Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.

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The lap dog with a heart problem

Cavaliers weigh about 12 to 18 pounds, stand 12 to 13 inches, and look like the easy family spaniel. The medical record is harder. Mitral valve disease affects a huge majority by later life. A murmur is the early clue. Medication such as pimobendan has a real evidence base for delaying failure, and the timing belongs to a cardiologist who has imaged the valve, not to a Facebook group. The stats table lists cardiac screening as its own yearly cost, $200 to $500, because this is not optional trivia.

Lifespan is written as 9 to 14 years. The short end is what happens when the valve fails early or the skull is too small. They are gentle, good with children and other dogs, and happy with 30 to 60 minutes of easy walking. They gain weight quietly, and extra fat makes the heart's job worse.

A skull that does not fit the brain

Syringomyelia comes from Chiari-like malformation: the back of the skull is tight, fluid cavities form in the cord, and the dog scratches at nothing, yelps when picked up, or hesitates to put its head down. MRI is the diagnosis that matters. Breeders who scan and who do not breed the worst skulls are the ones reducing it. Episodic falling, a stiffness attack tied to exercise or excitement, has a DNA test. Long ears need cleaning or they infect. Dry eye, cataracts, luxating patellas, and dental disease fill in the rest.

A routine year often costs about $1,750 to $3,700 before an MRI. Merck describes mitral valve disease and syringomyelia in clinical language. Fainting, a new cough at night, or a dog that seems in neck pain belongs in the checker immediately. This breed can be a wonderful pet. It is a dishonest purchase if nobody mentioned the heart.

What to ask a Cavalier breeder

Do all Cavaliers get heart disease?

Mitral valve disease is so common that a murmur by middle age is ordinary, and most have it in some form by about age ten. Annual listening is the minimum. A cardiologist, not only a wellness visit, is how you time treatment.

Why does my Cavalier scratch at the air?

Syringomyelia, fluid-filled cavities in the spinal cord from a cramped skull, causes phantom scratching at the neck or shoulder, pain when lifted, or a refusal to lower the head to the bowl. MRI is how it is diagnosed. It is not fleas until fleas are proven.

What paperwork should breeding Cavaliers have?

Cardiac exams, and MRI results if the breeder claims to select against syringomyelia. Episodic falling has a DNA test. Ears, eyes, and kneecaps still need a look. A breeder who calls heart testing alarmist is selling a sick breed as a healthy one.