How the schedule works for a Picardy Spaniel
A healthy adult Picardy Spaniel belongs on the vet's table once a year for a full routine checkup. Puppies go far more often in their first months, returning every few weeks to complete their vaccinations and have growth, heart, and joints checked while they are still developing. Once a Picardy Spaniel reaches the senior years, most vets prefer to see the dog every six months, since a working gundog breed can mask stiffness and slowing down behind a still-willing attitude in the field. The annual visit in between is where ears, coat, weight, and working fitness all get reviewed together.
Ears first at every appointment
The Picardy Spaniel's long, feathered ears hang close over the ear canal, limiting airflow and trapping the moisture and field debris this breed collects working through wet cover. That makes the ear examination the centrepiece of the routine visit rather than an afterthought. The vet should look deep into both canals, note any wax build-up, redness, or odour, and record which ear was affected if one side is worse, because a dog who repeatedly troubles the same ear is telling a story across visits.
Tell the vet about swimming, retrieving from water, and wet winter work, since a Picardy that spends weekends in marshy ground faces a different ear picture from a mostly urban companion. The thick, slightly wavy coat should also be parted and checked for skin irritation underneath, especially in the armpits, groin, and between the toes where burrs and damp collect.
Weight and joints in a dog built to work
Picardy Spaniels are sturdy, muscular spaniels, and an active adult should stay visibly fit rather than padded. At the checkup the vet will weigh the dog and assess condition, which matters in the off-season when a gundog's exercise drops but the food bowl does not. Hips, elbows, and shoulders deserve a feel and a flexion check, particularly if you have noticed a shorter stride after a day's work or hesitation jumping into a car.
Puppy visits matter here too: growth rate and body condition in a young Picardy set the stage for those adult joints, and the vet can advise on feeding and exercise while the skeleton is still forming.
When to go in sooner
Do not hold ear trouble for the yearly visit. Head shaking, scratching at one ear, a yeasty smell, or a dog who flinches when an ear is touched should be seen within days, not months. A Picardy Spaniel who comes home from cover lame, with a cut pad, a swollen toe, or a grass seed worked into the coat near the ear or paw needs prompt attention as well. In a senior, rising thirst, weight change despite the same food, or new reluctance on walks you know well all justify moving the appointment forward.
Keeping a simple log of ear flare-ups, field injuries, and appetite changes between visits turns a vague memory into something the vet can actually use.
One file for a dog with a recurring ear story
A breed whose main routine issue tends to repeat in the same place benefits most from records that read as one continuous story, not scattered visit slips. KinsLe's Pet Passport holds a Picardy Spaniel's ear history, weights, and vaccinations in a single packet, ready to open at any clinic you use.