The English Springer is a compact and strong dog. He has floppy ears and a peculiar gait due to his front legs which are stretched forward. Its coat is liver and white or black and white and may have tan markings. Its coat has moderate fringes on the ears, body, and forelimbs and hindquarters. Its height at the withers is approximately 51 cm.

The English springer is classified by the Fédération Cynologiques Internationale among the Dogs raising game. (1)

Like many breeds, Spaniels are descendants of a long line and mentions of their dogs can be traced back to Irish legal texts dating back to AD 17. But today’s English springers certainly bear little resemblance to the dogs of the time.

More recently, until the 1812th century, it was the Boughey family from Aqualate in Shropshire who started the first breeding of pure English springer in XNUMX.

But until the 1880s, the origins of the English springer still merge with those of the English cocker spaniel. Before the separation of breeds and the formalization of distinct standards in 1902, it was common to see dogs that were referred to as cockers or springers in the same litter. Only the size distinguished these dogs and intended them for different hunts. While the cocker spaniel was used for woodcock hunting, springers were used to flush out and lift game intended for the net, the falcon or the greyhound. Nowadays, it is also used to bring game back to its master hunter.

Friendly, easy-going, enthusiastic and affectionate, English Springers love their families and love to stay close to their owners. They therefore make excellent pets. Their hunter’s passive still left traces in their character and it is essential to give them daily exercise. Otherwise, they may become aggressive or adopt a bad temper. But they are also easy to train dogs and are therefore particularly popular with owners who wish to participate in canine performance events.

The English Springer is a robust and healthy dog ​​and, according to the UK Kennel Club’s 2014 Purebred Dog Health Survey, and around two-thirds of the animals studied were unaffected by any disease. The leading causes of death were old age and cancer (type not specified). (3)

However, as with other purebred dogs, he can be susceptible to hereditary diseases. Mention may in particular be made of alpha-fucosidosis, primary se ?? borrheÌ ?? e, interventricular communication and coxo-feÌ moral dysplasia. (3-5)

L’alpha-fucosidose

Α-Fucosidosis is due to the dysfunction of an enzyme called α-L-fucosidase. This enzyme, along with others, is involved in the internal digestion of cells and this abnormality leads to the accumulation of fucoglycoconjugates especially in liver, kidney and nerve cells.

The disease develops in very young dogs and the first signs appear around 1 year old. The main ones are learning difficulties, behavioral and walking disorders.

The diagnosis is made by the visualization of vacuoles within macrophages and lymphocytes during the analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid and by the enzymatic assay of α-L-fucosidase on liver biopsies or in the blood. Urinalysis also shows excretion of fucoglycoconjugueÌ ?? s.

There is currently no cure for the disease and dogs are usually euthanized around the age of four. (5)

The seÌ ?? borrheÌ ?? e primaire

Primary seborrhea is an inherited disease that affects the skin and hair follicles of young dogs, usually under 2 years of age. First, the coat appears dull and oily, then quickly lesions appear in the folds of the skin (lips, between the fingers and around the vulva in females). An unpleasant odor emanates from these lesions and the dogs also develop bilateral otitis called eÌ ?? rytheÌ ?? mato-ceÌ ?? ruminous. Secondary skin diseases can also occur and aggravate the pruritus.

The predisposition of race, young age and chronic aspect of the disease guides the diagnosis, but it is a skin biopsy and a differential diagnosis to exclude any other cause of seborrhea that allows the assertion.

It is an incurable disease and “lifelong” treatments only provide relief for the dog (3-4)

Interventricular communication

Ventricular communication is a congenital malformation of the heart. It is characterized by the presence of an orifice in the wall separating the two cardiac ventricles. If the orifice is small, the flow of blood passing between the ventricles is poor and it may be asymptomatic. On the contrary, if the flow is high, symptoms of heart failure appear: cough, shortness of breath and pulmonary edema.,

Diagnosis is made by auscultation and observation of the orifice by echocardiography. The prognosis will depend on the importance of communication and the treatment is surgical. (3-4)

Moral coxo-feÌ dysplasia

Coxo-feÌ moral dysplasia is an inherited condition that affects the hip joint and develops with age.

In affected dogs, the hip joint is malformed and the paw bone moves through the joint causing painful wear and tear on the joint. The abnormality also results in tearing, inflammation and osteoarthritis.

It is the radiography that makes it possible to make the formal diagnosis and to classify the dysplasia.

Treatment usually begins with the administration of anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce osteoarthritis and pain. Subsequently, for the most serious cases, it is possible to consider a surgical intervention, or even the fitting of a hip prosthesis, but good drug management can allow a significant improvement in the dog’s comfort. (3-4)

As with other dogs with long, floppy ears, it’s important to check their ears regularly to avoid a buildup of wax or debris that could lead to infection.