Cocker Spaniel

There are several eye conditions that breeding Cockers should be tested for.

This is to prevent faulty genes being passed down to litters of puppies.

There are a total of twelve eye diseases which can be tested for, including progressive retinal atrophy, persistent pupillary membrane and primary glaucoma. 

For those of us who own dogs with atopy, we’ll be all too aware of how frustrating this condition can be.

Dogs experience skin flare ups after allergen exposure and may show signs such as paw licking, face rubbing and scratching. Secondary skin and ear infections are not uncommon.

Indeed, the floppy Spaniel ears make chronic ear infections common. The aim is to identify the dog’s trigger or triggers and to avoid them. When not possible, immunotherapy may be suggested.

Ongoing medication, allergy tests and immunotherapy can cost several thousand pounds over a dog’s lifetime.

An excessive amount of sugar in the blood results in symptoms including weight loss, an insatiable appetite and a perpetual thirst.

This endocrine disorder is easily diagnosed as excess sugar is detected in both the blood and the urine.

For most Cocker Spaniels, diabetes is managed and not cured. This can mean many years of expensive insulin and check ups.

The good news is, with the right ongoing care, most dogs have a good prognosis.

The Cocker Spaniel is one of several dog breeds to be prone to a heart disease called Dilated Cardiomyopathy or DCM.

As the heart becomes unable to pump blood efficiently, dogs suffer from episodes of weakness and collapse. Ongoing coughing and shortness of breath may also be apparent.

To diagnose DCM, your vet will want to run some tests such as a chest x-ray and echocardiogram.

While DCM cannot be cured, Cocker Spaniels tend to have a slowly progressive form of the disease which can be managed with ongoing medication.

This relatively uncommon disease can cause vague symptoms that wax and wane, making it tricky to diagnose.

Affected spaniels may show signs including chronic diarrhea and vomiting, episodic tremors, lethargy and bloody stools.

For some, they are not diagnosed until they become very unwell during an Addisonian crisis.

Blood tests can confirm the vet’s suspicion and dogs will be treated with ongoing hormone replacement.

As the condition is not curable and dogs require frequent check ups, owners will end up spending hundreds of pounds every year.

The average pet insurance claim currently stands at £848 according to the report produced by the Association of British Insurers in 2022.

As there is no NHS for pets, could you afford to take your chances and not have cover in place for your Cocker Spaniel?