The links below are well worth taking the time to look at...

A Healthier Future for Pedigree Dogs  http://www.apgaw.org/reports.asp

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/2768/23/5/3

Congratulations to Ali on her FN test results. I will be having mine done in September 09. We would also like to report that we have written to Bill Lambert at the KC asking about the possiblity of having the Spaniel (Cocker) split into 'Show Variety' or 'Working Variety' at registration. Unfortunately the response was quite negative, and would require support from the majority of breed societies for it to even be considered.  We tried..........just have to wait and see in the future.

We are pleased to report that we have been approched by the KCABS to write an article on the Working Cocker Pro Health Society, for inclusion in their newsletter. This has been submitted and approved, so the profile of the site and its aims are raised a little bit more.

We are pleased to welcome Michelle and David from Cedarose Spaniels as out latest members on the site.

We are still beavering away in the background to improve the site, and raise its' profile. You may have noticed that there is a category on the Forum for ideas on fund raising to enable us to advertise the site to a broader spectrum of people. Any  constructive suggestions will be considered.

 Also, if any of you have recent litters, and would like some leaflets on the Pro Health Site to include in your puppy packs, please do not hesitate to contact me at workingcockerprohealth@gmail.com or by telephone 07779 289913.

As a result of many of you voicing your concerns on heart conditions, epilepsy, and deafness in our breed, I have today emailed the BVA to request information on any studies that are being done on these conditions.

 I apologise once again for the loss of the Forum posts, but hopefully we can start again, as I see some of you have already re instated some of the subjects.

 The letter to the KC is still in draft form and is taking shape, we are taking our time to make sure we include all relevant points and hopefully it will be ready shortly.

We are pleased to say, that slowly but surely, the directory is growing. Over the last two months we have added four new breeders, the latest being Nick Cook and Kris Thompson from Devervalley Gundogs. We are very appreciative of all your support.

During the next couple of weeks we will be formulating the draft letter to the KC. However, we have decided that equally as important, is striving to more effectively educate the public, of the importance and advantages of buying puppies from health screened parents. To that end we are currently looking at advertising in the dog press and dog magazines, not just the ST and other gundog related press.

June 09

Natalie from Bryning has unfortunately had to withdraw her cocker, DRAKE - Spinchetti Cete at Bryning from Stud as last month he failed his gonioscopy test. I am sure this is very disappointing for Natalie, but does highlight the need for all of us to be more diligent with the testing and does indicate that there are problems, and those breeders who bury their heads in the sand, by refusing to test 'cos the working cocker has no health issues' are negligent in the extreme, to the breed they purport to love.

The Pro Health Team recently emailed Optigen to try to ascertain some statistics for our research. We expressed some of the attitudes we have encountered from several of the breeders of the working variety of Cocker Spaniel, and asked for any help they could give us. This was  their response:

I really feel your pain on this...we've seen the same type of denial behaviour in other breed communities also--i.e. the misconception that it's only the "show" lines, not the "field" or "working" lines that carry the prcd mutation.  This is 100% false.  There is also a misconception that certain coat colors are more prone to PRA. This is also completely false.

The incidence of prcd-PRA in the cocker spaniel is very high.  Over 50% of the cockers tested at Optigen carry the prcd-PRA mutation-- this is one of the highest carrier rates of all the >20 breeds that are known to have prcd-PRA--so it is really important that cocker breeders do take this disease seriously.  I believe the reason that it has not received the attention that it gets in many other breeds is that prcd-PRA is often unusually late and slow to develop clinical symptoms in the cocker spaniel. This anomaly is an area of particular scientific interest to us and we would very much appreciate learning of any very young cockers (< 3 years) who develop clinical symptoms of PRA.  Optigen offers Free PRA/Research testing for any pedigreed dog that has been examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist and diagnosed with PRA.  Please encourage owners of any PRA-affected (clinically diagnosed) to contact me if they would like to participate in this Free Testing/research.  It is probably because the cockers with prcd-PRA typically go blind later in life compared to other breeds that the owners are able to ignore/deny the problem.  They will say --"Old dogs go blind." That is true---if they have PRA.

Perhaps some of the owners of PRA-affected working cockers could be encouraged to "go public" with the problem and help to get the word out.  Another thought is to check with Jeff Sampson at The Kennel Club.  An open health registry scheme has recently been established for cockers that are registered with the United Kingdom's Kennel Club and so all prcd-PRA test results are available through this scheme. Perhaps there are some working cockers in that group?

 Sue Pearce Kelling

President & Manager - Optigen LLC

Here is the response to the article in the Shooting Times, dated 26th Feb 09, this has been submitted for publishing.

I have watched, read and listened to the furore surrounding the BBC Television programme Pedigree Dogs Exposed (August of 2008) with an open mind. Personally I found the programme very upsetting, however, breathed a sigh of relief knowing that my chosen breed (Working Cocker Spaniel) was relatively healthy. 

Haranguing the Kennel Club for all that is wrong in certain breeds does not help, we all have a” duty of care” to all breeds, so my friend and I made a decision to do something positive with regard to the breed that we love and so The Working Cocker Pro Health Society was born.

Our AIM is to raise awareness of the range of Health Tests available, and to build a directory of working cockers that are fully health screened. From basic annual eye tests and beyond, we want to build a comprehensive tool for like-minded breeders and owners to source suitable stud dogs and puppies.

We regularly hear breeders say “there aren’t any problems in the working cocker” but for how long?  At some point in time, the same could have been said of many working breeds, but because breeders like certain “Qualities” they will actively breed for these attributes with no understanding of the outcome and problems may follow. 

As this breed is actively used in the field, we are all aware of the need for “soft mouth”, “not gun shy” and good “stamina and strength”.  But these are external attributes that we can see, what about potential health issues we can’t see?  

Instead of being reactive when it does happen, let’s be pro-active and try to stop these diseases in their tracks.  For the cost of hardly more than a “weekly takeaway for the family” breeders can get, at the very least, the annual eye test done.

Let’s “Keep the cocker healthy”