A breeder's guide to Cavalier King Charles Spaniel health testing
No toy breed is sweeter, and few need more careful screening. Heart disease affects most Cavaliers in time, so the age and heart status of the parents matter greatly. This VerifiedStuds guide explains the tests the parent club lists and what we require for the Verified Health badge.
The American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club is the AKC parent club. Its list, as published by the AKC, has four exams:
Clearance
Who does it
Earliest final result
Heart
Cardiac exam, ideally by a cardiologist
12 months; repeat yearly
Eyes
Board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist
Any age; valid 12 months
Hips
X-rays sent to OFA
24 months
Patellas
Veterinary exam, registered with OFA
12 months
Mitral valve disease (MVD) is the breed's leading cause of death. It often starts as a quiet murmur in middle age, and it starts earlier in Cavaliers than in other breeds. For that reason, one clear exam at a year old proves very little.
Breed clubs therefore promote a breeding protocol. In short, a Cavalier should be at least two and a half years old and free of murmurs before breeding, and its parents should have been clear at five. In addition, a board-certified cardiologist should repeat the exam every year.
Episodic falling (EF): a muscle disorder that causes collapse after exercise or excitement.
Curly coat and dry eye (CC/DE): a severe skin and eye condition seen from birth.
Degenerative myelopathy (DM): a late-onset spinal disease.
Since these are recessive, a carrier can be bred safely to a clear dog.
Syringomyelia (SM) is harder. Fluid pockets form in the spinal cord, and the only screening tool is an MRI scan. It is not on the core list, but some breeders scan their breeding dogs. So ask whether the stud or his parents have had one.
Brucellosis spreads through mating and has no reliable cure. Therefore, the AKC advises testing stud dogs every six months and females before each breeding. In addition, VerifiedStuds asks for a negative test before every booking. Read brucellosis in dogs for the details.
Ask for his age and the date of his last heart exam, and who performed it.
Request the heart status of his parents at five years old.
Look up his registered name in the public OFA database for eyes, hips and patellas.
Find out about MRI results and any scratching or neck pain in his family.
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What health tests should a Cavalier have before breeding?
A heart exam, an eye exam, hips and patellas, plus a negative brucellosis test. DNA tests for EF and CC/DE are widely used as well.
How often should a Cavalier's heart be checked?
Every year, ideally by a board-certified cardiologist, for as long as the dog is being bred.
At what age should a Cavalier be bred?
Clubs advise waiting until at least two and a half years, with a clear heart, and with parents that were clear at five.
Is there a test for syringomyelia?
Only an MRI scan. It is optional, but some breeders scan before breeding.
What does VerifiedStuds require for Cavalier studs?
A current heart exam, a current eye exam, hips and patellas, with a negative brucellosis test, for the Verified Health badge.
Sources: American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, AKC Toy Group health testing requirements, OFA CHIC program.
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