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List of Possible Genetic Diseases in the Cocker Spaniel (American) Breed
Alimentary Diseases (AL)
There are one hundred thirteen (113) known genetic diseases in fifteen (15) categories possible for the Cocker Spaniel (American) breed. Most of this is due to irresponsible breeding of unethical breeders such as "puppy mills" and those who do not know any better…..often referred to as "backyard breeders" although many reputable breeders have their dogs in their back yards and many "bybs" do not. No matter what the bloodlines, these genetic diseases are all possible in the breed but some lines are more prone to carry for some things while other lines are more prone to carry for others. Testing of breeding stock, their siblings, parents and offspring as well as responsible breeding practices help reduce the chances of spreading these diseases. Over time, any disease can be controlled and even eliminated in a line or breed…..it just takes commitment, time and co-operation between breeders. There is no such thing as hybrid vigor in crosses of two or more dog breeds. There can be larger, more vigorous pups in an out-crossing or rotation breeding of different bloodlines of the same breed but these are many times less than ideal in type, etc. and must be bred back to one or both of the original lines to achieve, again, the good bites (teeth alignment), head, etc. True hybrids are often sterile (cannot produce offspring). {Example: Mules are a cross between a male donkey (jack) and a female horse (mare). Mules are usually sterile.)} Crossing dog breeds only brings in more potential genetic diseases to the offspring produced. Crossing one dog breed to another does not produce a hybrid. This list of genetic diseases is cited from the book Control of Canine Genetic Diseases by George A. Padgett, DVM; Professor of Pathology, Michigan State University. Howell Book House A Simon & Schuster Macmillan Company 1633 Broadway New York, NY 10019 We recommend anyone interested in breeding, read this book. It can be ordered from your local bookstore.
9. Deafness: Inability to hear may be unilateral or bilateral. C. Deafness not further defined. R/ < 3 months 10. Vestibular Disease: Head tilt, loss of balance, circling, rolling & staggering gait. Und/ < 3 months 11. Anasarca (Congenital Lethal Edema): A generalized subcutaneous collection of fluid affecting all parts of the body. R/ Birth 12. Factor X Deficiency: Homozygotic individuals are stillborn or die by 3 weeks of age, due to massive hemorrhage. Heterozygotic individuals show mild to severe bleeding characteristics. Inc-D/ < 6 months 13. Hemophilia B (Christmas Disease): Absence of factor IX in the blood causing prolonged & excessive bleeding due to failure to form a clot. Affected dogs may die. X-R/ Birth 14. Hereditary Platelet Storage Pool Defect (Platelet Delta Storage Disease): Impaired platelet aggregation occurs, resulting in severe bleeding. Und/ < 1 year 15. Pelger-Huet Anomaly: In the heterozygotic state, the neutrophils function properly. In the homozygotic state, the pups tend to be stillborn. D/ < 6 months 16. Phosphofructokinase Deficiency (PFK): There is usually weakness, lethargy, anorexia, weight loss & fever. There may be darkening of the urine. R/ < 1 year 17. Prothrombin Deficiency: There is a severe hemorrhagic tendency due to the absence of this clotting factor. Und/ Birth Heart & Vascular Diseases (HV) 18. Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM): Clinical signs include dyspnea, exercise intolerance, syncope, cough, anorexia, weight loss & lethargy. Heart sounds are muffled. Und/ < or = 6 years 19. Endocardiosis: This disease may produce few or no clinical signs. With age, affected dogs may show signs of cardiomyopathy, including syncope & death. Und/ 18 months 20. Mitral Valve Defect (MVD, Mitral Stenosis): An excess of valvular tissue that limits proper valve movement. Symptoms include coughing, lethargy, weakness & sudden death. Und/ < 1 year 21. Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA): Failure of the fetal vessel between the aorta & pulmonary artery to close around the time of birth; causes heart murmurs, exercise weakness & may cause death. Polygenic/ Birth 22. Persistent Right Aortic Arch (Vascular Ring Anomaly, VRA): Failure of one of the fetal aortic vessels to degenerate normally, causing a blockage of the esophagus. Polygenic/ Birth 23. Pulmonic Stenosis (PS): Narrowing of the pulmonic artery where it attaches to the heart, causing murmurs & enlargement of the right side of the heart. Polygenic/ < 1 year 24. Sick Sinus Syndrome (Sinoatrial Syncope, Sinoatrial Arrest): Interference with the sinus node in the heart causes arrhythmias, fainting & death. Und/ < 1 year 25. Subaortic Stenosis: A narrowing at the base of the aorta as a result of a fibrous band, causing murmurs, weakness & sudden death. Polygenic/ < 1 year
26. Atopic Dermatitis: Roughened, itchy, oozing skin caused by immune reactions to various allergens, such as fleas or pollen. Und/ < 1 year 27. Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia: The immune system attacks its own red blood cells, causing severe anemia & possibly death. Und/ < 4 years 28. Demodicosis: A localized Demodex infection that usually results in a mild erythema & may develop into some form of alopecia. Pruritus may or may not be present. These are most commonly seen on the face, & usually there is spontaneous recovery within 6-8 weeks. This is not considered to be hereditary. A generalized demodicosis usually develops as a chronic dermatitis with crusting, scaling & hyperpigmentation. There may be intense pruritus & a secondary pyoderma. Folliculitis, cellulitis, furunculosis & seborrhea may occur. A susceptibility & predisposition to Demodex canis is thought to be based on a T-cell disturbance. Generalized demodicosis is considered to be inherited. Und/ < 1 year 29. Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (Primary Immune-Mediated Thrombocytopenia): Clinically, there are cutaneous mucosal, petechial, & ecchymotic hemorrhages. There may be epistaxis, bruising, anorexia, hematochezia, lethargy & weakness. Und/ < 10 years 30. Immune Mediated Polygenicarthritis: Dog may be febrile & show variable degrees of lameness or arthropathy. There is generally nonseptic inflammation of the joints. Steroid therapy usually relieves the signs, at least temporarily. Und/ < 6 years 31. Selective IgA Deficiency: A lack of IgA immunoproteins that defend against infections, allowing repeated lesions to occur on the skin & in the lungs. Und/ Birth 32. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ( SLE): Signs shown are positive ANA, LE cell or Coombs’ tests, polygenicgenicarthritis, alopecia, anemia, proteinuria, lymph-gland enlargement, anorexia, diarrhea & fever. Und/ < 9 years
33. Black Hair Follicular Dysplacia: Bi- or tricolored coats are affected by hair loss in black areas only. R/ < 9 months 34. Bullous Pemphigoid: Clinical signs include the development of vesicular & bullous ulcers. These may affect the skin or the oral cavity & mucocutaneous junctions. Lesions commonly occur on the groin, axillae & footpads. Und/ Varies 35. Collagen Disorder of the Footpads: Fistulous tracts occur on the central plantar surface of the metatarsus. Both rear legs are involved & one or both metacarpal pads may be affected. Und/ < 4 years 36. Congenital Hypotrichosis (Congenital Ectodermal Defect): Many affected pups are born with focal hair loss; some pups have normal hair at birth, then lose hair shortly after birth. Hair loss is on ears, dorsal & entire ventral trunk area. Und/ < 6 weeks 37. Dermoid Sinus (Dermoid Cyst): A high frequency of infection extending from the cyst to the spinal cord; meningitis & myelitis may be present. R/ < 3 months 38. Facial-Fold Blindness: Excessively large folds of skin above & below the eye completely cover the eye. These folds cause trauma to the eye & can cause blindness. Und/ Birth 39. Ichthyosis: Thickening of any or all footpads. Skin is rough & scaly, with severe hyperkeratosis. There may be thickening of the nasal epidermis. These changes cause pain & discomfort. Not further defined, Und/ Birth. 40. Inguinal Hernia: An outpouching of skin in the area of the inguinal ring, which may contain viscera; a scrotal hernia is a type of inguinal hernia. R or Und/ < 6 months 41. Intertrigo: A frictional dermatitis caused by excessive & pronounced skin folding. Inflammatory lesions occur when sebum, moisture & glandular secretions appear in these folds. Folds can occur on the body, head or face. Und/ Varies 42. Onychodystrophy: A loss of nails on multiple paws, resulting in secondary bacterial infection. Und/ < 5 years 43. Pemphigus Foliaceus: Clinical signs usually start on the ears or face & involve the footpads. There may be erythematous macules that progress to crusty, brown areas. The skin is scaly, & hair loss is present. Und/ < or = 4 years 44. Pemphigus Vulgaris : Clinically, vesiculobullous lesions. The groin, axillae & mucocutaneous junctions demonstrate erosive to ulcerative areas. Und/ < 2 years 45. Primary Seborrhea: Excessive production of sebum, causing flaking of the skin, which is greasy & malodorous. There may be multiple crusty, scaly, pruritic areas. Und/ < 1 year 46. Sebaceous Adenitis (SA): Symptoms vary but tend to be bilaterally symmetric & can appear anywhere on the body. Hairs are dull, brittle & tend to be matted. There is severe hyperkeratosis. Skin tends to be greasy, & there can be severe alopecia in affected areas. Und/ < 1 year 47. Umbilical Hernia: An outpouching of the skin over the “belly button”. It may contain abdominal viscera & sometimes regresses spontaneously. R or Polygenic/ < 6 months 48. Vitamin A Responsive Dermatosis: Clinically, a seborrheic skin disease with marked plugging of follicles & hyperkeratotic plaques. A rough, dry & dull hair coat is present with some pruritus. Und/ < 3 years
49. Chronic Active Hepatitis: At the start, mild intermittent clinical signs that generally progress & present severe signs of liver disease. There may be anorexia, vomiting, weight loss, ascites, bleeding tendencies & hepatic encephalopathy. Copper commonly accumulates in the liver. Cirrhosis may occur. Und/ < 5 years 50. Lobular Dissecting Hepatitis: Clinically, the dogs present with anorexia, weight loss, abdominal distension, apathy, polygenicgenicdipsia, & vomiting. Ascites is generally present. Und/ 11 months 51. Portosystemic Shunt (Extrahepatic): The animals are born with extra vessels, which allows blood to bypass the liver. Und/ < 1 year 52. Portosystemic Shunt (Intrahepatic): Abnormal blood vessels within the liver, which prevents normal circulation & metabolism within the liver. Und/ < 1 year 53. Scottie Cramp: Muscle cramps occur triggered by excitement or exercise; may show a rabbit-like, hopping gait. R/ < 10 weeks 54. Cerebellar Degeneration (Cerebellar Abiotrophies, Progressive Neuronal Abiotrophy): Degenerative diseases of the cerebellum that tend to be breed-specific, resulting in progressive neurologic signs----including incoordination, ataxia, paralysis & generally, death. There is no treatment. R/ < 20 weeks 55. Ceroid-Lipofuscinosis (ATP Subunit C Storage): Causes night blindness, confusion, unpredictable aggressiveness & ataxia late in the course of the disease. R/ > 1 year 56. Ceroid-Lipofuscinosis: Results in visual impairment, confusion, erratic temperament & apparent loss of memory for previously learned tasks. R/ > 1 year 57. Epilepsy: Seizures occur that are commonly called fits; they recur generally closer together. Und/ > 1 year 58. Glycogenosis (Glycogen Storage Disease): A group of disorders caused by deficiencies of an enzyme involved in the degradation of glycogen. Clinical signs vary with each disease but generally include progressive muscle weakness, cardiac abnormalities, hemoglobinuria, neurologic signs & death. There is no treatment. C. Type VII (Phosphofructokinase Deficiency) R/ < 12 months 59. Hydrocephalus: An accumulation of fluid in the brain, causing severe pressure & degeneration of the brain. Polygenic/ < 3 months 60. Idiopathic Facial Paralysis: A weakness or paralysis of facial muscles with drooping of the ears & lips & inability to close the eyes. The disease tends to be unilateral but may occur bilaterally. Und/ < 5 years 61. Multisystem Neuronal Degeneration (MND): Signs include ataxia, behavioral changes & dysmetria, with normal spinal reflexes present. R/ < 1 year 62. Narcolepsy (Cataplexy): Excitement, emotional stimulation or eating may cause the animal to suddenly fall asleep; muscle atonia may occur, & the dog may collapse. Frequency of attacks varies greatly. R/ < 1 year
63. Cataracts: Vary by breed & age of onset. As a generality, any lens opacity that obscures vision & may cause blindness is considered a cataract. A. Congenital Cataracts R/ Birth Early Onset & Progressive Cataracts R Und/ < 3 years F. R 64. Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy (CPRA): An optical defect due to retinal pigment degeneration, resulting in secondary degeneration of the rods & cones. Central vision loss, but peripheral vision may last to old age. Some dogs may not lose vision. Und/ < 2 years 65. Corneal Dystrophy: Clinically, a corneal opacity without inflammation (gray to white) that interferes with vision. Usually starts with lipid deposits in the corneal stroma. Onset varies by breed. D/ Varies 66. Corneal Erosion Syndrome (Boxer Ulcers): Lacrimation, photophobia & sudden ocular pain due to corneal ulcers commonly occur. Und/ < or = 6 years 67. Dermoid: A small patch of skin generally on the cornea, often causing irritation. R? Und/ < 1 year 68. Distichiasis: Abnormal location of eyelashes on the margin of the eyelid, causing irritation. Und/ < 6 months 69. Ectopic Cilia (Aberrant Cilia): Eyelashes are abnormally placed on the conjunctiva (inner surface) of the eyelid (most often upper eyelid). Und/ Birth 70. Ectropion: Turning out of the eyelids, causing excessive exposure of the eyeball. Und/ < 6 months 71. Endothelial Dystrophy: A loss of the inner lining of the cornea, causing edema, keratitis and decreased vision. Und/ < 1 year 72. Entropion: Turning in of the eyelids, causing the eyelashes to rub the eyeball. Und/ < 1 year 73. Glaucoma: Increased pressure in the globe, which can be a result of various causes. Without treatment, the pressure damages the eye, causing pain and often blindness. B. Congenital Glaucoma Und/ Birth D. Narrow-Angle Glaucoma Und/ < 9 years Open-Angle Glaucoma R Und/ < 3 years 74. Imperforate Lacrimal Punctum ( Epiphora): Failure of development of the nasolacrimal drainage system, causing tears to spill onto the face. Und/ < 1 year 75. Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca (KCS): Inadequate tear production, causing irritation of the conjunctiva and cornea. Und/ < 1 year 76. Lens Luxation: Dislocation of the lens from its normal site behind the cornea (partial or complete). Und/ < 1 year 77. Macropalpebral Fissure ( Macroblepharon, Diamond Eye): Excessively large palpebral fissures, resulting in exposure of the sclera and cornea. Und/ Birth 78. Microphthalmia: An anomaly in development, causing the eyeball to be abnormally small. Und/ Birth 79. Multifocal Retinal Dysplasia: Multiple linear or branching retinal folds. Apparent visual deficits have not resulted in affected animals. R/ < 6 months 80. Optic Nerve Hypoplasia: Visual impairment or blindness occurs. Pupil of the affected eye may be dilated. Und/ < 3 months 81. Persistent Pupillary Membranes (PPM, Mesodermal Dysgenesis): A failure of blood vessels in the anterior chamber to regress normally; there may be impaired vision or blindness. Und/ < 3 months
82. Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA): Degeneration of the retinal vision cells, which progresses to blindness. A. R/ Varies 83. Prolapse of the Gland of the Third Eyelid (Cherry Eye): Clinically, the gland protrudes into the medial canthus of the eye. This tissue becomes swollen and reddened, resulting in the term cherry eye. Und/ < 1 year 84. Retinal Dysplasia (Folds): Abnormal folds in the retina due to faulty development. Und/ < 1 year 85. Retinal Dysplasia (Geographic Detachment): Large areas of abnormal development of the retina may occur, along with detachment of the retina, causing blindness. R/ < 1 year 86. Trichiasis: Abnormal placement of the eyelashes on the eyelid. Und/ < 3 months 87. Trichomegaly: Abnormally long eyelashes. Und/ Birth
88. Cryptorchidism: An absence of testicles due to retention in the abdomen or inguinal region; can be one- or both- sided, or may slide in and out of the scrotum. R Und/ < 3 months 89. Hermaphrodite: (True) presence of gonadal tissue for both sexes, due to the presence of a full complement of both male and female chromosomes. XX-XXY/ < 3 months 90. Persistent Penile Frenulum (Prepuce Anomaly): The prepuce and the penis fail to separate at puberty. Und/ < 10 weeks 91. Pseudohermaphrodite (Male, Female): The male has male organs with some female characteristics and the female has female organs with some male characteristics. XX-XXY/ Birth
92. Anury: Lack of or very short tail. R/ < 3 months 93. Brachury: A tail that is shorter than what is considered normal for the breed. R/ < 6 months 94. Calcinosis Circumscripta: Abnormal deposits of calcium in the skin and subcutaneaous tissue. Und/ < 1 year 95. Cleft Lip/Cleft Palate: A fissure or cleft in the roof of the mouth and upper lip; may be present together or separately. This allows food and/or fluid to enter the nasal respiratory pathway. B. Und/ Birth 96. Cranioschisis: A midline opening in the head through which the meninges may protrude. R/ Birth 97. Dwarfism (Osteochondrodysplasia, Chondrodysplasia, Achondrodysplasia, Pseudoachondroplasia, Primary Metabolic Skeletal Abnormality, Enchondrodystrophy): The skeletal dysplasias are a varied group of inherited disorders that are not well-defined. When breeds are compared, it is difficult to determine which diseases have the same etiology and which are different, although it is possible with some of them. In this listing, breeds are individually categorized and grouped only where there is direct information that they are the same or when there is a lack of information that would allow us to categorize them. Dwarfish is defined here as a disorder that reduces the size of a dog below that which is reasonably established as expected for a given breed. It may or may not include physical deformities and they may be proportionate or disproportionate. D. Cocker Spaniel Dwarfism R/ < 4 weeks 98. Foramen Magnum Dysplasia: Abnormal formation of the bone that attaches to the vertebral column; may put pressure on the brain stem and can cause hydrocephalus. Und/ < 1 year 99. Hip Dysplasia: Abnormal formation of the hip socket; causes rear-limb lameness. Polygenic/ < 2 years 100. Intervertebral Disc Disease (IDD): Dorsal rupture of the discs between the vertebral bodies; causes back pain, rear-end ataxia and paralysis. Und/ > 1 year 101. Legg-Perthes: Aseptic necrosis of the head and neck of the femur, causes rear-leg lameness. Polygenic/ < 1 year 102. Lumbosacral Stenosis (Spinal Stenosis): Clinically, palpation of the lumboscaral area causes pain. There may be pelvic lameness, tail paresis and fecal & urinary incontinence. Und/ Birth 103. Luxation of the Elbow: Clinically, the ulna rotates laterally and the antebrachium rotates internally. The radiohumeral joint is relatively unaffected and the ulna remains in a nearly normal position; or the radial head is displaced caudolaterally and the ulna remains in a nearly normal position. Und/ < 6 months 104. Luxation of the Patella: Poor development of the structures holding the kneecap in place. The patella usually rotates medially (inward) in small breeds. Polygenic/ < 1 year 105. Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD): Aseptic necrosis of bone under joint cartilage; causes lameness. Elbow Joint (Elbow Dysplasia): OCD of the medial humeral condyle, fractured coronoid process and nonfusion of the anconeal process. Und/ < 1 year B. Nonfusion of the Anconeus Und/ < or = 1 year D. Shoulder Joint Und/ < or = 1 year 106. Overshot: Upper jaw extends beyond the lower jaw. B. Und/ < 1 year 107. Retrognathia of the Mandible (Pig Jaw): Clinically, a condition in which the maxilla develops normally and the mandible fails to grow to normal length. The mandible may end up being one fourth {one quarter (¼) } its normal length. Polygenic/ < 3 months 108. Spondylosis Deformans: Abnormal fusion or bridging between vertebrae; may cause pain and/or paralysis. Polygenic/ > 1 year 109. Temporal Mandibular Dysplasia: Malformation of the joint between the mandible and the temporal bone of the skull. May be bi- or unilateral. Und/ < 4 months 110. Undershot: Lower jaw extends beyond upper jaw. Polygenic/ < 1 year
111. Wobbler Syndrome (Cervical Spondylolisthesis, Vertebral Instability): Abnormality of the neck vertebrae, causing rear-leg ataxia that may progress to paralysis. The main vertebrae affected are 5, 6 and 7. B. Polygenic/ < or = 1 year 112. Renal Dysplasia: Failure of normal development of the renal parenchyma, causing malfunction and death. Clinical signs are those of renal failure. A. R/ < 1 year 113. Uroliths: Collection of calculi (kidney or bladder stones) in any part of the urinary system. The stones may be composed of varying minerals. Breeds are listed by the major mineral component that accumulates in the stone. B. Cystine See Cystinuria Und/ < 9 years C. Struvite Und/ < 9 years
Cited from The New Cocker Spaniel First brought to my attention on the Christian Cockers e-mail list. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChristianCocker "To review some interesting points: In 1906 and until 1943 the standard required "forelegs short and straight," even though Cockers began to be bred higher on the leg by the mid-thirties. In 1957 the standard's description of coat was changed from "well-feathered" to "well-feathered, but not so excessively as to hide the Cocker Spaniel's true lines…excessive coat and feathering shall be penalized." But heavy coats began winning in the mid-forties (and still are). In 1973 the standard was rewritten with particular emphasis on size, coat texture and markings, and all fanciers should be aware of its requirements. (See Chapter 7.) But, as the preceding points illustrate, is the Cocker bred to fit the standard or is the standard changed to fit the dog? Further, is it too ridiculous to project that in the year 2000 the Cocker may look as in Figure 4?" 
Links to some photos of "old time" Cockers. Jesus
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