Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone. I have a friend who has 2 springers. He plans to breed them one day, although he's in no rush to do so. His female is only 10 months old. Anyway, I was talking to him last night about the standard health clearances for springers. I am a Labrador breeder and I know which clearances must be done for my breed, but I have no idea if they are the same or different for springers. He didn't even know he had to do clearances, but he's more than willing to do them. I just need to tell him what to do. I did a quick search and most sites I found only talk about OFA and CERF. Is it just hips for OFA or elbows too? What about Optigen? I also read that springers are prone to epilepsy. Is there a test for that or is it just something that must be diagnosed when seizures occur? If someone could list the appropriate health clearances springer breeders must do, I would greatly appreciate it!

I don't know specifics about Springers- I too only know my breed.

I'm sure there's a Natioanl Breed Club with a specific list, but here's what I came up with in a simple search:

Health
As in most breeds, there are some health issues that are more likely to occur in this breed. Hip dysplasia and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) are two such diseases for which veterinarians are working on genetic markers to determine carriers. Retinal dysplasia (RD) and Phosphofructokinase deficiency (PFK) are two other hereditary conditions the English springer spaniel should be screened for prior to breeding. Canine Eye Research Foundation (CERF) and Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) certifications for the father and mother of a litter of pups provides some information about eye and hip wellness.

Some English Springer Spaniels are prone to ear infections. Susceptible individuals should have their ear canals cleaned weekly with a solution that will leave the ear in an acidic state to retard the growth of yeast and bacteria. Keeping the hair trimmed around the ear can also help.

Other health issues include autoimmune diseases, which include allergies and other sensitivities to the environment. These are not common, but are found in the breed.

www.englishspringer.org/Julia/pages/pageone.htm
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles

hi Lukesmom,

Your friend will need to have these test done BEFORE he decides to breed.
Hips & elbows for OFA, Cerf-eyes, along with a DNA blood draw to test for PRA. for the PRA have him go to this link to get the info for testing he will need.
www.caninegeneticdiseases.net
If his dogs come back as affected tell him DO NOT breed them. if the are Carriers then you can breed a Carrier to a Clear.
breakdown for you:
PRA-Affected = dog has 2 mutated genes that will eventually lead to blindness in the later stages of life. If bred to another affected or a carrier their offspring will have the 2 mutated genes inturn get PRA.
PRA-Carrier= dog only has 1 mutated gene and can be bred to a Clear and offspring will have a 50/50 chance of either being a Carrier or a Clear. They WILL NOT get PRA.
PRA-Clear= has no mutated gene and can be bred successfully to either a Carrier or an Affected.

I had the PRA test done..it's very easy. My vet drew the blood and I overnighted it to University of Missouri and had my results in 3-4 weeks. they email you a certificate with the results.
Also Most Springer breeders won't bred until the dogs at 3 yr old and done growing. You get a good look at how your future pups will look by then.