Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Health
Mitral Valve Disease:

The Achilles heel of the cavalier is Mitral Valve Disease.  The mitral valve problem is
caused by endocardiosis, polysaccharide deposits in the valve leaflets.  Although
these deposits are common in toy dogs, the problem seems to present earlier in the
cavalier than some of the other toy breeds.  The deposits distort the valve, allowing it
to leak, and some cavaliers in their golden years require heart medication to help
them cope with the extra workload on the heart.  A rule of thumb is that 50% of
cavaliers will develop at least a very mild heart murmur by the age of five or six, and
over 90% will have a murmur by the age of ten. Cavaliers can still lead perfectly
normal lives for years after developing the murmur, and many are never affected at
all by the disease. If they are affected, it is usually very late in life and can be treated
to some degree with medication. The main thing to keep in mind when looking for a
pet for yourself, is that this problem must be tested for by breeders, and that any
breeder that says they do not have this problem in their bloodline is either not telling
you the truth, or is not educated in the disease. Mitral Valve Disease is in ALL
bloodlines of Cavaliers, but with proper testing and knowledge on genetic
inheritance, breeders can produce very healthy dogs that live normal lives. Much
progress has been made in the last two decades to prolong the life span of the
Cavalier. Cavalier breeders should use the information from the evaluation of
cardiologists to help to make breeding decisions in hopes of delaying the onset of
endocardiosis in future generations.  For those cavaliers that do develop mitral valve
disease, careful monitoring and medical intervention often allows them to lead
normal lives for many years.



Eye Problems:

While debilitating eye problems are not common, breeders usually have their
Cavaliers seen by board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists on a regular basis to
screen for the possibility of hereditary eye disease such as retinal dysplasia,
detachment, and cataracts.  Breeders occasionally come up with eye problems but
are usually careful not to use Cavaliers with debilitating eye defects in breeding
programs.


Orthopedic Problems:

Because their bones are small, many toy breeds are sometimes troubled by luxating
patellas. This simply means that the anatomy of a toy breed dog occasionally allows
the knee cap to slip out of its groove in which it normally rides. While luxating
patellas do not often hinder the dog’s movement, it is not uncommon for toy dogs to
receive surgical correction of the problem. The other orthopedic problem that occurs
in a small percentage of Cavaliers is hip dysplasia. This is a condition where the hip
sockets are too shallow for the head of the leg bone. Although Cavaliers are usually
not troubled by this condition because of their small size, bone deformity can cause
pain in severe cases.  Breeders usually evaluate breeding stock for orthopedic
problems and use that information to make breeding decisions that will hopefully
minimize orthopedic problems.



Syringomyelia or SM:

A newly-recognized and perplexing problem for cavalier breeders around the world is
that of syringomyelia (SM), sometimes called syringohydromyelia, or caudal occipital
malformation syndrome (COMS). This condition is similar to one found in humans
called Arnold-Chiari malformation. In layman’s terms, the bottom half of the skull
develops in such a way as to crowd the cerebellum of the brain, impeding the path of
cerebrospinal fluid movement around the brain and spinal cord. The increased
pressure and pooling of cerebrospinal fluid may cause irritation and damage to the
spinal cord, resulting in symptoms of neck scratching, headache, and in rare cases,
paralysis. Rattlebridge, in cooperation with The Ohio State University College of
Veterinary Medicine, had taken a leading role in the research of this international
breed crisis. Before the neurological department at OSU was sidelined due to the
departure of the neurological medical staff, the ongoing study was earmarked to
follow our extended family of dogs which was done on al limited basis before the
Veterinary neurosurgeon and neurologist left for other opportunities. Despite claims
to the otherwise, it is felt that no line is safe from syringomyelia. Unless and until the
gene marker(s) for this disease are identified, toy dogs will continue to be affected.
Rattlebridge is committed to assisting in both research of the disease and education
of cavalier breeders. At the 2004 ACKSC specialty, Meredith presented an educational
seminar to cavalier breeders from across the nation. It is hoped that cavalier
breeders will be honest in sharing their knowledge of affected dogs. As Dr. George
Padgett, authority on canine genetic disease, has said, "We need to quit whispering
about defects, and gossiping about defects, and instead set up a sound program that
allows the standard selection procedures to go on so that we breed good dogs and
avoid major defects." While only a small percentage of cavaliers ever develop
symptoms of SM, many dogs have the disease and remain asymptomatic. The most
definitive tool for the diagnosis of SM is by MIR scan. Hopefully, as breeders take
advantage of the MRI procedure for their breeding stock, we may be able to have a
better grasp of the disease; however, in talking with respected breeders the world
over, we have found that most believe that we will not eradicate the disease until we
find a gene marker.

Flycatcher's Syndrome:  

Occasionally a Cavalier will experience a disorder called Flycatcher’s Syndrome in
which the Cavalier repetitively bites or snaps at the air around his head trying to get a
fly. Flycatchers is thought to be a form of epilepsy and may also be a compulsive-
obsessive disorder. It may be seen more frequently in the Cavalier than in other
breeds.  If the condition is severe, medical intervention may be warranted.