Health and Interesting Issue of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Dogs

The breed suffers from a number of severe genetic defects. If considering a puppy, ask to see its parents' heart and eye certificates to reduce the chance your puppy will have it. Many breeders supply these, as it purifies the breed from these unwanted diseases.

Mitral valve disease

Virtually all Cavaliers suffer from mitral valve disease, causing progressively worsening heart murmurs leading to heart failure. This condition can begin to emerge at an early age, and is present in more than half of all Cavalier King Charles Spaniels by 5 years of age. It is extremely rare for a 10-year-old Cavalier not to have at least a slight heart murmur. It is the leading cause of death of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Veterinary geneticists and cardiologists have designed breeding guidelines to eliminate early-onset mitral valve disease in the breed, but only an insignificant minority of breeders follow these guidelines.

Syringomyelia

Syringomyelia (SM) is a condition affecting the brain and spine, causing symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to severe pain and partial paralysis. Syringomyelia is rare in most breeds but has become widespread in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Veterinary neurologists who have been researching the disease in Cavaliers have estimated that at least half of all Cavaliers have either syringomyelia or occipital hypoplasia, the skull bone malformation believed to cause SM.

Although symptoms of syringomyelia can present at any age, they typically appear between 6 months and 3 years of age. Symptoms include sensitivity around the head, neck, or shoulders, often indicated by a dog whimpering or frequently scratching at the area of his neck or shoulder. Scratching is often unilateral -- restricted to one side of the body. Scratching motions are frequently performed without actually making physical contact with the body. The scratching behavior appears involuntary and the dog frequently scratches while walking -- without stopping -- in a way that is very atypical of normal scratching. Scratching typical of SM is usually worse when the dog is wearing a collar, being walked on leash, or is excited.

Not all dogs with SM show scratching behavior. Not all dogs who show scratching behavior appear to suffer pain. If onset is at an early age, the first sign may be rapidly appearing scoliosis. If the problem is severe, there is likely to be poor proprioception (awareness of body position), especially with regard to the forelimbs. Clumsiness and falling results from this problem.

A vet should be asked to rule out primary secretory otitis media (PSOM - glue ear) before assuming that a Cavalier has SM. PSOM can present similar symptoms but is much easier and cheaper to treat. An MRI scan is normally done to confirm diagnosis of SM.
 

Hip dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is a common genetic disease in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. It rarely is present at birth and develops with age. Hip dysplasia is diagnosed by x-rays, but it usually does not appear in x-rays of Cavaliers until they mature.

 

Luxating patella

Cavaliers are subject to a genetic defect of the femur and knee called luxating patella. The disorder is believed to affect 20% to 30% of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. This condition is most often observed when a puppy is 4 to 6 months old. In the most serious cases, surgery may be indicated.

Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca

Another common defect among Cavaliers is keratoconjunctivitis sicca, colloquially known as "dry eye". The usual cause of this condition is an autoimmune reaction against the dog's tear ducts, reducing the production of tears. The condition requires continual treatment and if untreated may result in partial or total blindness.

 

Puppy Mills

The recent increasing popularity of the breed has led to breeding of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in puppy mills and an upsurge in the number of Cavaliers sold in pet stores.
 

Famous Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

Rex, pet of U.S. President Ronald Reagan
Elizabeth Taylor (née Princess Dandyridge Brandywine), pet of Charlotte York in Sex and the City
Hopper and Harley, pets of Courteney Cox and David Arquette.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Breed Information and Pictures

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Cavalier King Charles Spaniel".