HEALTH

Sensible breeders will have weighed up the pros and cons before undertaking a mating, particularly with regard to inherited diseases and temperament. It is not usually acceptable to use a pet dog at stud, but if you are tempted to breed a litter from your bitch, please talk to an experienced person beforehand.  It is necessary to be aware of the health issues affecting the breed before attempting to breed a litter in order to produce as healthy puppies as possible.  Most responsible breeders have their stock annually eye tested as part of the KC/BVA eye testing scheme and make use of the available DNA gene tests (for prcd_PRA, FN, AON and AMS). DNA testing is genetic profiling in order to identify clear/carrier and affected animals. With this in mind, the websites listed below provide an overview of diseases affecting the breed.  Please bear in mind, to produce puppies without knowledge or guidance can do harm to a breed.

http://www.thecockerspanielclub.co.uk/health.htm
http://www.cockerspaniel-info.org.uk/health.htm
http://www.optigen.com
http://www.ecscahealthandrescue.org/

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Immune-Mediated Haemolytic Anaemia (IMHA)

Please click HERE for important information about this condition, with details of a new research study. If you have a dog affected with this condition, you may be able to help this research and so contribute towards the development of a DNA test for IMHA

Report from the IMHA Clinical Research Team 2021 HERE (pdf)