I’m wanting to breed my final litter from my bitch (working cocker spaniel) but cannot get her eyes tested due to current lockdown, they were last done in 2018, they were graded clear/1 & was advised by the vet to use a stud dog with 0/1 eyes, which I did. Obviously most people are in the same boat & I have found 2 local to me studs but not with current eye certificates. Can people advise me how much of a risk it is to go ahead with this mating, I’m planning on keeping a puppy & the bitch will be 5 this year so I don’t have a lot of time, I know you can breed older but I don’t wish it. Also I’m assuming there is no issue registering puppies with the KC if no valid eye certificates are held. Many thanks.

I would wait, personally, the whole point of getting an eye test is to see that the mutations the examiner looks for haven’t appeared. One time when I took my girls (pre Covid) I spoke to him about the importance of eye screening and he was saying that the mutations can literally appear at any point in the dogs life, more likely the younger the dog is, but at the time he’d tested an 8 year old collie (I think although can’t remember breed exactly) and she didn’t pass it clear even though she’d been tested virtually every year before then and had passed clear. So I’d say wait, and ring now to book in an eye test as last i checked in November the two places nearest me were filling up appointments for May and March! I managed to get a cancellation appointment thankfully so may be worth asking to be put on a list to be rung if there’s a cancellation - if they’re booked up for months, is disappointing but worth waiting for sure.

The problem with booking an appointment is that any clinics running are not in my area so it means travelling which isn’t classed as necessary at the moment & bitch is due in season Feb/March, time wise it makes sense to breed now as the rest of the year we are flat out on the farm.

If you can't eye test your bitch at the moment, you can for sure take care to use a stud with clear/excellent eye results...

Stud dogs I’m wanting to use are in the same area so same position, not able to have them tested as not essential travel.

Then surely the only logical answer is to not mate the bitch at this season.

I’m not going to disagree with you, but my bitches age isn’t on her side, plus time wise it fits with us so we can give 100% to the litter.

Laurus74
Gonioscopy is only required every 3 years in Cocker Spaniels where as the BVA test is annual.
If this really is your last opportunity for a litter and if the stud dogs you are interested in have a current Gonioscopy (unaffected)  then the one with the most recent BVA Annual (clear) would be my choice.
(personally I'm not sure I would risk it)  Hope this helps.

As she isn't a maiden bitch ( in my breed we advise a FIRST litter by 5), then her age is not against her.

So I would wait a year to fit in with your work schedule.

Getting a Clinical Clear eye test in an older animal is more reliable.

In my medium size breed I would tend to have a last litter before their 7th birthday, but have had a litter a month older.

The beauty of a later litter when you are planning to keep one is that all aspects of her and her earlier offsprings good health are much more certain.

I agree, there's no rush at 5yo. I currently have a pup whose mum was 9yo. The KC gave special permission for her to have a final litter at that age, due to her titles and achievements.

Another of my dogs is about to turn 7yo and I'm debating whether to have a final litter from her this year. (She has had 2 already.)

There's no way you can with all conscience breed a dog with eye concerns to a stud which un-tested eyes. What planet are we on. Does the world have a shortage of cocker spaniels....