The annual checkup for a Spanish Water Dog
A healthy adult Spanish Water Dog needs one full routine checkup every year. Puppies go through a series of visits in the first months, a few weeks apart, for vaccinations and monitoring of growth, heart, and joints in a sturdy, medium-sized working breed. Seniors are usually switched to every six months, when eye, thyroid, heart, and mobility changes can be followed more closely. Whether the dog herds, swims, or lives as an active family companion, the annual visit is where the coat comes off as a hiding place and the dog underneath gets properly assessed.
What the curls conceal: skin and ears
The Spanish Water Dog's single, woolly, curly coat forms cords and mats if left, and beneath it the skin can be irritated, infected, or harbouring parasites without any sign showing on the surface. At the checkup, insist the coat is parted in several places, including behind the ears, under the collar line, in the armpits, and around the tail, so the vet sees actual skin rather than a tidy exterior. Tell the vet how the coat is managed at home, whether it is clipped down periodically, and where matting tends to form, because a mat pulled tight against skin is a common hidden source of soreness.
Ears need the same determined approach. Hair and curl around the ear opening, combined with a breed that loves water, create exactly the warm, damp conditions ear trouble prefers. The vet should examine deep in both canals and hear about swimming frequency, head shaking, and any odour when you lift the ear flap during grooming.
Eyes, hips, and working condition
Beyond the coat, the routine visit covers the standard working-dog ground with breed-specific emphasis. Eyes should be checked carefully in a breed where inherited eye conditions are a known concern, and the vet will feel hips and watch the dog move, since a herding and swimming dog loads those joints constantly. Weight and muscle condition matter too; under all that wool a Spanish Water Dog can gain or lose a surprising amount before the silhouette changes, which makes the recorded scale weight one of the most honest measures in the file.
Puppy appointments set up this adult picture, letting the vet track growth and discuss coat management and exercise while the dog is still young.
Signs hidden by the coat should move faster
Book earlier if you find a hot, damp, or smelly patch when parting the coat, a mat with sore skin beneath it, or persistent scratching localised to one area. Head shaking after swimming that does not settle, a dog who resents an ear being handled, or a sudden drop in enthusiasm for work and play also warrants a visit. In an older dog, cloudiness you notice in an eye, heavier drinking, or stiffness that lingers well after exercise should not wait for the annual date. Because the coat hides so much, your hands during regular grooming are the early-warning system between visits.
One clear record under all that wool
Skin patches treated, ears checked, and weights recorded only build a useful history when they sit in one place rather than across separate clinic printouts. KinsLe's Pet Passport keeps a Spanish Water Dog's checkup findings and vaccinations gathered into a single packet, ready for whichever vet parts the coat next.