Introduction
Cocker Spaniel is a spotting dog traditionally used in flushing games: this breed is perfectly made for feather and fur. But today there is a tendency to use Cocker Spaniel as a companion – the dog has cheerful and lively character, is active and energetic.
No matter who is your Cocker Spaniel – a working dog or a lovable home pet – there are some general rules that will make your dog live long and healthy life.
In this article we are going to speak about average Cocker Spaniel life span and all co-related issues.
Average Life Span
Life expectancy of Cocker Spaniels is somewhere between 12-14 years, but there are some rare cases when Cockers live up to 15-17 years.
This rate broadly depends on many factors:
- diet and feeding schedule;
- the level of average physical activity;
- housing conditions;
- hereditary background;
- earlier and current diseases/health conditions, etc.
Best Diet and Feeding Schedule
For your Cocker Spaniel to have a healthy life, you should take care for its daily diet and feeding schedule. Remember, that dog nutrition should be reach in protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber: the best choice for a Cocker Spaniel is natural food of a high quality.
Here we want to offer you an approximate daily ration for your Cocker Spaniel:
- Morning: meat porridge with cooked vegetables (150 – 200 gr).
- Afternoon: fresh curds (100 – 150 gr).
- Evening: meat porridge with cooked vegetables and a tablespoon of an olive oil (200-400 gr).
Physical Activity
Cocker Spaniels are known to be lively and active dogs that need the environment to release their energy. If your Cocker Spaniel is ‘working’ and you use it in flushing games – that means, that your dog doesn’t need some extra physical load (if you hunt at least once in a week). Just provide your Cocker Spaniel with long active walks.
If your Cocker Spaniel is just a companion and stay-at-home dog, that means that you should give your dog a chance to release its energy. Probably, long walks wouldn’t be enough: take your dog for your morning jogging, play Frisbee or with a ball, engage it in agility or any other activity that will make your dog healthy and strong. Physical exercises should be regular – 3-4 times a week.
Health Issues
In general, Cockers are healthy dogs, however, as every purebreed, these dogs have some diseases and conditions that they are prone to:
- skin problems (allergies, atopic dermatitis);
- ear problems (yeast infections, ear mites);
- eye problems (Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), glaucoma, cataracts, ‘cherry eye’).
Other health issues:
- Hip Dysplasia;
- Familial Nephropathy (FN);
- Immune mediated thrombocytopenia(IMT);
- Pancreatitis;
- Heart and liver problems.
Conclusion
We hope, that these simple rules concerning feeding and exercises (as well as general information on health) will help your Cocker Spaniel to have long and healthy life. And don’t forget about love and attention.
