They say it's easy to kick someone when they're
down... so that's why we do it. They must have had Breezie in
mind when they wrote that one. They say it's easy to kick someone when they're
down... so that's why we do it. They must have had Breezie in
mind when they wrote that one.
She's our girl with the Marty Feldman eyes. Refer to Troubles in the Cocker Spaniel for a description of Breezie. She has many of the symptoms listed there.
Despite all her health problems, she's a teddy bear of a dog. No matter what room I'm in, she can be found laying nearby, looking for pets whenever she can catch my eye. When I get up in the morning, she'll crawl out of her bed, stretch, and great me with a big "Whoooo-oooo-oooo" that starts at her toes and works up (pictured here, I'll add sounds to the page soon).
Dogs are pack animals and like company. Early 1995 we began working the same schedule, since Lucky was home alone, we began thinking about getting a second dog. The main problem would be finding company for Lucky without intimidating him. To get his reaction, we introduced him to a couple young dogs, but he always shied away.
A couple months later we saw an ad for English Cockers, puppies and their mother for sale. I love ECSs but a puppy is an uncertainty. By now Lucky was coming along well in his training, and we didn't want to set him back. After several phone calls, we learned the adult, Breezie, was gentle in her temperament, so it sounded promising.
That weekend, we loaded Lucky into the car and took the two hour drive to look at her. When we arrived, I was surprised. While her papers were filled out stating she was an ECS, Lucky looked more English than she. Oh well, she was a sweet dog with a gentle temperament... and Lucky took to her right off. After thinking for a while, we returned and bought her.
Due to the long drive and late hour, we decided to stay on the coast that night. She'd just had a flea bath, but was still covered in fleas. We stopped and picked up some flea powder and powdered her from head to toe. After dinner, she was still covered, so we doused her again, and again the next morning. Arriving back home, we drove directly to Suds 'Em Yourself, a self service dog wash, where we treated both dogs to a thorough bath and flea dip. We washed off the half box of gritty flea powder, along with a bunch of dead fleas. We took a walk to allow the flea dip to dry, then headed home. At home we inspected her again, and she was still crawling in fleas. We quarantined her to the family room in a temporary bed and let her rest.
She was a little over 2 years old and had just had her second litter of pups. Her fur was quite long, and her bangs gave her a Dolly Madison look. Her pups had just weaned, and she was still distended and extremely worn out and crawling with fleas. Her eyes were extremely red, with fur growing into them, and she had a minor ear infection. On top of this, she was confused. A couple weeks earlier, she'd been brought up from Arizona, and now she was in a strange home with people she didn't know. For several days she kept looking around, waiting for her owners to come pick her up.
After a couple hours, some rest and a good meal, she began to settle in. The fleas must have been driving her to distraction, but she just didn't seem to have the energy to scratch. I decided the first step would be to clip off that excessive hair and get to the bottom of the problem. With the fur trimmed from her head and away from her eyes, she seemed far more comfortable.
While trimming the hair on her chest, I discovered large mats of hair. In the center each mat was a swarm of fleas and eggs, dry and safe from shampoo and flea dip. With so much fur, we'd never get rid of the fleas.
Trimming her toes, I noticed heavy mats had woven around her overgrown toenails, holding them firmly together. Sores had developed and from the angle of the toes, they must have been hard to walk on. A few quick snips and a bit of lotion, and you could see she her relax.
After a heavy clip and thorough flea bath, a different dog emerged. With the modified clip, her feathering was mostly tangle free, and I could see the makings of a lovely coat. The fleas were under control, her feet were more comfortable, and she was able to open her eyes without pain. She was tired, but finally looked at ease. In the bedroom she laid claim to Lucky's bed and slept for the next 14 hours.
Over the next couple days, we constantly monitored her for fleas. A few spot sprayings with Zema dip, with another bath a week later, and the fleas were finally under control. Since that time, over a year ago, we have found only one flea on the dogs.
The following weekend, we took her in for a complete physical. She was exhausted, but showing signs of a quick recovery. Her ear canals showed scarring from past ear infections. Her ears were clean, but needed further treating. To be safe, the vet put her on antibiotics and ear drops. Her eyes were in bad shape, but the ointment I'd been using had eliminated the infection. Her eyes will always be a problem, but there isn't much to be done for them outside of preventing further infections.
Over the next several months, she grew fat, healthy and happy. All her treatables were treated and she had a complete set of shots, not knowing when, or if, she was last vaccinated.
Eventually, I realized Breezie was different from my other Cockers. First off, she would eat more dog food than was healthy. All Cockers are fond of food, but, when you see an overweight Cocker, it's usually because they are being fed too many snacks. No dog is better equipped for begging than a Cocker Spaniel and she could look more pitiful than most, but we limit treats to post-treatment treats (clipping, bathes and medicines).
Breezie had been limited on treats while bringing her back to health. As she began toning up, I hadn't notice her belly was filling in, until she was straight back from the chest. Obviously a diet was called for. The problem here is that Lucky is very active, while Breezie is happy with a couple short romps each day. I used the All you can Eat diet to give them all the food they needed, without the temptation to snack all day. Within a couple months, her weight dropped back, her activity level went up, and she regained her doggy figure.
Breezie has very tiny, but healthy, ear canals. Her right eye has some small scratches on the lens, and it tends to wander at times. She has bad eyes, but we keep them healthy by watching carefully for any signs of infection. About 6 months after we brought her home, she injured her hip somehow. At first it responded to medical treatment, but now I'm beginning to think it will be a problem for the rest of her life, coming on more frequently as she grows older.
Despite all her health problems, she's a delightful little dog. She'll never be free from problems, and vet visits will become more frequent as she begins to grow older. Despite her problems, with proper care, she should have a happy life.
As I mentioned earlier, Breezie was bred twice by age two. This is the main reason Cockers continue to have so many health problems. The only way to have healthy pups is to breed healthy parents. Followed over enough generations, most health problems can be eliminated. While she has a delightful personality, no dog with Breezie's health and eyes should ever be bred.
If you should decide to breed your pet, allow them time to grow up first. In most Cockers, they shouldn't be bred before age 2 or 3, and allow at least a year between breeding. Not only will this allow your dog to better cope with the strain, it will also give hidden character and health flaws time to surface. If you are breeding for the money, this will produce healthier, larger litters of puppies, which will fetch a better price. You also won't "burn out" a good breeder.