Cavaliers, like all purebred dogs, have some hereditary conditions that can affect their health. It is important that you understand these health issues, especially as your pet ages. You are often your dog’s best line of defense against disease, because you’ll be the first to notice any changes in your dog’s behavior or sense of well being. Health conditions to be aware of in the Cavalier are:

Mitral Valve Disease

Mitral valve disease (MVD) is a degenerative condition that affects the mitral valve of the heart. Inevitably, it results in a compromise of the circulation and heart enlargement. This can lead to heart failure and death. It is important that your Cavalier be checked annually by your veterinarian for any heart murmur that could mean the valve is being compromised. If a murmur is diagnosed, do not panic! MVD can progress rapidly, but also very slowly. There are medications to help the condition and these are often very effective and can afford months or even years of a good quality of life. As an owner, you need to be aware of any symptoms that might indicate a problem—exercise intolerance, coughing, weakness, or undue fatigue.

Syringomyelia

Syringomyelia (SM) is a progressive neurological disease. Because of malformations in the occipital bone at the back of the skull, the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid is impeded, resulting in damage to the spinal cord. Typical symptoms include: scratching at the neck or shoulder area without making contact, especially when excited or on a lead, a head tilt, unexplained yelping or pain, neck twisting, or even weaknesses of the limbs. Symptoms normally appear before the age of three, but in some cases can present later in life. Since other conditions may mimic these same symptoms, the only way to diagnose with accuracy is via an MRI test. There have been successful surgeries to treat this condition.

Eye Diseases

Cavaliers can be affected by several eye conditions. It is wise to have them examined periodically by a canine opthalmologist. Cavaliers that are free of disease can be certified by registering their test results with the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF).

Juvenile Cataracts

Juvenile cataracts appear early in life and can progress to blindness. They can be diagnosed by an ophthalmologist easily. Old age cataracts are usually less serious and are typical with elder Cavaliers. Cataract surgery can be curative.

Dry Eye

Dry eye is seen in animals whose normal tear production is impaired. This can lead to corneal ulceration and blindness. Special eye ointments and cyclosporine drops usually hold this condition in check. Owners should be alert to symptoms indicating irritation or pain—excessive blinking or rubbing of the eyes with the paws.

Hip Dysplasia

Hip Dysplasia (HD) is a degenerative destruction of the hip joints, and can affect a dog early in life. The condition of your dog’s hips can be diagnosed by a simple X-ray that can be sent to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) for review. PENN HIP is another test that can diagnose this condition and can be done as early as 16 weeks. It is also done via X-ray, measuring hip joint laxity and predicting with scientific accuracy those animals that are likely to develop HD. Those Cavaliers with HD may have it to a greater or lesser degree, and many are only mildly affected. Diagnosing hip dysplasia most often requires general anesthesia for the testing, and so great care must be taken with the procedure.

Epilepsy, Fly Catcher’s Syndrome and Episodic Falling

Seizures resulting from brain wave disturbances are frightening to owners and patients alike. They can be mild or very severe. So-called Fly Catchers Syndrome is a variant where hallucinations cause the dog to leap and snap at imaginary objects, as if flies were in front of his nose. All these types of seizures can usually be controlled with anti-seizure drugs. Owners should note the onset of such seizures and be sure they can not be traced to anything toxic in the environment—poisons, toxic plants, fertilizers, and even some of the monthly heartworm preventatives.

What You Can Do to Help

The ACKCSC Charitable Trust was established by our Club to financially support health studies that will benefit our breed. We believe that this work is of vital importance to the continued health and longevity of the Cavalier. We gladly accept contributions. Please visit our website at  for details.

The ACKCSC established the ACKCSC Charitable Trust to handle donations, grants and programs dealing with Health & Research.  The trust has been very busy working on Cavalier Health studies and projects. For more information and to make a donation please visit the Trusts’ website at www.ackcsccharitabletrust.org.

CURRENT RESEARCH – PRIMARY SECRETORY OTITIS MEDIA (PSOM)
The American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Charitable Trust is very pleased that through the generous donations of our supporters, we have been able to help fund and make possible this research to be done by Dr. Lynette Cole, Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Click here to go to the Charitable Trust Website for more information on this Research and an interim report (9/6/07).

Now this program has been made available for all purebred dogs to participate in under the name of CHIC (Canine Health Information Program). Upon the recommendation of the ACKCSC Health Committee, the ACKCSC Board of Directors has approved participation in this new program. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels will be the 35th breed to sign up for this registry, which is patterned after some of the European registries that have been successful in reducing genetic disease.

The Canine Health Information Center, also known as CHIC, is a centralized canine health database jointly sponsored by the AKC/Canine Health Foundation (AKC/CHF) and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). A CHIC number is issued when test results are entered into the database satisfying each breed specific requirement, and when the owner of the dog has opted to release the results into the public domain. The CHIC number itself does not imply normal test results, only that all the required breed specific tests were performed and the results made publicly available.

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