Dogs suffer from many of the same physical illnesses as people. Since most people know more about human diseases than canine maladies, many of the terms used in this chapter will be familiar but not necessarily those used by veterinarians. We will use the term x-ray, instead of the more acceptable term radiograph. We will also use the familiar term symptoms even though dogs don’t have symptoms, which are verbal descriptions of the patient’s feelings—dogs have clinical signs. Since dogs can’t speak, we have to look for clinical signs…but we still use the term symptoms in this book.
As a general rule, medicine is practiced. That term is not arbitrary. Medicine is a constantly changing art as we learn more and more about genetics, electronic aids (like CAT scans and MRIs) and daily laboratory advances. There are many dog maladies, like canine hip dysplasia, which are not universally treated in the same manner. Some veterinarians opt for surgery more often than others do.
SELECTING A VETERINARIAN
Your selection of a veterinarian should be based not only upon personality and ability with sporting dogs but also upon his convenience to your home. You want a vet who is close because you might have emergencies or need to make multiple visits for treatments. You want a vet who has services that you might require such as grooming facilities as well as sophisticated pet supplies and a good reputation for ability and responsiveness. There is nothing more frustrating than having to wait a day or more to get a response from your veterinarian.
Before you buy your English Springer Spaniel, meet and interview the veterinarians in your area. Take everything into consideration— discuss his background, specialties, fees, emergency policy, etc.
A typical vet’s income categorized according to services performed. This survey dealt with small-animal (pet) practices.
All veterinarians are licensed and their diplomas and/or certificates should be displayed in their waiting rooms. There are, however, many veterinary specialties that usually require further studies and internships. There are specialists in heart problems (veterinary cardiologists), skin problems (veterinary dermatologists), teeth and gum problems (veterinary dentists), eye problems (veterinary ophthalmologists), x-rays (veterinary radiologists), and surgeons who have specialties in bones, muscles or other organs. Most veterinarians do routine surgery such as neutering, stitching up wounds and docking tails for those breeds in which such is required for show purposes. When the problem affecting your dog is serious, it is not unusual or impudent to get another medical opinion, although it is courteous to advise the vets concerned about this. You might also want to compare costs among several veterinarians. Sophisticated health care and veterinary services can be very costly. Don’t be bashful about discussing these costs with your veterinarian or his staff. It is not infrequent that important decisions are based upon financial considerations.
PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE
It is much easier, less costly and more effective to practice preventative medicine than to fight bouts of illness and disease. Properly bred puppies come from parents that were selected based upon their genetic-disease profiles. Their dam should have been vaccinated, free of all internal and external parasites, and properly nourished. For these reasons, a visit to the veterinarian who cared for the dam is recommended. The dam can pass on disease resistance to her puppies, which can last for eight to ten weeks. She can also pass on parasites and many infections. That’s why you should visit the veterinarian who cared for the dam.
Vaccinations are not instantly effective. It takes about two weeks for the dog’s immune system to develop antibodies. Most vaccinations require annual booster shots. Your veterinarian should guide you in this regard.
VACCINE ALLERGIES
Vaccines do not work all the time. Sometimes dogs are allergic to them and many times the antibodies, which are supposed to be stimulated by the vaccine, just are not produced. You should keep your dog in the veterinary clinic for an hour after it is vaccinated to be sure there are no allergic reactions.
An English Springer Spaniel getting a routine examination.
Puppies should be weaned by the time they are about two months old. A puppy that remains for at least eight weeks with his dam and littermates usually adapts better to other dogs and people later in life.
Some new owners have their puppy examined by a veterinarian immediately, that is a good idea. Vaccination programs usually begin when the puppy is very young.
The veterinarian takes the Springer’s temperature.
A litter of healthy Springer puppies will have been inoculated and wormed before going to new homes. Discuss the booster-shot program with your breeder before bringing your puppy home.
The puppy will have his teeth examined and have his skeletal conformation and general health checked prior to certification by the veterinarian. Puppies in certain breeds have problems with their kneecaps, cataracts and other eye problems, heart murmurs and undescended testicles. They may also have personality problems and your veterinarian might have training in temperament evaluation.
VACCINATION SCHEDULING
Most vaccinations are given by injection and should only be done by a veterinarian. Both he and you should keep a record of the date of the injection, the identification of the vaccine and the amount given. Some vets give a first vaccination at eight weeks, but most dog breeders prefer the course not to commence until about ten weeks because of negating any antibodies passed on by the dam. The vaccination scheduling is usually based on a 15-day cycle. You must take your vet’s advice as to when to vaccinate as this may differ according to the vaccine used. Most vaccinations immunize your puppy against viruses.
The usual vaccines contain immunizing doses of several different viruses such as distemper, parvovirus, parainfluenza and hepatitis. There are other vaccines available when the puppy is at risk. You should rely upon professional advice. This is especially true for the booster-shot program. Most vaccination programs require a booster when the puppy is a year old and once a year thereafter. In some cases, circumstances may require more or less frequent immunizations.
Canine cough, more formally known as tracheobronchitis, is treated with a vaccine that is sprayed into the dog’s nostrils. Canine cough is usually included in routine vaccination, but this is often not so effective as for other major diseases.
CUSHING’S DISEASE
Cases of hyperactive adrenal glands (Cushing’s disease) have been traced to the drinking of highly chlorinated water. Aerate or age your dog’s drinking water before offering it.
Normal English Springer Spaniel Skeleton
FIVE MONTHS TO ONE YEAR OF AGE
Unless you intend to breed or show your dog, neutering the puppy at six months of age is recommended. Discuss this with your veterinarian. Neutering and spaying have proven to be extremely beneficial to both male and female dogs. Besides eliminating the possibility of pregnancy, it inhibits (but does not prevent) breast cancer in bitches and prostate cancer in male dogs. Under no circumstances should a bitch be spayed prior to her first season.
OVER ONE YEAR OF AGE
Continue to visit the veterinarian at least once a year. There is no such disease as old age, but bodily functions do change with age. The eyes and ears are no longer as efficient. Liver, kidney and intestinal functions often decline. Proper dietary changes, recommended by your veterinarian, can make life more pleasant for the aging English Springer Spaniel and you.
DENTAL HEALTH
A dental examination is in order when the dog is between six months and one year of age so that any permanent teeth that have erupted incorrectly can be corrected. It is important to begin a brushing routine and remain consistent with it throughout the dog’s lifetime. Durable nylon and safe edible chews should be a part of your puppy’s arsenal for good health, good teeth and pleasant breath. The vast majority of dogs three to four years old and older has diseases of the gums from lack of dental attention. Using the various types of dental chews can be very effective in controlling dental plaque.
SKIN PROBLEMS IN ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIELS
Veterinarians are consulted by dog owners for skin problems more than any other group of diseases or maladies. Dogs’ skin is almost as sensitive as human skin and both suffer almost the same ailments (though the occurrence of acne in dogs is rare). For this reason, veterinary dermatology has developed into a specialty practiced by many veterinarians.
Since many skin problems have visual symptoms that are almost identical, it requires the skill of an experienced veterinary dermatologist to identify and cure many of the more severe skin disorders. Pet shops sell many treatments for skin problems but most of the treatments are directed at symptoms and not the underlying problem(s). If your dog is suffering from a skin disorder, you should seek professional assistance as quickly as possible. As with all diseases, the earlier a problem is identified and treated, the more successful is the cure.
HEREDITARY SKIN DISORDERS
Veterinary dermatologists are currently researching a number of skin disorders that are believed to have a hereditary basis. These inherited diseases are transmitted by both parents, who appear (phenotypically) normal but have a recessive gene for the disease, meaning that they carry, but are not affected by, the disease. These diseases pose serious problems to breeders because in some instances there are no methods of identifying carriers. Often the secondary diseases associated with these skin conditions are even more debilitating than the skin disorders themselves, including cancers and respiratory problems.
Among the hereditary skin disorders, for which the mode of inheritance is known, are acrodermatitis, cutaneous asthenia (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome), sebaceous adenitis, cyclic hematopoiesis, dermatomyositis, IgA deficiency, color dilution alopecia and nodular dermatofibrosis. Some of these disorders are limited to one or two breeds, while others affect a large number of breeds. All inherited diseases must be diagnosed and treated by a veterinary specialist.
PROPER DIET
Feeding your dog properly is very important. An incorrect diet could affect the dog’s health, behavior and nervous system, possibly making a normal dog into an aggressive one. Its most visible effects are to the skin and coat, but internal organs are similarly affected.
PARASITE BITES
Many of us are allergic to insect bites. The bites itch, erupt and may even become infected. Dogs have the same reaction to fleas, ticks and/or mites. When an insect lands on you, you have the chance to whisk it away with your hand. Unfortunately, when your dog is bitten by a flea, tick or mite, he can only scratch it away or bite it. By the time the dog has been bitten, the parasite has done some of its damage. It may also have laid eggs to cause further problems in the near future. The itching from parasite bites is probably due to the saliva injected into the site when the parasite sucks the dog’s blood.
AUTO-IMMUNE SKIN CONDITIONS
Auto-immune skin conditions are commonly referred to as being allergic to yourself, while allergies are usually inflammatory reactions to an outside stimulus. Auto-immune diseases cause serious damage to the tissues that are involved.
The best known auto-immune disease is lupus, which affects people as well as dogs. The symptoms are variable and may affect the kidneys, bones, blood chemistry and skin. It can be fatal to both dogs and humans, though it is not thought to be transmissible. It is usually successfully treated with cortisone, prednisone or similar corticosteroid, but extensive use of these drugs can have harmful side effects.
AIRBORNE ALLERGIES
Just as humans have hay fever, rose fever and other fevers from which they suffer during the pollinating season, many dogs suffer from the same allergies. When the pollen count is high, your dog might suffer but don’t expect him to sneeze and have a runny nose as a human would. Dogs react to pollen allergies the same way they react to fleas—they scratch and bite themselves.
Dogs, like humans, can be tested for allergens. Discuss the testing with your veterinary dermatologist.
FOOD PROBLEMS
FOOD ALLERGIES
Dogs are allergic to many foods that are best sellers and highly recommended by breeders and veterinarians. Changing the brand of food that you buy may not eliminate the problem if the element to which the dog is allergic is contained in the new brand.
Recognizing a food allergy is difficult. Humans vomit or have rashes when they eat a food to which they are allergic. Dogs neither vomit nor (usually) develop a rash. They react in the same manner as they do to an airborne or flea allergy: they itch, scratch and bite. Thus making the diagnosis extremely difficult. While pollen allergies and parasite bites are usually seasonal, food allergies are year-round problems.
FOOD INTOLERANCE
Food intolerance is the inability of the dog to completely digest certain foods. For example, puppies that may have done very well on their dam’s milk may not do well on cow’s milk. The result of this food intolerance may be loose bowels, passing gas and stomach pains. These are the only obvious symptoms of food intolerance and that makes diagnosis difficult.
FAT OR FICTION?
The myth that dogs need extra fat in their diets can be harmful. Should your vet recommend extra fat, use safflower oil instead of animal oils. Safflower oil has been shown to be less likely to cause allergic reactions.
Dogs, like humans, can be allergic to certain foods. For this reason, find a well-balanced dog food and do not change the brand. Additional supplements are not necessary unless recommended by the vet.
Check your Springer’s stool from time to time. He should not be straining, and the stool should be well formed and with no indication of worms.
TREATING FOOD PROBLEMS
It is possible to handle food allergies and food intolerance yourself. Put your dog on a diet that he has never had. Obviously if he has never eaten this new food, he can’t have been allergic or intolerant of it. Start with a single ingredient that is not in the dog’s diet at the present time, such as raw tripe and wholemeal bread. Keep the dog on this diet (with no additives) for a month. If the symptoms of food allergy or intolerance disappear, don’t go back to his old diet, but stick to the tripe and bread and add one ingredient of his former diet. Let the dog stay on the modified diet for a month before you add another ingredient. It will take some time but you will find out which is the ingredient that caused the problems.
An alternative method is to carefully study the ingredients in the diet to which your dog is allergic or intolerant. Identify the main ingredient in this diet and eliminate the main ingredient by buying a different food that does not have that ingredient. Keep experimenting until the symptoms disappear after one month on the new diet.
FLEAS
Of all the problems to which dogs are prone, none is more well known and frustrating than fleas. Flea infestation is relatively simple to cure but difficult to prevent. Parasites that are harbored inside the body are a bit more difficult to eradicate but they are easier to control.
To control flea infestation, you have to understand the flea’s life cycle. Fleas are often thought of as a summertime problem, but centrally heated homes have changed the patterns and fleas can be found at any time of the year. The most effective method of flea control is a two-stage approach: one stage to kill the adult fleas, and the other to control the development of pre-adult fleas. Unfortunately, no single active ingredient is effective against all stages of the life cycle.
FLEA KILLER CAUTION—“POISON”
Flea-killers are poisonous. You should not spray these toxic chemicals on areas of a dog’s body that he licks, including his genitals and his face. Flea killers taken internally are a better answer, but check with your vet in case internal therapy is not advised for your dog.
LIFE CYCLE STAGES
During its life, a flea will pass through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa or nymph and adult. The adult stage is the most visible and irritating stage of the flea life cycle, and this is why the majority of flea-control products concentrate on this stage. The fact is that adult fleas account for only 1% of the total flea population, and the other 99% exist in pre-adult stages, i.e., eggs, larvae and nymphs. The pre-adult stages are barely visible to the naked eye.
THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE FLEA
Eggs are laid on the dog, usually in quantities of about 20 or 30, several times a day. The adult female flea must have a blood meal before each egg-laying session. When first laid, the eggs will cling to the dog’s hair, as the eggs are still moist. However, they will quickly dry out and fall from the dog, especially if the dog moves around or scratches. Many eggs will fall off in the dog’s favorite area or an area in which he spends a lot of time, such as his bed.
Once the eggs fall from the dog onto the carpet or furniture, they will hatch into larvae. This takes from one to ten days. Larvae are not particularly mobile and will usually travel only a few inches from where they hatch. However, they do have a tendency to move away from bright light and heavy traffic—under furniture and behind doors are common places to find high quantities of flea larvae.
The flea larvae feed on dead organic matter, including adult flea feces, until they are ready to change into adult fleas. Fleas will usually remain as larvae for around seven days. After this period, the larvae will pupate into protective pupae. While inside the pupae, the larvae will undergo metamorphosis and change into adult fleas. This can take as little time as a few days, but the adult fleas can remain inside the pupae waiting to hatch for up to two years. The pupae are signaled to hatch by certain stimuli, such as physical pressure—the pupae’s being stepped on, heat from an animal’s lying on the pupae or increased carbon-dioxide levels and vibrations—indicating that a suitable host is available.
Once hatched, the adult flea must feed within a few days. Once the adult flea finds a host, it will not leave voluntarily. It only becomes dislodged by grooming or the host animal’s scratching. The adult flea will remain on the host for the duration of its life unless forcibly removed.
TREATING THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE DOG
Treating fleas should be a two-pronged attack. First, the environment needs to be treated; this includes carpets and furniture, especially the dog’s bedding and areas underneath furniture. The environment should be treated with a household spray containing an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) and an insecticide to kill the adult fleas. Most IGRs are effective against eggs and larvae; they actually mimic the fleas’ own hormones and stop the eggs and larvae from developing into adult fleas. There are currently no treatments available to attack the pupa stage of the life cycle, so the adult insecticide is used to kill the newly hatched adult fleas before they find a host. Most IGRs are active for many months, while adult insecticides are only active for a few days.
EN GARDE: CATCHING FLEAS OFF GUARD!
Consider the following ways to arm yourself against fleas:
• Add a small amount of pennyroyal or eucalyptus oil to your dog’s bath. These natural remedies repel fleas.
• Supplement your dog’s food with fresh garlic (minced or grated) and an hearty amount of brewer’s yeast, both of which ward off fleas.
• Use a flea comb on your dog daily. Submerge fleas in a cup of bleach to kill them quickly.
• Confine the dog to only a few rooms to limit the spread of fleas in the home.
• Vacuum daily…and get all of the crevices! Dispose of the bag every few days until the problem is under control.
• Wash your dog’s bedding daily. Cover cushions where your dog sleeps with towels, and wash the towels often.
When treating with a household spray, it is a good idea to vacuum before applying the product. This stimulates as many pupae as possible to hatch into adult fleas. The vacuum cleaner should also be treated with an insecticide to prevent the eggs and larvae that have been collected in the vacuum bag from hatching.
The second stage of treatment is to apply an adult insecticide to the dog. Traditionally, this would be in the form of a collar or a spray, but more recent innovations include digestible insecticides that poison the fleas when they ingest the dog’s blood. Alternatively, there are drops that, when placed on the back of the dog’s neck, spread throughout the dog’s hair and skin to kill adult fleas.
TICKS
Though not as common as fleas, ticks are found all over the tropical and temperate world. They don’t bite, like fleas; they harpoon. They dig their sharp proboscis (nose) into the dog’s skin and drink the blood. Their only food and drink is dog’s blood. Dogs can get Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tick bite paralysis and many other diseases from ticks. They may live where fleas are found and they like to hide in cracks or seams in walls. They are controlled the same way fleas are controlled.
The American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, may well be the most common dog tick in many geographical areas, especially those areas where the climate is hot and humid. Most dog ticks have life expectancies of a week to six months, depending upon climatic conditions. They can neither jump nor fly, but they can crawl slowly and can range up to 16 feet to reach a sleeping or unsuspecting dog.
MITES
Just as fleas and ticks can be problematic for your dog, mites can also lead to an itchy nuisance. Microscopic in size, mites are related to ticks and generally take up permanent residence on their host animal— in this case, your English Springer Spaniel! The term mange refers to any infestation caused by one of the mighty mites, of which there are six varieties that concern dog owners.
Two types of products should be used when treating fleas—a product to treat the pet and a product to treat the home. Adult fleas represent less than 1% of the flea population. The pre-adult fleas (eggs, larvae and pupae) represent more than 99% of the flea population and are found in the environment; it is in the case of pre-adult fleas that products containing an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) should be used in the home.
IGRs are a new class of compounds used to prevent the development of insects. They do not kill the insect outright, but instead use the insect’s biology against it to stop it from completing its growth. Products that contain methoprene are the world’s first and leading IGRs. Used to control fleas and other insects, this type of IGR will stop flea larvae from developing and protect the house for up to seven months.
Demodex mites cause a condition known as demodicosis (sometimes called red mange or follicular mange), in which the mites live in the dog’s hair follicles and sebaceous glands. This type of mange is commonly passed from the dam to her puppies and usually shows up on the puppies’ muzzles, though demodicosis is not transferable from one normal dog to another. Most dogs recover from this type of mange without any treatment, though topical therapies are commonly prescribed by the vet.
The Cheyletiellosis mite is the hook-mouthed culprit associated with “walking dandruff,” a condition that affects dogs as well as cats and rabbits. This mite lives on the surface of the animal’s skin and is readily transferable through direct or indirect contact with an affected animal. The dandruff is present in the form of scaly skin, which may or may not be itchy. If not treated, this mange can affect a whole kennel of dogs and can be spread to humans as well.
The Sarcoptes mite causes intense itching on the dog in the form of a condition known as scabies or sarcoptic mange. The cycle of the Sarcoptes mite lasts about three weeks, and the mites live in the top layer of the dog’s skin (epidermis), preferably in areas with little hair. Scabies is highly contagious and can be passed to humans. Sometimes an allergic reaction to the mite worsens the severe itching associated with sarcoptic mange.
Ear mites, Otodectes cynotis, lead to otodectic mange, which most commonly affects the outer ear canal of the dog, though other areas can be affected as well. Dogs with ear-mite infestation commonly scratch at their ears, causing further irritation, and shake their heads. Dark brown droppings in the outer ear confirm the diagnosis. Your vet can prescribe a treatment to flush out the ears and kill any eggs in the ears. A complete month of treatment is necessary to cure the mange.
Two other mites, less common in dogs, include Dermanyssus gallinae (the poultry or red mite) and Eutrombicula alfreddugesi (the North American mite associated with trombiculidiasis or chigger infestation). The poultry mite frequently lives on chickens, but can transfer to dogs who spend time near farm animals. Chigger infestation affects dogs in the central US who have exposure to woodlands. The types of mange caused by both of these mites are treatable by veterinarians.
INTERNAL PARASITES
Most animals—fishes, birds and mammals, including dogs and humans—have worms and other parasites that live inside their bodies. According to Dr. Herbert R. Axelrod, the fish pathologist, there are two kinds of parasites: dumb and smart. The smart parasites live in peaceful cooperation with their hosts (symbiosis), while the dumb parasites kill their hosts. Most worm infections are relatively easy to control. If they are not controlled, they weaken the host dog to the point that other medical problems occur, but they do not kill the host as dumb parasites would.
DEER-TICK CROSSING
The great outdoors may be fun for your dog, but it also is an home to dangerous ticks. Deer ticks carry a bacterium known as Borrelia burgdorferi and are most active in the autumn and spring. When infections are caught early, penicillin and tetracycline are effective antibiotics, but, if left untreated, the bacteria may cause neurological, kidney and cardiac problems as well as long-term trouble with walking and painful joints.
ROUNDWORMS
The roundworms that infect dogs are known scientifically as Toxocara canis. They live in the dog’s intestines and shed eggs continually. It has been estimated that a dog produces about 6 or more ounces of feces every day. Each ounce of feces averages hundreds of thousands of roundworm eggs. There are no known areas in which dogs roam that do not contain roundworm eggs. The greatest danger of roundworms is that they infect people, too! It is wise to have your dog tested regularly for roundworms.
In young puppies, roundworms cause bloated bellies, diarrhea, coughing and vomiting, and are transmitted from the dam (through blood or milk). Affected puppies will not appear as animated as normal puppies. The worms appear spaghetti-like, measuring as long as 6 inches. Adult dogs can acquire roundworms through coprophagia (eating contaminated feces) or by killing rodents that carry roundworms.
Roundworm infection can kill puppies and cause severe problems in adults, as the hatched larvae travel to the lungs and trachea through the bloodstream. Cleanliness is the best preventative for roundworms. Always pick up after your dog and dispose of feces in appropriate receptacles.
HOOKWORMS
In the United States, dog owners have to be concerned about four different species of hookworm, the most common and most serious of which is Ancylostoma caninum, which prefers warm climates. The others are Ancylostoma braziliense, Ancylostoma tubaeforme and Uncinaria stenocephala, the latter of which is a concern to dogs living in the northern US and Canada, as this species prefers cold climates. Hookworms are dangerous to humans as well as to dogs and cats, and can be the cause of severe anemia due to iron deficiency. The worm uses its teeth to attach itself to the dog’s intestines and changes the site of its attachment about six times per day. Each time the worm repositions itself, the dog loses blood and can become anemic. Ancylostoma caninum is the most likely of the four species to cause anemia in the dog.
Symptoms of hookworm infection include dark stools, weight loss, general weakness, pale coloration and anemia, as well as possible skin problems. Fortunately, hookworms are easily purged from the affected dog with a number of medications that have proven effective. Discuss these with your veterinarian. Most heartworm preventatives include a hookworm insecticide as well.
Owners also must be aware that hookworms can infect humans, who can acquire the larvae through exposure to contaminated feces. Since the worms cannot complete their life cycle on a human, the worms simply infest the skin and cause irritation. This condition is known as cutaneous larva migrans syndrome. As a preventative, use disposable gloves or a “poop-scoop” to pick up your dog’s droppings and prevent your dog (or neighborhood cats) from defecating in children’s play areas.
TAPEWORMS
There are many species of tapeworm, all of which are carried by fleas! The most common tapeworm affecting dogs is known as Dipylidium caninum. The dog eats the flea and starts the tapeworm cycle. Humans can also be infected with tapeworms—so don’t eat fleas! Fleas are so small that your dog could pass them onto your hands, your plate or your food and thus make it possible for you to ingest a flea that is carrying tapeworm eggs.
While tapeworm infection is not life-threatening in dogs (smart parasite!), it can be the cause of a very serious liver disease for humans. About 50% of the humans infected with Echinococcus multilocularis, a type of tapeworm that causes alveolar hydatid, perish.
WHIPWORMS
In North America, whipworms are counted among the most common parasitic worms in dogs. The whipworm’s scientific name is Trichuris vulpis. These worms attach themselves in the lower parts of the intestine, where they feed. Affected dogs may only experience upset tummies, colic and diarrhea. These worms, however, can live for months or years in the dog, beginning their larval stage in the small intestine, spending their adult stage in the large intestine and finally passing infective eggs through the dog’s feces. The only way to detect whipworms is through a fecal examination, though this is not always foolproof. Treatment for whipworms is tricky, due to the worms’ unusual life-cycle pattern, and very often dogs are reinfected due to exposure to infective eggs on the ground. The whipworm eggs can survive in the environment for as long as five years, thus cleaning up droppings in your own backyard as well as in public places is absolutely essential for sanitation purposes and the health of your dog.
DO NOT MIX
Never mix parasite-control products without first consulting your vet. Some products can become toxic when combined with others and can cause fatal consequences.
NOT A DROP TO DRINK
Never allow your dog to swim in polluted water or public areas where water quality can be suspect. Even perfectly clear water can harbor parasites, many of which can cause serious to fatal illnesses in canines. Areas inhabited by water-fowl and other wildlife are especially dangerous.
THREADWORMS
Though less common than roundworms, hookworms and those mentioned above, threadworms concern dog owners in the southwestern US and Gulf Coast area, where the climate is hot and humid. Living in the small intestine of the dog, this worm measures a mere 2 millimeters and is round in shape. Like that of the whipworm, the threadworm’s life cycle is very complex and the eggs and larvae are passed through the feces. A deadly disease in humans, Strongyloides readily infects people, and the handling of feces is the most common means of transmission. Threadworms are most often seen in young puppies; bloody diarrhea and pneumonia are symptoms. Sick puppies must be isolated and treated immediately; veterinarians recommend a follow-up treatment one month later.
ROUNDWORMS
Average-size dogs can pass 1,360,000 roundworm eggs every day. For example, if there were only 1 million dogs in the world, the world would be saturated with thousands of tons of dog feces. These feces would contain around 15,000,000,000 roundworm eggs.
Up to 31% of home yards and children’s sand boxes in the US contain roundworm eggs.
Flushing dog’s feces down the toilet is not a safe practice because the usual sewage treatments do not destroy roundworm eggs.
Infected puppies start shedding roundworm eggs at three weeks of age. They can be infected by their mother’s milk.
HEARTWORMS
Heartworms are thin, extended worms up to 12 inches long, which live in a dog’s heart and the major blood vessels surrounding it. Dogs may have up to 200 worms. Symptoms may be loss of energy, loss of appetite, coughing, the development of a pot belly and anemia.
Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes. The mosquito drinks the blood of an infected dog and takes in larvae with the blood. The larvae, called microfilariae, develop within the body of the mosquito and are passed on to the next dog bitten after the larvae mature. It takes two to three weeks for the larvae to develop to the infective stage within the body of the mosquito. Dogs are usually treated at about six weeks of age and maintained on a prophylactic dose given monthly.
Blood testing for heartworms is not necessarily indicative of how seriously your dog is infected. Although this is a dangerous disease, it is not easy for a dog to be infected. Discuss the various preventatives with your veterinarian, as there are many different types now available. Together you can decide on a safe course of prevention for your English Springer Spaniel.
BREED-RELATED HEREDITARY CONDITIONS
HIP DYSPLASIA
This is a congenital problem whereby the acetabulum (hip socket), into which the femoral head (knucklebone) rests, degenerates. It can only be diagnosed by scrutiny of an x-ray by specialists trained to do so. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), the worlds’ largest data bank on hip status x-rays, is dedicated to establishing control programs to lower the incidence of hip dysplasia in pure-bred dogs. The x-rays of Springers over 24 months of age are reviewed by a three board-certified veterinary radiologists, whose consensus determines the scoring of the hips. OFA numbers are assigned to those scores of “Excellent,” “Good” and “Fair.” Hips that are designated “Borderline,” “Mild,” “Moderate” and “Severe” are ineligible for an OFA number. Most breeders x-ray all the dogs they use for breeding and eliminate those dogs with a high hip score from their breeding programs.
The OFA also registers carriers of elbow dysplasia, craniomandibular osteopathy (CM), osteochondritis dessicans (OCD), ununited anchoneal process and other heritable diseases.
PROGRESSIVE RETINAL ATROPHY (PRA)
PRA is a congenital disease of the eye that is causing much concern in canine circles. It is inherited through a recessive gene, i.e., both parents must be carriers of the gene to produce affected offspring. The symptoms rarely manifest themselves until a dog is mature, sometimes even at six or seven years of age, so that the dog or bitch may well have been used for breeding. The disease can only be diagnosed by a specialist with special equipment. In many countries, eye testing is obligatory if one wants to breed and the results of the eye tests are published in a veterinary dog journal.
DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HIP DYSPLASIA?
Hip dysplasia is a fairly common condition found in pure-bred dogs. When a dog has hip dysplasia, his hind leg has an incorrectly formed hip joint. By constant use of the hip joint, it becomes more and more loose, wears abnormally and may become arthritic.
Hip dysplasia can only be confirmed with an x-ray, but certain symptoms may indicate a problem. Your dog may have a hip dysplasia problem if he walks in a peculiar manner, hops instead of smoothly runs, uses his hind legs in unison (to keep the pressure off the weak joint), has trouble getting up from a prone position or always sits with both legs together on one side of his body.
As the dog matures, he may adapt well to life with a bad hip, but in a few years the arthritis develops and many dogs with hip dysplasia become cripples.
Hip dysplasia is considered an inherited disease and can usually be diagnosed when the dog is three to nine months old. Some experts claim that a special diet might help your puppy outgrow the bad hip, but the usual treatments are surgical. The removal of the pectineus muscle, the removal of the round part of the femur, reconstructing the pelvis and replacing the hip with an artificial one are all surgical interventions that are expensive, but they are usually very successful. Follow the advice of your veterinarian.
Cataracts are a condition whereby the lens of the eyes becomes covered with a milky film and the dog’s eyesight is seriously affected. It is often found in older dogs. However, cataracts can also be inherited and affect young Springers. Dogs that are being tested for PRA will normally also be tested for cataracts. Contrary to PRA, cataracts can occur in one eye only.
RETINAL DYSPLASIA (RD)
RD in its simplest form is seen as a multiple folding of the retina, while the most severe form is non-attachment of the retina to the underlying choroid. The effect on sight varies from no apparent effect to total blindness. Testing on RD can be done in the litter, although the test, the same as the tests on PRA and cataracts, has to be repeated annually.
Springers love to swim, but should not be allowed in water that appears polluted. Harmful bacteria, which can cause your dog to become sick, are sometimes found in lakes and ponds.
CANINE FUCOSIDOSIS
This disease was first noticed in 1980 in Australia where both English Springers and humans were affected. Affected dogs show loss of weight, increasing wobbliness of gait, odd muscle spasms and increasing difficulty in eating. There is no known cure for the disease but it can be diagnosed easily. The cause is a deficiency of a certain enzyme or chemical that is essential for the breakdown of a sugar (fucose) in body cells. Affected dogs are born without the gene that produces this enzyme. A blood test can determine whether a dog is a carrier for this disease. Responsible breeders have been very careful in their breeding and have gotten the problem under control. Affected dogs suffer emaciation, neurological defects and cerebral degeneration within the first two years of life.
