are not veterinarians, and this article is not veterinary advice. If something here matches what you see in your dog, talk to your veterinarian.
More years. Better years.
