Introduction	Eye Exams/CERF
Canine Hip Dysplasia	Glaucoma
Canine Epilepsy	Entropian
Hypothyroidism	Canine Geriatric Vestibular Disorder

Introduction
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Hip dysplasia, epilepsy, eye problems, and hypothyroidism are not the ONLY conditions that can affect Welsh Springers, but they are the more common ones. Any Welsh Springer breeder you question about health issues should be willing to share health information. If the breeders denies any health problems or has never heard of any of these disorders in Welshies, perhaps you should look elsewhere for a puppy. I do not want to give the impression that large numbers of Welshies have these conditions, because, in my opinion, that is NOT the case. Many popular breeds of dogs are known to have these conditions, including "mutts" and mixed breed dogs.

Breeders cannot predict when or if one of their puppies will develop any of these disorders. Hip dysplasia can be diagnosed by x-ray, hypothyroidism by a blood test, and glaucoma can be confirmed by a special eye examination. At the very least, the breeder of any purebred dog should assure that the sire and the dam of the puppy you plan to purchase are cleared for hip dysplasia. If the breeder is concerned about glaucoma or hypothyroidism in the line, then the parents should be checked for these disorders before a breeding takes place. Unfortunately, there is no diagnostic test for epilepsy, and it is only discovered with the onset of seizures. With the possible exception of canine epilepsy, none of these conditions will shorten your Welshie's life. All these disorders, including epilepsy, are chronic in nature, meaning they will require care, but the dog can live a normal, happy, active life. Epilepsy and hypothyroidism, for example, can be well controlled when treated with daily medication, and if the dog has painful arthritis due to hip dysplasia, anti-inflammatory medications can be administered.

When you are considering the purchase of a family pet, discuss the likelihood of these disorders occurring in your puppy's pedigree. Also, be sure to ask the breeder what their policy is should one of these conditions develop. Many breeders, ourselves included, will make generous provisions for the discovery of health disorders in their puppies.

Canine Hip Dysplasia
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Hip dysplasia is a degenerative arthritis of the hip joint in the dog, and is considered to have a genetic/inheritance factor associated with its development. Hip dysplasia is diagnosed by x-ray examination, since many dogs display NO outward symptoms of the disorder. Despite its chronic, degenerative nature, a Welsh Springer Spaniel with hip dysplasia may have little or no impairment in activity, and the hip dysplasia will not shorten the dog's lifespan. We support guidelines promoted by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) to assist in reducing the incidence of hip dysplasia in our breeding program. Therefore, all Welsh Springer Spaniels bred or used at stud in our Rysan breeding program have been given an OFA Registry number declaring them free of hip dysplasia. In addition, all our puppies are placed in pet and show homes with the requirement that hip x-rays be sent to the OFA after they are 24 months old. We use the information from these OFA reports to determine the liklihood of development of hip dysplasia in our lines.
There are several methods of diagnosis of hip dysplasia available in the United States, including the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) Registry and the PennHip Registry. Excellent information about the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals can be found at http://www.ool.com/hunting/hipdysplasia.html. For additional information about hip dysplasia, refer to the wonderful list of online resources found at http://www.workingdogs.com/doc0090.htm.

Canine Epilepsy
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No heritable disorder in Welsh Springers seems to instill as much fear in breeders as epilepsy. It is estimated that about 6% of WSS are afflicted with epilepsy, but there are no hard figures to support this estimate. Genetic research continues to search for markers for epilepsy, and we hope a diagnostic/predictive test will become a reality within the next 5 years. Rich and I know we'll be FIRST in line with our money when the test does become available... A good adage for breeders and buyers to follow is "It's not a crime to produce epilepsy in a litter, only to repeat the breeding that produced it..."

We attempt to breed selectively, carefully, and always with the intent to promote the quality of the breed while minimizing the risk of epilepsy and other genetically transmitted disorders in the puppies. Individual Welsh Springer Spaniel breeders differ in their use of known or suspected epilepsy carriers in their breeding program. For ourselves, we do not breed dogs afflicted with epilepsy. Conversely, we do not exclude potential or known epilepsy carriers from our breeding program. Instead, these Welshies are bred sparingly, and always to another dog or bitch thought to be clear of the risk of epilepsy. We believe this breeding decision has stood us in good stead over the past 10 years. Three individual puppies in a total of 12 litters have been diagnosed with epilepsy or presumed epilepsy, all out of the same dam. Two of these puppies are alive and doing well today. Two Rysan-bred bitches have produced epilepsy, marking them as epilepsy carriers. One was owned by us, and produced the three puppies with epilepsy. The other bitch is owned by another WSS breeder. It is vitally important to discuss this issue with breeders, so you feel comfortable with the breeding decisions made by the person you may call the breeder of your own puppy.

The exchange of epilepsy information has improved among WSSCA club members over the past 10 years, due both to education and information generously provided by our fellow breeders in the United Kingdom and Canada and the United States. For medical information about this disorder, we refer you to Alicia Wiersma-Aylward very complete essay about epilepsy, found at: http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/medical/epilepsy.html. The article is both thorough and sympathatic towards those who live with a pet with canine epilepsy. Ms. Wiersma-Aylward also maintains a mailing list called the K-9 Epilepsy List. To subscribe to the list, send a message TO: listserv@mail.eworld.com with the SUBJECT: subscribe EPIL-K9 your-name. Additional epilepsy information is found at http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/faq/neuro.htm#Seizures

Hypothyroidism
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Hypothyroidism is a relatively common endocrine disease of both dogs (and humans) which results from progressive loss of functioning thyroid tissue. In canines, Welsh Springer Spaniels are known to be one of the breeds where hypothyroidism occurs, but its incidence is unknown. Up to 90% cases of hypothyroidism are usually caused by autoimmune thyroiditis, where antithyroid antibodies can be found in the blood or tissues. Both males and females are affected, and onset may be at 1-3 years of age or in older dogs (aged 4-9 years). Thyroid hormone has an effect on numerous body systems, and symptoms of hypothyroidism are very varied. A Welsh Springer may have hair loss, seborrhea (excessive skin oil), bacterial skin infections, excessive skin pigmentation (darkening of the skin), lethargy, obesity, muscle or nerve weakness, seizures, slow heart rate and difficulty with conception or sperm production. Abnormal blood tests may reveal mild anemia and an increase in lipids, especially cholesterol.

The genetic basis for susceptibility to hypothyroidism has been in established in humans, dogs and several other species. Breeders of Welsh Springers are usually familiar with the incidence of hypothyroidism in their lines, and you should inquire about hypothyroidism during your interview with a breeder. The disorder can be easily identified and treated by daily thyroid hormone replacement. If your Welshie develops hypothyroidism, you should let your breeder know about the presence of the condition. It's vitally important for breeders to keep their health records updated. For more information about hypothyroidism, check out these sites:

Eye Certification Examinations and CERF
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A Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF) eye certification examination is done by a veterinary specialist certified by the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO). Breeders should have their dogs eyes examined by a specialist if any inherited eye disorder is known to be present in the breed, such as Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) or cataracts.

The pupils of the dog's eyes are dilated with drops to permit adequate lens and retinal viewing. The vet will examine the major eye structures, including the cornea, anterior chamber, lens and vitreous humor using a slit lamp device. The vet is looking for many conditions, but a few of the more common ones include: distichia (extra eyelashes that rub the cornea), corneal dystrophy (damage to the covering of the eyeball), persistent pupillary membranes, cataracts (clouding of the lenses of the eye), persistent hyaloid remnants and vitreal degenerations. After the major structures have been visualized, the retina at the back of the eyeball is examined for conditions such as Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), Retinal Dyplasia, optic nerve hypoplasia, or retinal detachment, since these disorders cause blindness in dogs. A usual CERF examination does NOT check for glaucoma, since this requires special pressure testing equipment.

After the veterinarian completes the exam, any findings are recorded on a CERF (Canine Eye Registry Foundation) form. This form may be submitted to the CERF organization annually to verify that the dog does not have a heritable eye disorder, and a CERF registry number will be issued to the dog's owner. Many breeders attend yearly eye clinics with their breeding stock to obtain the CERF examination, and while they may not submit the forms and fees for registration, they will make available the ACVO forms to verify they have obtained eye examinations. You should always ask your breeder about eye disorders in the sire and dam of a puppy you are interested in bringing home. You can find additional CERF information at http://www.interlog.com/~eyevet/eyecert.html

Canine Glaucoma
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Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in dogs. Affected animals suffer from increased pressure within the eye leading to progressive retinal damage and loss of vision. Both eyes can be affected, leading to total blindness. Glaucoma is considered a hereditary disease in some breeds, but it has not been well delineated in Welsh Springer Spaniels, yet. There is no information on the rate of occurence of glaucoma in Welsh Springer Spaniels, but it is considered to be a RARE disorder in this breed. In some breeds such as the Samoyed and Beagle glaucoma has been found to be hereditary, though. There is extensive glaucoma information available online at the following sites:

Entropian
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Entropian is a common congenital condition found in many breeds of dogs and is considered to be genetically transmitted. The incidence of entropian in Welsh Springer Spaniels is unknown. It is characterized by a "folding in" of an eyelid, (most commonly the lower lid), against the globe of the eye. This may result in excess tearing, discomfort to the dog, and possible corneal irritation or ulceration. While a mild case of entropian may not disqualify a dog from a breeding program, breeders should be aware of the incidence of entropian in both their own lines and those of the dogs used in their breeding program. The entropian can be surgically corrected in pet dogs to relieve the discomfort and excessive eye tearing it causes. We believe that Welshies who require corrective surgery for entropian should not be used in a breeding program, in an effort to eliminate this condition from the gene pool.

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©1997 Sandra B. Rohrbacher