Everyone has their special love and adoration for a specific breed. My fondness is for the Spaniels. The well-bred, trained English Cocker Spaniel is happy, playful, gentle, loyal, trusting and affectionate toward everyone. They desire to be included in all activities. Eager to please they usually do well in obedience training. These dogs are good with children and socializes well with other animals with the exception of some males becoming aggressive with other males. Some females are aggressively possessive with their owners. They bark to alert the family of a visitor. Cockers that are left alone too much may retaliate becoming aggressive and relieving themselves in places unknown.
The English Cocker requires special grooming needs. The medium length coat can be flat or wavy; their coat color can be black, buff, liver or a combination of markings. Their ears are long and silky requiring daily cleaning from ending up in the food bowl. Their muzzle is longer than most spaniels. Their statue is more elegant than the other species of the breed. They should be brushed and combed at least two to three times per week to avoid matting on the ears, chest and legs. They appreciate and enjoy long vigorous walks daily. Special attention must be given to their ears; this species is more prone to ear infections.
The English Cocker originated in the 19th century in England. They were utilized to flush and retrieve birds from densely wooded areas for the hunters. This Cocker breed is between 15-17" in height. Their weight ranges 26-34 lbs.. Their life span is usually 10-14 years.
There are definite health concerns related to their breed. Glaucoma, cataract, deafness, ear infections, and progressive retinal atrophy are some of the concerns with the English Cocker Spaniels. Personally my older male cocker spaniel has experienced bilateral glaucoma; unfortunately we had to have both his eyes removed.
Glaucoma is hereditary among this breed as they are predisposed to this condition. Rubbing and squinting of the eyes secondary to pain; a cloudy cornea, a dilated pupil when there should be constriction, noticeable blood vessels in the eyes, poor vision and an enlarged eyeball are symptoms. When my male cocker first presented these symptoms in his left eye, I immediately took him to the vet. Once the eyeball becomes enlarged recovery is difficult. The pressure inside the eye was off the charts so to speak. With glaucoma they experience pain as we would feel the pain of a constant migraine. His left eye became so swollen and he was constantly bumping into objects that our only recourse was to have this eye removed to relieve the symptoms as well as the intense pain. Part of the post op recovery stage was to wear one of those Elizabethan collars; I despised those collars, but I realized the importance of them and had to deal with the inconvenience for his sake.
For the next several months we had his remaining eye constantly observed by the vet; we administered two different eye drops each day; eye pressure was measured weekly. But unfortunately all our efforts failed. In time the right eye became slightly enlarged and I could tell his remaining sight in that eye was decreasing. We immediately contacted the vet and went through the procedure of the Mannitol IV but it was too late. His prognosis with his sight was grave. We were now faced with the realization of him losing his other eye. I felt like...here we go again? At first I personally didn't know if I could deal with "no eyes"? The vet suggested to implant animal testicles; yes you read it right! It was more of a vanity issue with me. They convinced me that over time I would adjust to the situation. He appears to be sleeping all the time. But don't let the loss of sight fool you as when that happened his other senses took over; it has been 4 years since both procedures and he is now 13 years old; you try to sneak by him with any food and his head raises and his smell instincts are amazing! I have adjusted and I've accepted his condition. His quality of life is still good. His loss of sight has not hindered his life.
Cataracts are white opacities in the lenses of the eyes that impair vision or cause blindness. Cataracts is the most common kind of hereditary problem with many of the breeds of dogs. Some of the causes of cataracts can be from a direct injury to the lens, diabetes, nutritional deficiency, toxic effects of certain drugs, an inflammation of the eye...just to name a few. The extent of the cataract determines the degree of visual loss or impairment. The lens can be removed via surgery. The removal of the cataract can prevent further complications such as glaucoma that we just discussed. One of the normal occurences in aging dogs is senile cataracts in which a bluish gray haze is presented over the eye; this does not have to treated with surgery and their vision is not hindered.
Deafness may be congenital or caused by ear infections, drugs, or aging. The most noticeable sign of deafness is a lack of response when you call your pets name or any stimulation. Another problem of my 13 year old male cocker is deafness associated with the aging process. Ear infections can cause destruction of nerve cells. Some drugs used to treat inflammation of the ear can cause deafness. Consult your vet for the proper drug for an ear infection. Patience from you is needed when your pet has lost his hearing.
Progressive retinal atrophy is usually hereditary. It is caused by a degeneration and a loss of retinal tissue. Late onset of this health problem usually involves Cocker Spaniels after one year of age. Night blindness is one of the first signs and symptoms. There is no effective treatment for this problem as eventually the dog will go blind. The dog will be reluctant to go outside or up and down poorly lit steps or hallways during the early stages of the PRA. The only way to prevent PRA is to make sure the affected dog does not breed.
Every breed has health concerns. It is your choice which breed you love and adore. Be a responsible pet owner and be informed of each health concern of your specific dogs breed. Most important just love your pet by providing the best medical care for a long quality of life that you possibly can for your friend.
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