English Springer Spaniel Health Care & Feeding

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English Springer Spaniel Health Problems

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Complete list of English Springer Spaniel health problems

Orthopedic diseases

Common orthopedic diseases in English Springers include hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, luxating patella, and intervertebral disk disease.

The Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of 13,000 English Springer Spaniels and the elbow X-rays of 3000 Springers – 13% of the hips were dysplastic, and 14% of the elbows. Those rates are too high for a medium sized dog.

Eye diseases

There are an awful lot of Springer Spaniels who are partially or completely blind.

The eye disease that causes the most concern in English Springer Spaniels is retinal dysplasia.

Other eye diseases include progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) (at 2-6 years old), cataracts (at 1-3 years old), eyelid abnormalities (entropion and ectropion), corneal dystrophy, and glaucoma.

Skin diseases

Skin diseases are very common in the English Springer Spaniel, especially allergies (which cause itchy skin and often lead to pyoderma) and seborrhea.

Also common are chronic ear infections, due to the long pendulous ears and long hairs inside the ear canals.

Skin growths occur regularly in Springers – both non-tumorous growths (like sebaceous cysts) and tumorous growths (like sebaceous gland tumors and basal cell tumors).

Neurological diseases

Epilepsy is a real concern in English Springer Spaniels.

Sudden-onset aggression, known as Rage Syndrome, can occur in English Springer Spaniels. Most affected Springers are good-natured and well-behaved right up until the moment they flare out of control. It's not been conclusively proven that this behavior is neurological, but that is the leading theory, especially since some affected Springers have been shown to have abnormally low amounts of serotonin (a calming brain chemical). Whatever the cause, sedating drugs and behavioral modification seldom work and euthanasia is often the only thing you can do.

Be aware that English Springers who are poorly bred, poorly socialized, or poorly trained can display dominance or aggression without it being Rage Syndrome. In these cases, behavior modification )I recommend Respect Training) CAN bring the dog under control. Also note that epilepsy can cause behavioral abnormalities, and since epilepsy can be controlled with medication, it's important to consider epilepsy as a possible cause whenever an English Springer Spaniel displays sudden aggression.

Enzyme deficiencies

Enzymes are just teeny-tiny proteins in our bodies that help our metabolism to keep going, i.e. enzymes help keep us alive.

If an English Springer (or American Cocker) Spaniel is born without a specific enzyme called phosphofructokinase (pfk for short), he will not be able to make enough energy to maintain vigorous exercise. So when he runs too much or barks too much or even just pants too much, he may suffer a sudden episode of severe weakness and require IV fluids.

Other than these "breakdown" episodes, most affected spaniels can live a normal life as long as you keep them calm and avoid strenuous exercise, over-excitement, barking, and high temperatures.

A simple DNA test is available for PFK deficiency, so you can find out at any time whether your dog has the disease, carries the disease, or is completely clear of it.

Another enzyme deficiency disease in English Springers is called canine fucosidosis. Between about 2-4 years of age, an affected Springer will begin showing neurological symptoms that progress rapidly and lead to death.

Endocrine diseases

Hormonal/endocrine system diseases include hypothyroidism, Addison's disease, and diabetes. According to the Michigan State University Thyroid Database, up to 14% of English Springer Spaniels have low thyroid levels.

Blood-clotting diseases

Four different blood-clotting diseases (von Willebrand's, factor X deficiency, factor XI deficiency, and hemophilia A) occur regularly in English Springers.

Other diseases in English Springer Spaniels

Other health issues in the breed include lysosomal storage disease, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, myasthenia gravis, heart disease (patent ductus arteriosus and septal defect), and bloat.

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 Springer Spaniel in all the right ways that help prevent health problems. Become your dog's health care champion!