It’s not an easy or cheerful subject, but if you are at all concerned about the health of your English Springer Spaniel, there are a few signs to keep an eye on. When our dog suddenly took ill, we were slow in recognizing the issue, and if we’d caught it sooner, she might have stood a better chance. This article will list some of the symptoms to watch and some common health problems.
Anemia, lethargy, loss of appetite, and panting are symptoms of your spaniel dying.English Springer Spaniels tend to suffer from neurological issues and cardiac issues. Severe Springer diseases such as Hemolytic Anemia, an auto-immune blood condition, require immediate veterinary treatment.
English Springer Spaniels are medium-sized dogs prone to certain blood, heart, and brain conditions. The sooner you can spot and treat these issues, the better the chances of your spaniel surviving. The list below will be warning symptoms that your dog may be dying and that you should seek immediate veterinary treatment.
English Springer Spaniels Dying Symptoms
English Springer Spaniels are more likely than some other breeds to develop heart and epilepsy problems, and several signs are related to these issues. When they are doing poorly, these signs could be symptoms that your spaniel is dying. Older dogs can also suffer from cancer or auto-immune issues.
The most concerning symptoms that indicate your dog is dying are listed below. We’ll go through each to understand their meaning and how they may be related to common illnesses in English Springer Spaniels
1. Panting
If your English Springer Spaniel is panting as though they cannot get in enough oxygen, and other things such as over-heating have been ruled out, this could be a sign that they are short of oxygen or trying to cool their body down. These could be due to anemia and fever.
2. Breathing Much Faster Than Normal
Like panting, if your spaniel is breathing very fast, this might be due to a disease such as auto-immune hemolytic anemia, where the red blood cells are attacked and destroyed. Shallow, rapid breathing can be a symptom of heart problems, cancer, anemia, or pain.
3. Lethargy
Extreme lethargy is, unfortunately, one of the most evident and tell-tale signs that your dog is dying. If your dog is lying in only one place and is unmoving, barely even noticing that you or other family members are present, this is a sign that it might be time to say goodbye to your beloved pet.
Short bouts of lethargy may have underlying health reasons, but if there is no treatment, ongoing extreme lethargy is a common symptom of dying.
4. Coughing
Coughing is often a symptom of cancer or heart failure as the lungs begin to fill with fluid. If you hear a wet or rasping sound in the coughs, this is not a good sign as it indicates the presence of fluid in the lungs.
5. Pale or yellow gums, skin, inner ears
Suppose your English Springer Spaniel’s skin, gums, inner ears, or around their eyes appears extremely pale or yellow. In that case, these are extreme signs of anemia and possible jaundice from the breakdown of red platelets. Hemylotic anemia is a disease that can appear out of nowhere, so signs of these changes require immediate attention to save your dog’s life.
6. Restless And Constantly Changing Position Or Hiding
If your dog normally sleeps soundly, a change in sleeping pattern may indicate an underlying issue. Your spaniel may also be changing the position to relieve pressure on organs or to make breathing easier if its lungs are filled with fluid.
7. Change In Body Temperature
If your English Springer Spaniel is running a fever, they may try and cool their body down by stretching out on cool surfaces. Their ears and feet may be hot to the touch.
8. Suddenly Very Thirsty, Drinking More
Dogs will often continue to drink until their last moments, but if your dog drinks excessively, this may be a sign of your spaniel suffering from kidney failure or diabetes.
9. Lack of Appetite
When your dog stops eating, this is often an obvious sign that they are at the end of their days. A dog who shows no interest in food over an extended period is unlikely to make a full recovery. Veterinary intervention and anti-nausea medications may help in some cases.
10. Nausea
Nausea is related to refusal to eat and might be treatable, depending on the disease and cause. However, it will quickly go downhill if your dog cannot eat.
11. Vomiting or retching
Dry retching and vomiting are signs that should not be ignored, especially if there is blood in the vomit. Tumors or blockages could cause your dog to throw up partially digested food.
12. Change in bowel movements – constipation or diarrhea
While short-term changes in bowel activities can be expected, if your dog is suffering from continuous diarrhea or constipation, these could be signs of internal bleeding and tumors.
13. Seizures
English Springer Spaniels are known to develop idiopathic epilepsy, and seizures are signs of this health issue. The more of these symptoms your spaniel shows together, the more likely it points to the end of life.
14. Loss of Coordination
Another symptom of neurological deterioration is a loss of coordination, where your dog cannot move normally and may stagger and collapse.
15. Sudden change in vision or hearing
If your English Springer Spaniel loses their vision or hearing suddenly, this indicates neurological dysfunction and may signal that they are dying.
16. Strange changes in behavior
Other signs of brain dysfunction at the end of life are sudden shifts in behavior, where a previously placid dog becomes snappy and irritable. This kind of confusion and loss of mental faculties are associated with seizures from epilepsy.
How to Comfort a Dying English Springer Spaniel
Dogs can have a slow turn for the worse, or the health issues could be sudden and unexpected. You can make their passing less stressful by staying near them and keeping them comfortable. Do not expose them to new places or people unnecessarily. If they can go about their routine, keep this going as long as possible, provided it causes no pain or stress.
If pain medication helps ease their passing, you can talk to your vet about medical methods to improve their quality of life in your spaniel’s last days.
Conclusion
English Springer Spaniels are generally healthy and active dogs, but they can be more prone to diseases of the heart, the neurological system, and Auto-Immune Hemolytic Anemia. Knowing the symptoms that could indicate your English Springer Spaniel is dying is useful. Catching certain diseases early gives you a better chance of getting treatment that could save your dog’s life.
