Bones.
Cockers sometimes suffer from hip dysphasia and often suffer from bad backs. Vets can treat the pain, or even perform an expensive hip transplant, but there's little else to be done outside of diet.
Bad backs aren't necessarily brought on by excessiveness on the part of the dog. They can hurt their backs jumping out of a car or leaping through the doggy door. Overweight dogs tend to have more back problems than others, so diet is very important. If your pet has injured its hip or back, there's no mistaking that something is wrong. They might not yip, but they'll begin moping around the house. They might lick or bite at a sore hip, but will usually just find a quiet place to lie down. Suffering in a Cocker is a sad thing to see.
One of the best preventatives is to feed your pet a quality food, and to keep their weight down. Cockers with bellies as large as their chest are carrying too much weight, and placing extra strain on their back and hips. For the same reason, females should not be bred until they are fully mature.
Pain killers, in some case Aspirin can kill a dog, check with a vet before giving any medication.
Skin problems.
If your Cocker suffers from skin problems he/she probably has a dietary problem. Not all foods are the same. Sometimes a lack or excess of certain vitamins, minerals or amino acids is the problem, or maybe there isn't enough oil the diet. Other times this is a symptom of an internal problem, and your pet can't digest all the nutrients he's given. Your vet might recommend some tests to determine if his glands and organs are functioning properly. In most cases, diet and grooming is the solution.
Dog foods vary widely in cost when shopping on a budget, this seems a reasonable place to cut corners. On the other hand, a better diet can be a good investment, if it gives you a healthier pet. Shop around until you find a food your pet does well on, and stick with it.
Healthy eating starts when your dog is a puppy. A healthy puppy will be healthier as an adult. High protein foods can cause skin problems in adult dogs. More is not better. Unless your dog is in heavy field training, he doesn't need all that protein.  It's just trial and error.
Dogs go through cycles as they grow older. What works well for a pup, won't work for a teenage, adult or older dog. Through a dog's life, it might be necessary to change foods and grooming products several times.
When experimenting with new foods, buy enough to last at least a month, and gradually switch to the new food. Start by mixing slightly more food into the old, until you switch over about a week later. With proper timing, you'll just run out of the old food. Solving skin problems will make you and your pet happier, and that's what it's all about.
Gas.
If your dog has this problem, check his diet carefully. Gas is usually caused by a diet of meat. Eliminating table scraps is the first step. The next step is to read the label on his food. Most store bought dry dog foods contain a portion of "meat byproducts" or have meat fat added. If in doubt, ask your vet for a good food.

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