English Springer Spaniel: inherited diseases and health

Updated 2026-09-30 · 3 sources

Based on: OMIA (University of Sydney), Science for Animal Welfare (UFAW), Wikidata

Breed health

The inherited conditions below have been documented in this breed in published research. That does not mean your dog has them or will get them – but it helps to know the names when you talk to a breeder or a vet.

Conditions this breed is prone to

Veterinary charities list this breed as more likely than others to get these conditions. Read the signs and what to do:

Inherited conditions documented in the breed

Conditions documented: 22

A gene variant is known for 14 of the conditions below, so a DNA test may exist. Ask your vet or the breed club.

Condition	Body system	Inheritance	Gene variant known
Acral mutilation syndrome^[1]	Nervous system	Autosomal recessive	Yes
Calvarial hyperostotic syndrome^[1]	Skeleton (incl. short stature & teeth)	–	–
Ciliary dyskinesia, primary, generic^[1]	Respiratory system	–	No
Degenerative myelopathy^[1]	Nervous system	Autosomal recessive	Yes
Dyserythropoietic anemia and myopathy syndrome^[1]	Haematopoietic system	Autosomal recessive	Yes
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (Cutaneous Asthenia)^[2]	–	–	–
Factor XI deficiency^[1]	Haematopoietic system	Autosomal	Yes
Fucosidosis, alpha^[1]	Lysosomal storage disease	Autosomal recessive	Yes
Gangliosidosis, GM1^[1]	Lysosomal storage disease	Autosomal recessive	Yes
Idiopathic Epilepsy^[2]	–	–	–
Intervertebral disc disease, predisposition to^[1]	Skeleton (incl. short stature & teeth)	Autosomal dominant	Yes
Long QT syndrome, KCNQ1-related^[1]	Cardiovascular system	Autosomal dominant	Yes
Malignant hyperthermia^[1]	Homeostasis / metabolism	Autosomal dominant	Yes
Mammary Tumours^[2]	–	–	–
Myasthenic syndrome, congenital, CHRNE-related^[1]	Nervous system	Autosomal recessive	Yes
Myopia^[1]	Vision / eye	Multifactorial	No
Nephropathy, COL4A4 related^[1]	Renal / urinary system	Autosomal recessive	Yes
Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 deficiency, SERPINE1-related^[1]	Haematopoietic system	Autosomal recessive	Yes
Primary Immune-Mediate Haemolytic Anaemia^[2]	–	–	–
Pseudomyotonia, paradoxical, SLC7A10-related^[1]	Muscle	Autosomal recessive	Yes
Retinal atrophy - Cone-rod dystrophy 4^[1]	Vision / eye	Autosomal recessive	Yes
Retinal dysplasia^[1]	Vision / eye	–	–

What this list means

“Documented in the breed” means at least one published case or study – it says nothing about how common the condition is.
Many of these conditions are rare. A responsible breeder can tell you which health tests the parents have had.
Where the gene variant is known, a DNA test may exist – ask your vet or the breed club.
If your pet shows signs of illness, contact your vet. This page cannot tell you whether your pet is ill.

About the breed

Height: 51 cm
FCI number: 125

^[3]

If your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is having a seizure or can't stand up: go to the nearest vet now.

Not sure how serious it is?

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Sources

How this page was made: the list is taken directly from the sources below; nothing on it was written by AI. Names of conditions may be machine-translated. It is information, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages