An Introduction To Cockapoos by Simon James - HTML preview

Health and Breeding

Health and Breeding are inextricable linked and must be considered at the same time. The Cockapoo can be made up of a number of types of Poodle (Standard, Miniature and Toy) and Cocker Spaniels (Show Type, Working Type and American). They each come with their own health issues.

As both parent breeds have the potential to suffer from the same genetic eye conditions, ensure that the parents have been genetically tested for inherited conditions when purchasing a puppy or considering future breeding.

Further assessment is necessary when continuing the breeding of F1b, F2 and F3 puppies, along with all the necessary health checks. When breeding past F1, the buyer / breeder would need to record and retain ancestry lines of each parent to avoid the possibility of inbreeding.

Below is a list of key inherited disorders.

• Prcd-PRA - (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) - A genetic disorder that causes blindness.
• FN - Familial Nephropathy – kidney disease
• Phosphofructokinase (PFK) – enzyme deficiency
• Glaucoma - pressure on the eye causes loss of sight
• Secondary glaucoma - cause fluid drainage problems leading to loss of sight
• Von Willebrand disease TYPE 1 (vWD1) - A bleeding disorder.
• Hip dysplasia - deformity in the joint.
• Retinal Dysplasia affecting a dog's eye site.

Don't let this put you off however as most Cockapoo health problems can be avoided by selecting a good breeder.