English Toy Spaniel Health Care & Feeding
By Michele Welton, Dog Trainer, Breed Selection Consultant, Author of 15 Dog Books
Start your English Toy Spaniel off on the right foot by feeding the right food, giving the right vaccinations, finding the right vet, and if you're going to spay or neuter, don't do it too early.
Jump down to this list of
English Toy Spaniel Health Problems
Or check out my advice for raising a healthy English Toy Spaniel puppy or adult dog:
Dog Health Care – The Sensible Way
Read my advice on daily health care so your English Toy Spaniel lives a long, healthy life and seldom needs to see the vet... [read more]
3 Best Ways To Feed Your Dog Healthy Food
You can dramatically increase your dog's chances of living a long, healthy life by feeding the right food. Cutting right to the chase, the best foods for your English Toy Spaniel are... [read more]
A Quick Way To Make Homemade Dog Food
Your English Toy Spaniel will love real chicken, turkey, beef, fish, eggs, yogurt, broccoli.... this is not just "people food" and I'll tell you why... [read more]
5 Best Kibble and Canned Dog Foods
Some are better than others, but I must be honest – I'm not a huge fan of dry or canned dog food. Here are my concerns... [read more]
Vaccinations and Booster Shots: Needed or Not?
How many vaccinations does your English Toy Spaniel puppy really need? Does your adult dog need yearly booster shots? The vaccination guidelines have changed! Find out what some vets aren't telling you... [read more]
Spaying Your Female Dog: Pros and Cons
Should your female English Toy Spaniel be spayed? Current research says, "The AGE at which you spay can be vitally important to your dog's future health." So what's the best age? [read more]
Neutering Your Male Dog: Pros and Cons
Have you been told that you must neuter your male English Toy Spaniel? Current research shows that the issue is not so simple. Pet owners are not being told about some risks associated with neutering male dogs, especially neutering too early... [read more]
Make Sure Your Vet is the Best!
Is your current veterinarian really the best choice for your dog? Here's how to tell... [read more]
Assisi Loop Review
Does your English Toy suffer from arthritis, hip dysplasia, disk disease, colitis? My honest review of a veterinary device you can use at home to reduce inflammation and pain. [read more]
Complete list of English Toy Spaniel health problems
English Toy Spaniels are deliberately bred to be deformed in two ways – their short legs and long back are chondrodysplastic and their short pushed-in face is brachycephalic.
Both of these deformities are associated with increased health problems.
The most common orthopedic problem in English Toy Spaniels is luxating patella (loose knees), which occurs at a high 10% rate – the 6th worse rate of all breeds. Luxating patella can require expensive surgery.
Other orthopedic diseases include intervertebral disk disease and hip dysplasia.
Cataracts can occur around 6 months old in English Toy Spaniels and can progress to blindness. Other eye diseases include glaucoma, corneal ulcers, dry eye, and retinal dysplasia.
Allergies cause itchy skin and often lead to bacterial skin infections (pyoderma). Ear infections are common due to profuse hair inside the ear canal.
As cousin to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the English Toy can inherit the same early-onset and severe mitral valve disease which is an epidemic in Cavaliers. In addition, English Toys are vulnerable to another heart disease called patent ductus arteriosus.
Again, similar to the Cavalier, the English Toy Spaniel can inherit a devastating neurological disease called syringomyelia, which causes pain and neurological symptoms that can prove fatal.
Other health issues in the English Toy are epilepsy, diabetes, and hernias.
One mild condition that occurs in some English Toy Spaniels is hanging tongue, where the tongue protrudes through the front teeth or hangs out the side of the mouth. This may be a structural defect or a neurological defect, but it isn't really anything to worry about – which is good because there isn't much you can do about it anyway.
Preventing health problems
Some health problems are inherited. For example, if your dog inherits from his parents the genes for an eye disease called PRA, he will go blind and there's nothing anyone can do about it.
But most health problems can be prevented by the ways you raise your dog.
FREE eBOOK! My free online health care program, 11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy shows you how to raise your English Toy Spaniel in all the right ways that help prevent health problems. Become your dog's health care champion!
About the author: Michele Welton has over 40 years of experience as a Dog Trainer, Dog Breed Consultant, and founder of three Dog Training Centers. An expert researcher and author of 15 books about dogs, she loves helping people choose, train, and care for their dogs.
My best-selling books – now available FREE on my website
Respect Training For Puppies: 30 seconds to a calm, polite, well-behaved puppy is for puppies 2 to 18 months old. Your puppy will learn the 21 skills that all family dogs need to know. Click here to read for free.
Teach Your Dog 100 English Words is a unique Vocabulary and Respect Training Program that will teach your adult dog to listen to you and do what you say. Click here to read for free.11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy helps your dog live a longer, healthier life. Get my honest advice about all 11 Things before you bring home your new puppy, because some mistakes with early health care cannot be undone. Click here to read for free.