Epilepsy

Valuable work on Primary Epilepsy is currently being undertaken by the Animal Health Trust, towards the possible development of a DNA test for this condition. Blood samples are being collected and stored for use in the future to try and identify a marker for the genes involved. Samples from affected dogs and their families are particularly useful and stored without charge in order to assist this research.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma has been studied by Dr. Keith Barnett and Mrs. Beverly Cottrell for a number of years. A new gonioscopy lens was purchased by the JHG and Mrs Cottrell regularly attends the Breed Championship Shows to carry out eye testing sessions.

Hip Dysplasia

The breed average total score is 19. The JHG continue to monitor this condition and have requested that all x-ray plates are sent to the BVA for scoring, as only sending ‘good’ ones gives a false average.

Many vets are able to hip x-ray under the KC/BVA scheme.

If any member wants to submit anything for discussion please contact either delegate Mrs. Jan Janes, Mrs Jan Rees or the Trustee (Club Treasurer) Annie Glover.

Mrs Julie Revill

Furzelands Farm

Maypole RoadLangford

Maldon, Essex

CM9 4SZ

Tel: 01621 854765

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Chairman:

Treasurer:

Dr Ron James MRCVS

Anne Morgan

Reserve Delegate: Jean Varey

Reserve Delegate: George Isherwood

Trustee: Sharon Jones

Reserve Delegate: Sue Connolly

Trustee: Mary Eade

Reserve Delegate: Debbie Roberts

Trustee: Annie Glover

DISEASES AFFECTING THE WELSH SPRINGER SPANIEL

FACT SHEET 1 – HIP DYSPLASIA

WHAT IS HIP DYSPLASIA?

Hip Dysplasia (HD) is a malformation of the hip joint (‘dys: meaning bad and ‘plasia’ form)

The hip joint is a ball and socket joint, the ball being the femoral head, and the socket the acetabulum.

WHAT SIGNS SHOULD I LOOK FOR?

The symptoms may include: sitting awkwardly, with the weight of the body being taken by the forequarters, a reluctance to rise from the sitting position, floppiness in the hind legs when moving, moving with a sawing gait or ‘bunny-hopping’ when trotting, resting during a normal distance walk.

Sometimes at a walking pace, a dog will show a marked sway and the pelvis appears to rise and fall with each step.

WHAT IS THE NORMAL AGE FOR THE PROBLEM TO MANIFEST ITSELF?

HD is usually observed between four and six months of age when the rate of development of the puppy is at its most rapid. It progresses significantly between then and eighteen months of age, with most of the changes developing before two years old. In adult dogs, the changes that began in early life may result in hip arthritis in middle or old age. The dog may then become lame even though no signs were noticed when it was a puppy.

WHAT CAUSES HIP DYSPLASIA?

Genetic and environmental factors influence the development of Hip Dysplasia and affect the final degree of lameness and disability: The genetic mode of inheritance of HD is polygenic (multi-gene)

The environmental factors of most importance are:

1. Feeding a correct diet that allows the puppy to grow at a steady pace. The puppy or dog should not be allowed to get fat. If a puppy is excessively heavy at a young age, it can lead to overloading of the soft cartilage of the developing joint and resulting deformation.
2. Over exercise of dogs with unstable joints will exacerbate any wear and tear of the hips. Exercise should be restricted in young dogs, particularly those with hip problems.
3. Floor surfaces should not be slippery, and puppies should not be allowed to climb stairs or steps.

IS THERE ANY TREATMENT?

There are many courses of action that your Veterinary Surgeon may take. Almost certainly, he or she will take an X-Ray of the hips to ascertain the degree of dysplasia in each hip (It may not be equal)

Rest and anti-inflammatory drugs will often help dogs showing pain after exercise. He or she may prescribe pain killing drugs, and if necessary others to help if arthritis proves a problem in later life. In very severe cases, the Veterinary Surgeon may consider amputation of the femoral head and/or a total hip replacement.

WHAT IF I SUSPECT MY DOG HAS HIP DYSPLASIA?

Contact your Veterinary Surgeon and the breeder of your puppy for advice and support.

Dogs with clinical HD should not be bred from

HOW DO I ENSURE THE PUPPY I BUY DOES NOT HAVE HIP DYSPLASIA?

You cannot. Hip Dysplasia is a most complex subject. You can help by selecting from animals that have good hips and by ensuring the environmental factors above are adhered to. It is advisable for you to acquaint yourself with the status of hips within the breed, and to consider purchasing from a breeder who can supply details of the dogs in their kennel.

WHAT ABOUT ROUTINE HIP X-RAYING?

Under Kennel Club/British Veterinary Association Scheme, dogs over one year old may be X-Rayed and scored. Each hip is scored under nine predetermined criteria. An excellent pair of hips would score 0-0, and the worst possible score is 53-53 (total 106). The Welsh Springer Spaniel breed has a mean average score of 18. The score demonstrates the clinical status of the hips, but does not absolutely reflect the potential for transmission of HD of an individual dog. However, by careful selection breeders should aim to improve or at least maintain good hip status.

BREEDING GUIDELINES

In order to improve the hip status of the breed and reduce the risk of breeding animals with HD, it is advised that breeders ideally use animals that have scores below the breed average. However, hips are only one part of the dog and improving the hip status should not be at the expense of temperament, type, soundness or other health issues.

FURTHER INFORMATION

The British Veterinary Association – Canine Health Scheme 7, Mansfield Street, London W1M 0AT, produce a useful leaflet ‘Hip Dysplasia in Dogs- A Guide for dog owners’ by John Foster. It is available free of charge (please enclose an A4 size SAE)

A list of published hip scores for Welsh Springer Spaniels can be obtained from the Kennel Club. Contact Gary Johnson at the Kennel Club to order the report, and current cost ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Dated: February 2013

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Other fact sheets are produced by the WSS Joint Health Group.

Contact the Secretary for further information.

DISEASES AFFECTING THE WELSH SPRINGER SPANIEL

FACT SHEET 2 – EPILEPSY

WHAT IS EPILEPSY?

Epilepsy is not a single condition. It is a term used to describe recurrent fits, seizures or convulsions.

WHAT SIGNS SHOULD I LOOK FOR?

The symptoms vary with the severity of the seizures and range from un-coordinated movements to the dog collapsing with rigid leg movements and salivating excessively. The dog may also lose control of it’s bowel and bladder. Attacks may last a few seconds or longer an the dog may appear unconscious. In very severe cases, the dog has one fit after another – this is called ‘status epilepticus’.

WHAT IS THE USUAL AGE FOR THE PROBLEM TO APPEAR?

The onset of Primary Epilepsy is usually between one and three years of age but this is only a guide and cases do occur earlier and later; up to around the age of five years.

WHAT CAUSES EPILEPSY?

• Secondary Epilepsy: This describes those cases where a cause such as trauma, brain tumour, liver disease etc. is diagnosed.
• Primary Epilepsy: In cases where no apparent cause is found then the term ‘idiopathic’ or primary epilepsy is used. In these cases the dog’s genetic make-up is such that they have spontaneous seizures. In Primary Epilepsy, the faulty’ copy of the gene must be inherited from the father and mother.

IS THERE ANY TREATMENT?

Control of fitting is by the use of drugs e.g. one commonly used is pheno-barbitone. The vet will endeavour to find a dose that will control the fitting but enable the dog to live a normal life.

HOW DO I ENSURE THE PUPPY I BUY WILL NOT FIT?

This is not possible at the moment. Primary Epilepsy is thought to be an inherited condition caused by a recessive gene or genes. At present there is no conclusive test for the presence of this gene or genes in individual dogs.

WHAT IF MY DOG STARTS TO FIT?

Contact your vet for the appropriate treatment. Also contact the breeder of your dog: They will want to be aware of the problem and will forward all relevant information to the Joint Health Group to aid research being undertaken into Epilepsy (see below).

INVESTIGATION OF PRIMARY EPILEPSY IN THE WELSH SPRINGER SPANIEL

Research at the Animal Health Trust and other institutions as part of the Canine Genome Project has produced a genetic map for the dog. Information from markers on this map will help the study of canine genetic disorders. By this means (‘DNA fingerprinting’) it is hoped to pin-point the genes involved in Epilepsy. A blood test might then be produced to identify carrier dogs before breeding. For many years blood samples, or cheek swabs, taken from fitting Welsh Springers Spaniels and their immediate family have been sent to the AHT for inclusion in this work. Owners of fitting dogs, their parents and siblings, are strongly advised to submit cheek swabs to the AHT. Cheek swabs may be obtained from the Secretary (Name and contact details at the beginning of this leaflet).

BREED GUIDELINES

It is recommended that parents of known fitters should not be bred from again and that extra care needs to be taken when breeding from the siblings of fitters. The Joint Health Group has compiled a list of matings that have produced fitting puppies. This has been published in the current Year Book of the WSS Club and the Newsletters of the other Breed Clubs.

Dated: February 2013

Click here to download this document as a PDF

Other fact sheets are produced by the WSS Joint Health Group.

Contact the Secretary for further information.

DISEASES AFFECTING THE WELSH SPRINGER SPANIEL

FACT SHEET 3 – GLAUCOMA

WHAT IS GLAUCOMA?

Glaucoma is an increase in fluid inside the eye, which leads to damage to delicate structures within the eye which may eventually lead to blindness, following swelling of the eye. In its acute form glaucoma is painful, but in all types it is the effect on sight through destruction of the optic nerve that represents its most important feature. Two forms of glaucoma are considered to be inherited in the dog: open-angle glaucoma (very uncommon in the dog) and angle-closure glaucoma. The latter form is considered to be inherited in the Welsh Springer Spaniel. In angle-closure glaucoma Goniodysgenesis (characterized by non-differentiation of the pectinate ligament and a narrowed drainage angle) predisposes the patient to acute onset disease, usually in middle-age.

WHAT TREATMENT IS AVAILABLE?

Treatment is often unrewarding but if the pressure can be kept within normal limits, the progression of the condition may be halted for considerable periods. Medical treatment, in the form of eye drops applied daily, is usually the first choice but surgical procedures are also available. These procedures are aimed at increasing the outflow of fluid from the eye, but there may be complications which require further surgery. Research continues into appropriate and successful methods of controlling this distressing condition.

IS GLAUCOMA INHERITED?

There is some evidence to suggest dominant inheritance, from a paper by Doctor Keith Barnett, and Beverley Cottrell of 1988. The Joint Health Group initiated an investigation into the incidence of pre-disposition in the Welsh Springer Spaniel in 1996 and 100 to 150 dogs were tested by Doctors Keith Barnett, Ian Mason and Beverley Cottrell, the object being to ascertain information about the incidence of abnormal drainage angle anatomy in our breed. It is apparent that there is a breed incidence of glaucoma in the Welsh Springer Spaniel and this problem is linked to abnormal drainage angles formation. Work in other breeds has shown that abnormal drainage anatomy is inherited and that severe forms of abnormality predispose to glaucoma development.

CAN MY DOG BE TESTED FOR THIS CONDITION?

Yes. Fortunately, the goniodysgenesis can be identified at an early age by gonioscopy, and as such predisposed animals can be screened out of breeding programmes. Contact should be made with an Eye Specialist, via your own Veterinary Surgeon in the first instance. A few drops of local anaesthetic are applied to the corneas of the eyes to be examined and then a special type of contact lens is applied to the eye, permitting examination of the drainage angle of the eye, with either an ophthalmoscope or a camera.

The problem facing breeders and eye panellists is that we cannot at the moment predict with any certainty what degree of Goniodysgenesis places a dog at significant risk of developing clinical disease. The eye test allows only two categories – pass or fail. An objective method of assessing the angle is difficult and has led to apparent inconsistencies. The object of the investigations under way is to arrive at a practical consistent method of diagnosis and to be able to give rational breeding advice.

To put this into perspective there are very few known cases of Glaucoma currently in the Welsh Springer Spaniel, and it is very easy to have your dog tested for the condition as early as 6 months of age, when, if the animal is found to be pre-disposed, a decision can be made not to breed from it, which may help to reduce the incidence of the condition in the breed. It should be pointed out here that the pre-disposition DOES NOT MEAN that your dog will develop Glaucoma, in fact it really is quite unlikely bearing in mind the numbers currently known in the breed. However, it is known that pre-disposed animals may pass the condition on to their pups. It should be pointed out that a pass DOES NOT MEAN your dog will NOT develop glaucoma.

ANATOMY OF THE EYE AND THE DRAINAGE ANGLE

The drainage angle (or iridocorneal angle) is formed by the iris and cornea. Aqueous (the fluid inside the eye) is produced at a constant rate, and in a healthy eye drains out through this angle into the veins around the eye. In the normal eye, production and drainage of fluid occur at the same rate, keeping a constant pressure inside the eye. In the dog, abnormality of the pectinate ligament (which spans the angle) can lead to impaired drainage. This leads to an increase in pressure, as aqueous continues to be formed at the same rate. This abnormality can be detected by looking at the drainage angle through a goniolens, and is termed goniodysgenesis.

(Beverley Cottrell 2010)

Dated: February 2013

Click here to download this document as a PDF

Other fact sheets are produced by the WSS Joint Health Group.

Contact the Secretary for further information.