I feel I must write to warn people, it can happen to you or should I say your dogs. I was walking as I do most days in our local forestry (not worked) near the Denbeigh moors, with my dogs – 4 hounds, 1 Bouvier, 1 Spinone, my friend and her Airedale,when I noticed the Spinone looked a bit odd!  It was a very warm day and fortunately we were nearing the end of our walk. 

I stopped to examine Mia and realised there was something wrong.  Her eyes were closing and she was having difficulty breathing. Panic!

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The Italian Spinone is a large breed and has a pre-disposition to Hip Dysplasia.  By checking both parents hip scores you will have a fairly good idea whether your puppy may be high risk or not, that is not to say that just because the parents have low hip scores your puppy will not develop the disease.

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Dogs are prone to internal and external parasites.  Routine treatment is recommended for fleas and worms.  It is best to discuss treatment with your vet as there is such a wide selection of preparations on the market it would be impossible to recommend one.

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The mouth should be kept clean at all times otherwise a purulent smell can occur, this may be due to rotten food trapped between teeth and in the folds of the mouth.  This can then lead to decaying teeth and fungal infections in the hair just under the lip.  To prevent the above, give large marrow bones or clean the teeth with a veterinary dog tooth paste.

 Following a meal wash the beard to ensure all food particles have been removed.

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Spinone have webbed feet so between the pads should always be kept free from dirt, stones, grass seeds etc. This can be done by gently separating the pads while placing each foot into warm water, gently dry in between the webs.

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“Large and spongy looking” The nose should be moist to the touch.

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The Anal Gland normally empties its self.  The function of the gland is to act as a scent marker.

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The coat should ideally be brushed every day to remove dead hair, matting and any foreign bodies, this is particularly important in the Spinone that has a soft or thick coat as there is more likelihood that matting may occur.  Hand stripping will help to keep the coat at a manageable length. 

There are many helpful tools now on the market that can be used instead of hand stripping.  If your dog’s coat starts falling out excessively it could be that the diet requires changing.  If there is a problem with the skin seek your vet’s advice. 

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Check the ears weekly but more frequently if you have been out working your dog or have been anywhere that grass seeds could penetrate their way down the ear.

Routine clipping or stripping of the hair from the outer part of the ears should be carried out to allow good ventilation.  The hair should not be removed from down the ear canal, although this practice was popular in the past professional groomers are now being told that this is not a good practice.  The Spinone is one of the few breeds that grows hair all the way down the ear canal, it is there to protect the ear drum.

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Although the eyelids of the Spinone should be tight many have a slightly loose eyelid, which will enable foreign bodies such as dust and grass husks to become trapped.  If…