The majority of problems seen in the Cavalier are common to toy dogs in general. Among the most common problems are:
1. Early-onset heart murmurs (Our Cavaliers are screened annually prior to breeding and clear)
2. Eye problems such as retinal dysplasia & cataracts (Our Cavaliers are screened annually prior to breeding and clear)
3. Luxating patellas (slipping knees) (Our Cavaliers are screened and clear)
4. CC/DE (curly coat/dry eye syndrome) and EF (episodic falling syndrome) (Our Cavaliers have been DNA tested and are clear or are clear by parentage)
5. A small percentage of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels will also develop orthopedic problems such as hip dysplasia, but since they are a small dog, it is not the catastrophe that it would be in a larger breed.
6. A newly-recognized problem in toy dogs is syringomyelia or caudal occipital malformation syndrome, a crowding of the back portion of the brain that can lead to spinal problems.
7. Low Platelet Count
Reputable breeders attempt to breed from stock free of major health defects, in hopes that their progeny will have a better chance at a healthy life. Puppies purchased from pet shops seem to have more problems than puppies purchased from reputable breeders. Cavaliers should benefit from evaluations by veterinary specialists such as cardiologists, ophthalmologists, neurologists and reproductive specialists in an ongoing effort to improve the overall health of the cavalier.
Mitral Valve Disease (MVD) - The mitral valve problem is caused a leaking of the valve. Reputable breeders have their cavaliers checked for this condition annually. Although MVD is common in toy dogs, the problem seems to present earlier in the cavalier than some of the other toy breeds. 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. 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.
Luxating Patellas - 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.
SM or COMS - A newly-recognized and perplexing problem for small breeds around the world is that of syringomyelia (SM), sometimes called syringohydromyelia, or caudal occipital malformation syndrome (COMS). 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. 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.
Episodic Falling (EF) - Episodic falling syndrome (EFS) is a unique genetic disorder in the cavalier King Charles spaniel. It has been recognized in the breed since the 1960s. No other breed is known to suffer from it.
EFS is a non-progressive disorder that tends to improve with therapy, and the life spans of affected dogs do not appear to be shortened by the disease.
Veterinarians may refer to it as hyperexplexia or muscle hypertonicity (and medically known as "paroxysmal exercise-induced dystonia or dyskinesia"). However, recent research (November 2010, July 2011, and January 2012) has established that EFS is not a muscular condition, but is due to a single recessive gene associated with brain function, a mutation of the BCAN gene. As a result, affected puppies are more likely to be found in cases of line breeding or inbreeding on carrier bloodlines.
Until 2010, EFS appeared to be a life-long condition of the cavaliers affected by it. However, research that year found that milder cases of EFS are more of a common condition in the CKCS, which tend to stabilize by age one year. EFS rarely is life-threatening.
Dry Eye (DE) - Dry eye is an inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva due to an inability to produce watery tears, and it cannot be cured in cavaliers.
Dry eye prevents the cavalier's eyes from being properly moistened, resulting in chronically dry, burning eyes, and scarring and painful ulceration of the cornea which may lead to decreased vision. The disorder requires frequent medication every day.
A rarer but far more severe form of dry eye syndrome in some cavalier King Charles spaniel puppies is a combination of dry eye and a congenital skin condition called "curly coat" or "rough coat" syndrome (ichthyosis keratoconjunctivitis sicca).
Curly Coat (CC) - Curly coat syndrome is a severe congenital condition of the skin, coat, claws, and eyes in some cavalier King Charles spaniel puppies. It is also known as rough coat syndrome and its scientific name is ichthyosis keratoconjunctivitis sicca.
This chart shows why it is important to have your breeding dogs DNA tested for CC/DE and EF.
Lower Platelet - Cavaliers sometimes have a lower platelet count in their blood count which worries some veterinarians who do not know that this is normal in a Cavalier. Cavaliers may have a lower platelet count, but they also have larger platelets. The platelets must be hand counted to get an accurate reading. We are only including mention of the low platelet count of some Cavaliers so Cavalier owners reading this will be informed just in case they have a Cavalier with a low platelet count being misdiagnosed by a veterinarian who is not familiar with our breed.