The foundation to good breeding is health. Without good health a breeding program will NOT have a future.

All purebred dogs have one form of health problem or another. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is no different. The major concerns for Cavaliers are Mitral Valve Heart Disease (MVD), Syringomyelia (SM) and eye problems such as Retinal Dysplasia and Cataracts.

Mitral Valve Disease (MVD) :  MVD is sadly "IN" the breed. Almost 100% of all Cavaliers will develope some degree of the disease by the age of 10. A developmental fault of the heart's mitral valve causes the valve to degenerate over time. This allows blood to leak backwards into the heart,which causes the distinctive "heart murmur" associated with MVD. Note, however, that there are also "innocent" heart murmurs that are not associated with MVD. Don't be mislead by breeders who tell you that Cavaliers from other countries , such as England, Sweden or Ireland, don't have a problem, or that their own particular lines don't have Mitral Valve Disease in them. It is found in all lines! 

Studies suggest that breeders should only use dogs that have been tested clear of MVD in their breeding programs. All breeding age dogs should be examined by a Board Certified Veterinary Cardiologist yearly, to make sure they have healthy hearts. Testing by a general practice veterinarian is not adequate in this instance. What this means to you is this...BEFORE you buy a Cavalier puppy from ANYONE, see the heart clearances on both parents ! MVD cannot be checked for in a puppy, so it's the parents of that puppy that need to be heart clear. Look the forms over carefully. It should show the name of the dog, the date the test was performed,and the name of the Board Certified Veterinary Cardiologist that performed the tests, NOT a regular Veterinarian (Practitioner).

Syringomyelia (SM): This is another disease that occurs in Cavaliers (as well as other breeds, and even humans) that is becoming more well known in the last few years. It is a neurological condition similar to what is known in humans as Chiari Type 1 malformation. It is likely a polygenic disorder (as with MVD) and mode of inheritance is currently unknown. More research is being done all the time on this disease. Currently the only way to formally diagnose SM is through an MRI. Dogs suffering debilitating symptoms of SM are rare.


Hip Dysplasia (HD) : The hip joint has a ball (top part of the femur) which fits into a joint (hip socket in the pelvis). If the socket is not developed properly the ball does not sit in it properly. This causes stress on the cartilage lining the hip joint. With the constant stress on the joint the cartilage thins and becomes stiffer which decreases the joints ability to handle the daily stress of movement and weight bearing. Over time arthritis will build up in the joint and cause thickening and a decrease in range of movement along with accompanying pain.

Some breeders believe that, because of the small size of the Cavalier, Hip Dysplasia is not an issue in this breed. As more and more Cavaliers are being checked for this illness, it is becoming apparent that it is an issue, and breeders should xray all dogs used for breeding at two years of age and send the xray to OFA ( Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) for certification.


Retinal Dysplasia and Cataracts: The two most serious eye problems in Cavaliers are Retinal Detachment and Cataracts. There are three distinct types of Retinal Dysplasia. Retinal Folds- a generally harmless form of Dysplasia. Dogs with Retinal Folds can be breed. Geographic Dysplasia- a severe form of Dysplasia. Dogs with Geographic Dysplasia should NOT be bred! Retinal Detachment- this is  the severest form of Dysplasia.Dogs with Retinal Detachment should NOT be bred!

All Cavaliers used in a breeding program should have their eyes examined yearly by a Board Certified Veterinary Opthalmologist and be found clear of these problems. Many breeders opt to send their test results to the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF), although it is not mandatory. As with hearts, BEFORE you buy a puppy from anyone, see the eye tests on the parents! Puppies can be checked, but many times problems don't develope until the dog is older.

Thrombocytopenia and Giant Platelets: This is a condition where there is a reduction of the platelets (thrombocytes) from the norm. Platelets play an important role in blood clotting and so the decrease can mean increased bleeding. Thrombocytopenia can be a secondary nature which means the result of another condition, eg, infection, tumour or drug reaction, or of a primary nature where no other causative factor can be found and thought to be an auto-immune problem. Some symptoms might include nosebleeds,,bruising on the skin or lips, blood in the stool or urine and lethargy or weakness. Treatment generally include steroids and in more serious cases transfusions,

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, however have giant sized platelets which function normally. When a blood sample is analysed the number of platelets are counted using an autoanalyser. This machine recognises the cell by the size and when using an autoanalyser the platelet count is low in the Cavalier, possibly leading to a misdiagnoses of thrombocytopenia. All blood samples from Cavaliers should be examined by a microscope and the platelets counted manually.

It is important to understand that even if the sire and dam have been screened and found clear of any health problems, no breeder can guarantee that your puppy will never develope a problem during its lifetime.