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As a general rule, cavaliers are extremely healthy and robust dogs, and are not plagued by many of the ailments that are common in many breeds. However, all dogs have health issues, and all breeds have health issues that are particularly troublesome to that breed. Cavaliers are no exception. By the very nature of being purebred, all breeds are inbred to some degree. It is a trade off. When you buy a purebred, you have a good approximation of what you will end up with, but you also inherit the possibility of one of the inherited health issues that affect that breed. On the positive side, for many breeds some health issues are extremely rare for that breed, or nonexistent, simply because the breed is a closed gene pool, and those issues have not been a problem in the breed's foundation dogs or in important breed individuals.
The most serious health issues to affect cavaliers are mitral valve disease and syringomyelia. Cavaliers are also sometimes affected by hereditary eye diseases, or orthopedic issues such as hip dysplasia or patellar luxation. There are also a few more rare issues that have also been known to affect cavaliers.
I have traditionally had my cavaliers tested for heart disease, hip disease, and eye disease, and provided buyers with photocopies of the official exam results. I have become interested in the Canine Health Information Center, and it sounds like a good idea to me. CHIC has the backing and support of the AKC and the ACKCSC, the AKC cavalier parent club that oversees the welfare of the cavalier breed. I am currently working on getting my dogs CHIC certified, and hope to add more information about this to my website soon. Sidney and Kobi pictured below, bred by Sheila Kish of Rediviva Cavaliers in Canada, are proof that cavaliers can remain healthy and active well into their teens. Kobi's sister is grandmother to my own Penny and Manny.
Please feel free to email me.
Truwain est. 1978
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