English Springer Spaniel: health-screening sources

Key facts

Board approval

26 June 2024 [source]

Core topics

PRA-crd4/cord1, eyes, hips and elbows [source]

Ancestry exemption

First generation only in the statement [source]

The June 2024 minimum has four screening areas

The English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association’s statement was approved in June 2024 and issued with an August date. It recommends PRA-crd4/cord1 genetic screening, eye health assessment and hip and elbow evaluation. The eye component includes examination by an ACVO diplomate within twelve months before breeding and annual parental examinations; it also recommends specialist examination of puppies. Hip and elbow imaging is specified at twenty-four months or older. The source’s detail should remain attached to the recommendation rather than being replaced by an unexplained label saying full clearances.

Optional tests and a limited ancestry exemption

The statement lists fucosidosis, PFK deficiency, common-variant DM, autoimmune thyroiditis and cardiac evaluation as optional but recommended. It also describes an exemption from direct genetic testing for first-generation offspring of two genetically normal parents for that particular condition, while explicitly limiting that exemption to the first generation. This is not a blanket permission to describe an entire extended pedigree as permanently tested. The parents, exact assay and supported relationship need to be documented if a result is being represented as clear through ancestry rather than from a direct sample.

Clinical expression and screening completion differ

ESSFTA explicitly says a genetic trait may not be expressed clinically and that genetic tests indicate disease risk. It also identifies broader reported concerns, including epilepsy, cancer, bloat and autoimmune disorders, outside its minimum list. The practical implication is to keep laboratory findings, observed clinical examinations and family history as different evidence. A field trial result does not substitute for any of these documents. The veterinarian can interpret the individual records and current clinical needs; the club list provides a source framework without diagnosing a dog, predicting its future career or guaranteeing freedom from all conditions mentioned by the breed’s research organisations.

Common questions

Sources & further reading

References for this guide. Rules and services can change; check the responsible organisation for current details.

• English Springer Spaniel parent-club health statement (opens in a new tab)
• OFA: Companion Animal Eye Registry scope (opens in a new tab)
• OFA: CHIC certification and limits (opens in a new tab)

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