English Cocker Spaniel — questions to ask before paying a deposit
A responsible breeder will have these readily available. Deflection is a red flag.
Familial nephropathycan shorten life or cause chronic pain
An inherited structural defect in the kidney's filtering membrane, causing progressive protein loss in the urine from before one year of age and kidney failure between six months and two years; the condition is ultimately fatal, usually within weeks of reaching advanced signs. No recognised varieties in this breed.
Ask to see: A familial nephropathy DNA test on both parents, or confirmed clear-by-parentage status
UFAW / Cocker Spaniel: Familial Nephropathy (https://www.ufaw.org.uk/dogs/cocker-spaniel---familial-nephropathy) · Wisdom Panel / Familial Nephropathy, English Cocker Spaniel (https://www.wisdompanel.com/en-gb/dog-health-conditions/familial-nephropathy-english-cocker-spaniel)
Progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
An inherited, blinding degeneration of the retina with no treatment, typically diagnosed in adulthood. A required test in the English Cocker Spaniel Club of America's CHIC protocol.
Ask to see: A prcd-PRA DNA test on both parents, plus a current annual ACVO/CAER eye exam
English Cocker Spaniel Club of America / Frequently Asked Questions (https://englishcocker.org/frequently-asked-questions/) · OFA / Eye Disease (https://ofa.org/diseases/eye-disease/)
Hip dysplasiacan shorten life or cause chronic pain
Malformation of the hip joint leading to wear, arthritis and pain over time. A required test in this breed's CHIC protocol.
Ask to see: An OFA hip evaluation on both parents
English Cocker Spaniel Club of America / Frequently Asked Questions (https://englishcocker.org/frequently-asked-questions/) · OFA / Hip Dysplasia (https://ofa.org/diseases/hip-dysplasia/)
Chondrodystrophy-linked intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
A raised risk of premature disc degeneration from the same FGF4 retrogene insertion (CDDY) implicated in Dachshunds; testing-lab data show it at high frequency in this breed (allele frequency around 88%), and a survey of 2,654 English Cocker Spaniels found breed-wide IVDD prevalence of 5.7%, higher in show-bred than working-bred dogs.
Ask to see: A CDDY/IVDD-risk DNA test on both parents
UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory / Chondrodystrophy (CDDY and IVDD) and Chondrodysplasia (CDPA) (https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/cddy-cdpa) · Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine / Prevalence and lifestyle risk factors for intervertebral disk disease in English cocker spaniels (https://academic.oup.com/jvim/article/40/1/aalaf011/8429715)