English Springer Spaniel nutrition: allergy and pancreatitis

An English Springer Spaniel is a medium-sized gundog: the American Kennel Club gives about 50 lb (23 kg) for males and 40 lb (18 kg) for females, with a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years. Feeding one well is mostly a matter of matching calories to a very variable workload. A few breed-specific problems change the details, the most distinctive being an inherited red blood cell disorder that is triggered by hard exercise rather than by food.

Phosphofructokinase (PFK) deficiency

Phosphofructokinase is an enzyme that red blood cells and muscle need to turn glucose into energy. In English Springers the deficiency comes from a single mutation in the muscle-type PFK gene, and a 2011 report in wachtelhunds notes that the same mutation occurs in American Cocker Spaniels, Whippets and mixed-breed dogs. Because the springer form has one known cause, breeding dogs can be DNA tested for it.

Affected dogs have a mild, ongoing anemia punctuated by crises. The trigger is breathing, not diet. When a dog pants hard, from sustained exercise or heat, its blood becomes slightly more alkaline. Red cells from PFK-deficient Springers break apart at a pH that normal cells tolerate. In the original study of two affected Springers, one was challenged with 30 minutes of exercise or a warm water bath. Either was enough to cause hemoglobin to spill into its blood and urine, while control dogs given the same challenges did not react this way.

Signs that need a vet the same day:

• dark red, brown or cola-colored urine, especially after exercise or a stressful event
• tiring quickly or becoming weak during or after exercise
• pale gums, or yellow tinge to the gums or whites of the eyes

Management centers on avoiding the situations that make the dog pant heavily: long hard runs, hot weather and stressful situations. No specific diet treats PFK deficiency. A complete, balanced food and normal body weight are the sensible baseline, and any supplement aimed at "building blood" should be discussed with the vet first.

Food allergies and itchy skin

Adverse food reactions in dogs usually show up as itching, often of the paws, face and ears, with recurring skin or ear infections. Environmental allergies look much the same, so the standard way to diagnose a food reaction is an elimination trial followed by a challenge with the old food.

An elimination trial uses either a hydrolyzed diet, in which the proteins are broken into fragments too small to provoke a reaction, or a protein the dog has never eaten. It needs to be strict, with no treats, flavored chews or table food. A review of the evidence found that trials should last at least 8 weeks; by then more than 90% of dogs with a food reaction had gone into remission. If the itch returns when the old food is reintroduced, the diagnosis is confirmed.

Beef, dairy products, chicken and wheat were the most commonly reported food allergens in dogs in a separate review. The authors note that this may simply reflect what dogs were commonly fed in past decades, and a "grain-free" label is not an allergy diet. A dog can react to any protein it eats regularly.

Pancreatitis and dietary fat

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, in which its digestive enzymes activate too early and damage the organ itself. According to VCA Animal Hospitals, it is common in dogs, shows no age, sex or breed predisposition, and in some cases is triggered by a fatty meal or by corticosteroids, although many cases have no obvious cause. The practical risk lies in what the dog gets hold of: a raided bin, barbecue scraps or a run of fatty treats is the kind of meal that can set off an episode.

Signs include vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, lethargy and poor appetite. Some dogs stand in a "praying position" with the front legs and head down and the rear raised. Any dog showing these needs to be seen promptly. VCA describes treatment of mild cases as pain and nausea control plus small amounts of a low-fat, easily digested diet. Repeated or severe episodes can leave a dog with poor digestion or diabetes, so a dog that has had pancreatitis is better off without fatty extras for good. Fish oil is also a fat; add it only if the vet agrees.

Ears

A Springer's long, heavy ears cover the ear canal and keep air from circulating. Check the ears weekly and dry them after swimming. Redness, a smell, dark discharge, head shaking or pawing at the ears need a vet examination rather than a home remedy, because the correct treatment depends on whether yeast, bacteria or a foreign body is involved.

Ear infections that keep coming back usually have an underlying cause, and allergy, including food allergy, is one of the things a vet will consider. That is the main link between diet and the ears: an elimination trial, run properly, can show whether food is part of the problem.

Chronic hepatitis

English Springers have an increased risk of chronic hepatitis, a long-term inflammation of the liver. In an earlier study of 68 affected Springers, only one of which received corticosteroids, median survival after diagnosis was 189 days. A later prospective study treated 12 Springers with prednisolone alongside standard supportive care. All the dogs with symptoms improved at first, and 10 of the 12 were still alive and clinically well at a median of more than four years after diagnosis.

Early liver disease is often silent. Poor appetite, weight loss, vomiting, increased thirst, a swollen belly or yellowing of the gums all warrant blood tests. For a middle-aged Springer, routine blood work that includes liver enzymes is a reasonable part of an annual check. Diet for a dog with liver disease should be set by the vet, not adapted from general advice.

Calories by body weight

The Merck Veterinary Manual calculates a dog's resting energy requirement as 70 × body weight in kg to the power 0.75. Maintenance needs are that figure multiplied by 1.6 for a neutered adult, 1.8 for an intact adult and 1.4 for a dog that gains weight easily. Puppies need 3 times resting energy until 4 months and 2 times after that. Adult dog food should contain at least 18% protein on a dry matter basis.

The multipliers describe typical pet dogs. A Springer working in the field all day burns considerably more, and a retired or less active one less, so these numbers are a place to start. Weigh the dog every few weeks, feel for the ribs, and adjust portions gradually. A working dog with no history of pancreatitis can have a higher-calorie food during the season; a dog with PFK deficiency should not be doing the kind of prolonged hard work that calls for one.

Sources

1. English Springer Spaniel dog breed information. American Kennel Club.
2. Hereditary phosphofructokinase deficiency in wachtelhunds. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 2011.
3. Inherited phosphofructokinase deficiency in dogs with hyperventilation-induced hemolysis: increased in vitro and in vivo alkaline fragility of erythrocytes. Blood, 1985.
4. Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (1): duration of elimination diets. BMC Veterinary Research, 2015.
5. Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats. BMC Veterinary Research, 2016.
6. Pancreatitis in dogs. VCA Animal Hospitals.
7. Prednisolone therapy for chronic hepatitis in English springer spaniels: a prospective study of 12 cases. The Veterinary Record, 2020.
8. Nutritional requirements of small animals. Merck Veterinary Manual.