Shooting Times & Country Magazine
New study on cocker health
The Kennel Club has launched a major investigation into the health of cocker spaniels.
The joint study between the Kennel Club and the University of Cambridge will look at intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), a serious spinal condition affecting dogs. After dachshunds and French bulldogs, cockers are the third most likely breed to develop the problem.
Symptoms of IVDD include abnormal posture, shivering, panting, unwillingness to move and difficulty jumping and going up and down stairs. In more severe cases, there may be difficulty walking and incontinence.
In 2017, researchers were able to identify a specific gene that is strongly linked to the problem in cocker spaniels. Now the Kennel Club wants to understand how lifestyle factors affect the disease and whether it is more common in working or show-bred cocker spaniels. It has contacted all of its registered cocker spaniel owners to ask them to complete a survey.
Cocker spaniel breeder Lilly Scott told Shooting Times: “I would encourage all cocker spaniel owners to take part in the Kennel Club survey. But more importantly, I would encourage them all to give their cockers a healthy diet, plenty of exercise and good mental stimulation in the form of regular training.”