Cocker Specific Discussion > General Cocker Spaniel Discussion

The importance of eye testing

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Phil:
Hi,

My first post. It's good to know there's a place for all my questions.

We're in the process of looking for a puppy. We're going to look at some tonight. When we asked the breeder over the phone about eye tests, they said that most small breeders don't bother with them and that there's no history of eye defects in the pedegree so its not a problem. Is this true?

Thanks for any help.

Phil                    

stueymac:
Welcome to CockersOnline Phil.

I don't think that is the case Phil, currently it is recommended that ALL breeders annually eye test their breeding stock. I've pasted a link below to the Cocker Club's website for further info.
http://www.thecockerspanielclub.co.uk/health.htm

Regards
Stuart                    

Jane S:
Stuart is absolutely correct Phil. Eye testing is voluntary at the moment & its true to say that many breeders do not bother with it, often out of ignorance or in the case of commercial breeders, because they could not care less. Many of the reputable breeders who do eye test are small, hobby breeders - it seems to be the case that the bigger the kennel, the less likely they are to test their stock so its certainly not right to say that small breeders don't eye test! No breeder can ever say for sure that there are no eye problems in their pedigrees/lines - this is at best over confidence on the part of the breeder. As it only costs around £25 to test a Cocker under the BVA/KC scheme, no breeder can argue that it is too expensive either :wink:                    

Phil:
Thanks for the replies,

I'll confirm this tonight when we see the puppies, but I'll be wary.

This ia a very useful forum and one I suspect we'll be posting to alot.

Phil                    

stueymac:
How did you get on at the Breeders Phil?                    

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