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Cavalier King Charles Spaniels / health issues

I do agility and other performance with my dogs (Standard Poodles, not Cavaliers) but have several friends that have Cavaliers that they show in agility. Almost of all the Cavaliers have heart issues of some form, several have had to retire early from agility and even those that didn’t are regular visitors at the local specialty hospital with the cardiologist and on various heart related medications as they age (and not extreme old age, talking about 8-9-10 year old dogs). And these are dogs that are from quality breeding, not BYB that didn’t do health tests. From what I gather, it’s kind of expected that most of them will have some kind of heart issues at some point since it’s kind of endemic in the breed. I know all breeds have their health issues, as does my chosen breed, but it just seems to me that the heart issues with the Cavs are a bit overwhelming…

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SM generally shows up between the ages of 2 and 6. I believe the MRI is used to see if that dog’s chiari malformation is significant enough that SM might occur. Obviously if the MRI results are bad that dog should not be bred.

Good breeders health test their dogs and record the results with the OFA. Cavaliers need to have their hips and patellas checked at age 2 and both hearts and eyes checked within a year of each breeding. I have all of my dogs’ hearts checked annually, (even the ones that aren’t being bred) so I can share the information with their breeders.

There are no guarantees, but by making educated decisions you can significantly minimize the risk.

I really appreciate the SM info. I’ve definitely been convinced that rescue is not the way to go for this breed. Not a big deal to this board, I know, but everyone in my family and general circle is religiously adopt-don’t-shop - I feel like I can already hear myself having conversations to try to defend myself about this lol.

I feel disadvantaged not really being in any dog “circles” when it comes to things like this. All I have to go on is Internet research and places like COTH. If I am still leaning the CKCS route when I get a dog in the future I will definitely have to do militant research about breeders.

I’d definitely recommend finding local conformation shows or other competitions (agility, obedience, rally are common) and trying to chat up some folks with Cavaliers when they’re not busy. Tell them you’re trying to learn more about the breed, health testing, etc., and if they don’t have time to talk, perhaps they can share their phone number or email address so you can be in touch later. Not only can you get more information from local Cavalier people, you can feel out potential breeders.

I’m a Golden breeder, and regularly get approached at dog events by folks who want to learn more, so this isn’t a strange thing to do! If I was to have a small dog, it would be a Cavalier (or maybe a Papillon, my family rescued one growing up and he was quirky but phenomenal), but the health issues concern me as well.

I have a friend who had a Cavalier, and if you’re in New England, I could find out the breeder’s information and pass it on, I believe the breeder is in northern New England but imports a lot of their CKCS from Ireland.

@Sonesta on COTH would be the one to talk too. She has owned and bred show quality Cavs for years upon years.

http://sonestafarms.com/cavaliers/index.htm

From her FAQ:

"What are the health issues associated with a Cavalier? [INDENT]The Cavaliers as a breed have one major health issue. Mitral valve disease (a heart condition involving a heart murmur) is common in this breed. The severity is graded in a range of 1 (the mildest) to 5 (the most severe). The disease tends to be progressive, so a dog that is diagnosed with a grade 1 murmur at age 2 might well reach a higher grade in future years. The earlier the onset of the disease, the more likely the dog will develop a serious condition. It is for this reason that the annual heart check by a canine cardiologist is so important for our breeding stock. The reputable Cavalier breeders have banded together in an attempt to eliminate this disease. To do this we have formed breeding rules that require annual heart checks and close monitoring of our breeding stock. We have made great strides and now there are many Cavaliers who do not develop the disease at all and many that develop only mild grades and at older ages and with little or no affect on the dogs’ overall health.

It has also recently been discovered that many Cavaliers are born with a Chiari-like malformation of the skull where the skull may be too small to allow complete flow of fluid into the spinal column. In most cases, the malformation may exist, but there are no symptoms and no affect on the dog’s life and health. In other cases this restriction can be serious enough to cause symptoms. When this happens the condition is referred to as Syringomyelia (also called “SM”). The most common symptom of SM is a tingling, itchy sensation in the dog’s neck which results in “phantom scratching” (the dog appears to be scratching its ear, but is really just scratching the air). In severe cases the dog may periodically yelp in pain and require medications or surgery to correct the problem. These symptoms usually show up during the dog’s first year of life. Ethical breeders are VERY careful to avoid breeding ANY Cavalier that shows symptoms of SM."[/INDENT]

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Hey, I am considering moving to south central Texas after I finish school (Austin area). I would make the drive to Cypress for a puppy! Haha :slight_smile:

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So kind of a more positive spin on Cavaliers. I have two of them, both rescues and both are over sized. I would 100% get another Cavalier when I decide to add to my pack.

My 10 y/o female is a confirmed puppy mill rescue from an all breed shelter who was used for breeding for 3 years. She has Mitral Valve Disease grade 2/3 and raised liver enzymes. She is the most active of my dogs and will spend hours running around in the back yard and pastures hunting lizards. Since her MVD diagnosis I have not noticed any changes in her behavior or activity level.

My 11 y/o male came to me from a regional Cavalier rescue as an adult and was fully screened for MVD and other Cavalier issues before coming to me. He has a grade 3 MVD, has had several ACL injuries, and is completely toothless. But he’s as happy and active as can be, with none of these issues slowing him down.

Cavaliers seem to overheat easier than other dogs I’ve had, and aren’t exactly the smartest dogs I have ever met. What takes other breeds 5 repetitions to learn can take a cavalier 20+. But they’re sweethearts and truly try to please their owners. The personality alone makes the health issues worth it for me, but I do focus on adopting older dogs from responsible breeders or rescues so that I’m aware of how bad the existing MVD is and what other health issues I’ll be dealing with. Every Cavalier I’ve ever met has some level of MVD but that level depends on breeding overall.

One final note, I have noticed a lot of tooth issues with Cavaliers. It seems that they are constantly having tooth extractions or having to have all their teeth removed. Dental care for Cavs is a must because of the MVD and issues with teeth. I highly recommend teaching the dog to accept daily brushing and bringing them in for an annual cardiac workup and dental cleaning. Having a toothless dog isn’t that big of a lifestyle change overall but is a possibility that you’ll need to be aware of with Cavs.

I fully agree that they are the “hot mess” of dog breeds, but as awareness of health issues is increased and more breeders start breeding responsibly then I do believe they can come back to their former glory.

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One more note that I just remembered. Cavaliers do not do well alone. They’re dogs that need someone home more often than not. Out of all the dog breeds I’ve ever had Cavs are the most needy in this respect. They love their people and want to be around you 100%.

My best friend has had several Cavs over the years, and each one has had health problems of varying degrees. One had a liver shunt. Others had heart problems. Her latest dog has chronic pancreatitis and can’t have much in the way of protein or fat. He lives mostly on carbs. He’s also had odd seizures in the past, and was recently diagnosed with a heart murmur. He’s on special food and a number of meds.
Cavs are adorable, smart, loving dogs, and her Cavs have all been great companions. But, personally, I’d steer clear of this breed if the cost of vet care is a big concern.