American Cocker Spaniel — questions to ask before paying a deposit
A responsible breeder will have these readily available. Deflection is a red flag.
Exercise-induced collapse (DNM1)Common in this breed
An inherited disorder in which a dog with two copies of a DNM1 variant can lose control of its hind legs and collapse after a few minutes of intense exercise; most recover within half an hour, but it can rarely be fatal, and not every dog with two copies collapses. It is recessive. In a screen of nearly 1,900 American Cocker Spaniels, nearly one in five carried it.
Ask to see: Exercise-induced collapse (DNM1) DNA test result, on both parents
Donner et al. 2023, PLOS Genetics (Table S3, Cocker Spaniel row) (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1010651) · Minor et al. 2011, The Veterinary Journal (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2011.06.022)
Progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA)can shorten life or cause chronic painCommon in this breed
An inherited degeneration of the retina that starts as night blindness in adulthood and slowly progresses to blindness; there is no treatment. It is recessive. It is common in this breed — in a screen of nearly 1,900 American Cocker Spaniels, roughly one in four carried it.
Ask to see: DNA test for prcd-PRA on both parents
Donner et al. 2023, PLOS Genetics (Table S3, Cocker Spaniel row) (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1010651)
Chondrodystrophy-linked intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)can shorten life or cause chronic painCommon in this breed
The chromosome-12 FGF4 insertion makes the spinal discs degenerate early, which raises the risk of a disc rupture that can cause pain or paralysis, and one copy is enough to raise it. It is near-universal in this breed — in a screen of nearly 1,900 American Cocker Spaniels almost every dog carried two copies — so a test can only lower the risk across a litter, not avoid it.
Ask to see: A CDDY/IVDD-risk DNA test on both parents
Donner et al. 2023, PLOS Genetics (Table S3, Cocker Spaniel row) (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1010651) · Brown et al. 2017, PNAS (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29073074/)
Phosphofructokinase deficiency (PFKM)can shorten life or cause chronic painVery rare in this breed
An inherited lack of an enzyme that red blood cells and muscles need for energy: affected dogs have bouts of red-cell breakdown, with dark urine, fever and weakness, often brought on by hard exercise, excitement or panting, and their muscles cramp. It is recessive and very rare in this breed — roughly one in a thousand carried it in a screen of nearly 1,900.
Ask to see: Phosphofructokinase deficiency (PFKM) DNA test result, on both parents
Smith et al. 1996, Journal of Biological Chemistry (https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.271.33.20070) · Donner et al. 2023, PLOS Genetics (Table S3, Cocker Spaniel row) (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1010651)