SVENA

WHOLECOLOUR CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIELS

Puppy Buyers Guide

There are many guides both on the Internet and in Books detailing what you should look for in a puppy prior to purchase. All dogs whether pedigree or mongrel suffers from defects many of which are inherited; this breed is no exception. This page is breed specific and should be used in addition to those guides for prospective puppy purchasers who wish to buy from a responsible ethical breeder.

No breeder can ever guarantee that a puppy will be free of all inherited defects and there is no such thing as the perfect dog. However responsible ethical breeders test in order to reduce the risk of future generations being affected by those defects which are of high incidence or are known to be inherited in this breed. There are currently three health schemes in operation, which can be used by breeders attempting to reduce the incidence of defects within this breed.

Hearts- The heart scheme is run by the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club (www.thecavalierclub.co.uk ). The aim of the scheme is to reduce the incidence of mitral valve disease in the breed. Forms can be obtained from the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club and dogs can be tested either by a veterinarian or a cardiologist it is important to return the form to the research program in order that the scale of the problem in this breed can be accurately assessed. The information gathered is confidential.

One of the main benefits of the scheme is that Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club publish a list on their website of all dogs that have been tested after the age of 5 years old and found to be free of heart murmurs. As of May 2002 there were 705 animals listed. Current guidelines issued by cardiologists recommend that the minimum age for an animal to be used for breeding should be 2 and half years old with both parents clear at 5 years of age. Dogs who were clear at 5 years old should not be discounted from the breeding program if they then develop a murmur later in life.

So what can you do to ensure that the puppy comes from a responsible ethical breeder?

Ask for a copy of the pedigree prior to visiting the litter. You can then check with the website to see how many of the puppies ancestors are listed in the over 5's clear heart list. If either of the puppies' parents are under 5 years of age then the parents of that parent should be on the list. When you visit the litter ask to see copies of the most recent heart certificates for both parents and ask if the puppies will be checked prior to them leaving their mother. Although heart certificates should be made available at the time of purchase this can not predict what the future heart status of either parent or the puppy will be.

Also ask how many of the puppies ancestors are still alive and at what ages other ancestors in the pedigree lived to. There are also lines of pedigree Cavaliers where although the dogs develop early heart murmurs they never progress beyond a low grade and the dogs live without the need of medication to a ripe old age. These lines should not be discounted and can be identified by pedigree analysis. The more long living or murmur free ancestors that the puppy has the better its chances are of not being affected by this disease.

It should be noted that not all heart murmurs are necessarily the result of mitral valve disease. This breed is also susceptible to physiological murmurs and like all dogs has cases of aortic subvalvular stenusis, dilated cardiomyopathy and patent ductus arteriosus. Specialist consultation with a cardiologist is require to determine the exact cause of many heart murmurs. (http://www.bsava.com/vcs/testing/ascul.htm or http://www.bsava.com/vcs/testing/doppler.htm ). Recent studies have shown that in all breeds 1 in 7 dogs has a heart murmur by the age of 7 years. In Cavaliers it is considerably higher.

Eyes- There is a British Veterinary Association/Kennel Club Eye (BVA/KC) scheme available for this breed. A full historic list of all dogs tested is available for purchase from the Kennel Club (see below useful addresses). An information sheet explaining the eye scheme is available from the British Veterinary Association ( http://www.bva.co.uk/ also see below useful addresses). Amendments to the BVA/KC eye scheme now means that dogs which are judged to be affected by Multi Focial Retinal dysplasia will not have those results published on puppy registration documents or in the Kennel Club quarterly publication the Breed Records Supplements. An "Open Register" of those dogs who have failed with MRD is maintained at the Kennel Club and is available to be viewed.  A responsible ethical breeder will use breeding stock that has been tested and certificated for eye defects, and puppies should have been litter screened prior to them leaving their mother. Litter screening takes place before the puppies reach the age of 12 weeks of age. It is not certification.

There is also a European scheme available to breeders certificates are issued and the results also published in the Breed Record Supplements. If the breeder is using the European scheme ask for copies of certificates on both parents. Eye tests can only be performed by a qualified ophthalmologist a list is available from the BVA. (http://www.bva.co.uk/pdf/chs_eye_panellists.pdf. )

Hips- There is a BVA/KC scheme available for hip scoring. A dog needs to be at least 12 months of age and must be anaesthetized in order for x-rays to be taken of the hind legs in an extended position. The x-rays are then sent to the BVA in order to be scored by a team of panelists. Each hip is scored between 0 and 53. The minimum or perfect score is 0:0 Total 0 the maximum or worse is 53:53 Total 106. An information sheet explaining the hip-scoring scheme is available from the BVA. There is a list of all dogs hip scored since 1991 available to purchase from the Kennel Club unfortunately it is not a full historic list. Historically the lowest score recorded in this breed is 0:2 Total 2. Hip score results are also published each quarter in the Kennel Club Breed Record Supplements. Many breeders dislike hip scoring due to the risks involved in subjecting Cavaliers to anaesthetic.

Syringomelia formally known as syringohydromelia - A painful and disabling illness, most certainly an inherited condition, which in its most severe form requires euthanasia of an affected animal. It occurs in three forms

1.      Puppies with hydrocephalous.

2.      Juvenile form from six months to fifteen months with scoliosis (twisted neck) and weakness

3.      Adult form (1-10 years) initially presenting with shoulder scratching and pain sensitivity around the head. Age onset can vary a sire/dam might develop the condition AFTER its offspring.

This problem is commonly mis diagnosed as ear problems, skin allergies and/or epilepsy. A prompt diagnosis is required in order to effectively treat an affected animal. The earliest visual symptom is shoulder scratching typically to one side but can be bilateral when walking on a lead or excited. The condition affects all four coat colours but is most common in the blenheims and rubies.

For more information - http://www.vin.com/Members/SearchDB/Journals/Scanned/JAO15000/JAO14727.htm . (Also see Journal of American Animal Hospital Association, January/ February 2000, Volume 16 pages 34-41.) A full detailed description of this illness can be found on http://www.thecavalierclub.co.uk website.

Episodic falling, epilepsy and slipping patella - are additional defects all later onset, these problems do not manifest themselves until later in life and any dog affected by these problems should not be bred from.

If Cavaliers were bred later in life, many of these defects would be apparent, and IF affected stock were to be withdrawn from the gene pool a dramatic improvement in Cavalier health could be obtained.

Where to look for puppies: In the UK both the http://www.thecavalierclub.co.uk and the http://www.cavaliers.co.uk site list members advertisements. Both have a Code of Ethics which members should adhere to.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the website owner. However, all facts quoted can be supported by documented evidence.

Useful Addresses;

British Veterinary Association
7 Mansfield Street
London
W1M 0AT

Kennel Club
1-5 Clarges Street
Piccadily
London
W1Y 8AB

Useful Cavalier Websites:

Cavalier Connection http://www.ckcs.com/health

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club http://www.the cavalierclub.co.uk