Springers have no more health issues than other pedigree breeds and fewer than some. Sadly, not many breeders do the health checks below as they are expensive and a bad result cannot be hidden

  Glen and Jodie are health checked according to the Kennel Club / British Veterinary Association Health Schemes for the breed, fulfilling the requirements and recommendations of the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme. I also follow the guidelines and Ethics of Breeding of the English Springer Spaniel Club – the parent club for the breed, established in 1921. I have original certificates for all the tests undertaken and there is independent verification as Breed Scheme results are held by the Kennel Club and appear on a pup’s registration documents.

Hip Dysplasia

  This a painful condition with an inherited component and approximately 15% of all ESS (not just show lines) are affected. Hip dysplasia is most likely to manifest in dogs that have been over-exercised as puppies and are over-weight as this stresses the growing bones and causes malformations. The condition is treatable by surgery (operation costs in the region of £2000 per hip) and with painkillers. Carefully nurtured pups from parents with low hip scores (maximum 106) are less at risk of developing hip dysplasia.

  Jodie’s hip-score of 13 (5/8) is average but Glen’s at 7 (4/3) is one of the best in the UK.

KC/BVA Eyetests

  Inherited eye conditions which causes blindness (Multifocal Retinal Dysplasia, General Progressive Retinal Atrophy & Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy) can be diagnosed by eyetests. Glen and Jodie were both tested in 2006 and are clear. They have also been genetically tested (DNA) for Progressive Retinal Atrophy (cord1) and both of them are clear both genes – see below.

Genetic testing (DNA testing)

Progressive Retinal Atrophy cord 1.

  Blindness develops gradually as the dog gets older and is not readily detectable when young dogs have eyetests – the condition onsets at about age three. It is an inherited condition and the gene responsible has only been identified recently. Each dog has two genes for PRA cord 1, one from the sire and one from the dam. If both genes are normal the dog is clear and will neither develop the condition nor pass it on to offspring, If one gene is normal and one is damaged, the dog will not develop blindness but may pass the damaged gene as a carrier to puppies. If both genes are damaged the dog has the condition and will pass a damaged gene to all its puppies. The DNA test only became available in 2007 and Glen and Jodie are both clear (two normal genes)

Fucosidosis

  This is a fatal metabolic disorder which typically becomes apparent at about age one year. There is no treatment and no hope of recovery. Glen and Jodie are both clear (two normal genes).

PFK deficiency (phosphofructokinase deficiency)

  This is an enzyme deficiency which results in the dog having very low blood sugar and hence little energy. The condition can be managed but an affected dog will not be able to work. Glen and Jodie are both clear (two normal genes).

  All puppies born to Glen and Jodie are genetically clear for these three serious conditions.