Carsan Cavaliers
Cavalier Health
It's worthy of note to say not all Cavaliers suffer these diseases, the majority lead long and healthy lives often to 14 years or more ... all of our puppies are health checked and certified by a veterinary surgeon or specialist regardless of whether they're being run on for the show circuit ... or going to their new happy ever after home, and yes we do vet all our potential puppy owners as well as supply all documentation and pedigree information.
Mitral Heart disease (MVD)
MVD is a degenerative disease that causes the mitral heart in dogs to not fully close after the pumping action, which allows the blood to backflow into the atrium. In later stages this can lead to sometimes the valve breaking resulting in heart failure
Mitral valve disease affects more than a third of dogs over 10 years of age in ALL breeds, however in cavaliers the 'presence of this is more prominent and can occur in earlier stages of life' (Beardow & Buchanan., 1993)
Fig:1 drawing of the heart showing the mitral valve
Most vets can identify heart murmers, an early indication of MVD by use of stephoscope examination and tell you how sever it may be. But be warned as over excitment and/or stress can hinder this, making the heart sometimes, even to a trained certified vet sound worse than it may be.
As good practice most breeders have their breeding stock heart tested to reduce the risk of this occurring in future generations, however the chance of MVD is still possible in cavaliers despite these measures.
MVD is a degenerative disease that causes the mitral heart in dogs to not fully close after the pumping action, which allows the blood to backflow into the atrium. In later stages this can lead to sometimes the valve breaking resulting in heart failure
Mitral valve disease affects more than a third of dogs over 10 years of age in ALL breeds, however in cavaliers the 'presence of this is more prominent and can occur in earlier stages of life' (Beardow & Buchanan., 1993)
Syringomyelia (SM)
Syringomyelia is a disorder affecting the brain and spinal cord (Williams., 1980; Wolfe & poma., 2010), Cavaliers with this disorder first show signs “between 6 months and 3 years”(Rusbridge., 2005) with the progression differing with each individual dog.
One of the main problems with syringomyelia is that there is not much ability to predict which dogs may develop it, there is no prejudice between colours or gender and SM does not only affect cavaliers but is seen in many dog breeds, including but not limited to ‘Yorkshire terriers, Pugs, Bichon frise, Bull terriers, Miniature pinshers, Toy poodles, French Bulldogs, Griffon Bruxellois and Pekingese.’ (Rusbridge., 2007; Wolfe & Poma.,2010., Jung et al. 2006,)
Clinical Signs
Ongoing pain along the Cervical Spine (The part of the spine that moves through the neck).
Behavioural signs.
Sleeping with their head elevated.
Difficulty lowering head for activities such as feeding.
Persistant scratching often without co-ordination in the air(not to be confused with skin disorders , mites and fleas!)
Facial paralysis and deafness has also been seen in cases but may be coincidental as there is no clear association and is not seen in all cases.
References
Beardow, A.W and Buchanan, J.W ., (1993) Chronic mitral valve disease in cavalier king charles spaniels: 95 cases 1987-1991, J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1;203(7):1023-9.
Jung, D,I, Park, C, Kang BT, et al., (2006). Acquired cervical syringomyelia secondary to a brainstem meningioma in a maltese dog. Vet Med Sci. ;68:1235–1238.
Rusbridge, C., (2005). DNA for healthy cavaliers, The cavalier club website. [Avaliableonline: http://www.thecavalierclub.co.uk/health/syringo/syringom.html] [Cited: 21st April 2010]
Rusbridge, C.,(2007). Chiari-like malformation and Syringomyelia in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Vet Surg, 36:396-405.
[Avaliableonline:http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/dissertations/2007-0320-201201/index.htm]
Williams, B., (1980). On the pathogenesis of syringomyelia: a review. J R Soc Med. 73(11): 798–806.
Wolfe, K.C and Poma R., (2010) Syringomyelia in the Cavalier King Charles spaniel (CKCS) dog, Can Vet J. 51(1): 95–102.
Additional resources & links
Brief introduction to syringomyelia by Claire Rusbridge at a conference downloaded from the CKCS syringomyelia infosite (warning: the infosite has video clips that may be distressing to the viewer)
MITRAL VALVE DISEASE IN THE CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL by Anne French
Seasonal Canine Illness (SCI)
Seasonal Canine Illness (SCI) is a rare condition that typically can affect ANY type of dog in the Autumn, especially after they’ve been walked in woodland areas.
The exact cause of SCI is still unknown, but it is believed to be linked to exposure to certain environmental factors in these types of areas.
Symptoms of SCI
Symptoms usually appear within 72 hours after woodland walks and can include:
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Lethargy
Abdominal pain
Muscle tremors
High temperature
Treatment
includes:
While there is no specific cure for SCI, early treatment can help manage the symptoms and hopefully stop the illness progressing.
Intravenous fluids to combat dehydration
Anti-nausea medication
Pain relief
Antibiotics
Prevention
To reduce the risk of SCI, it’s recommended to:
Monitor your dog closely after woodland walks
Keep your dog hydrated
Use preventative sprays against mites
If you suspect your dog has SCI, contact your vet immediately, as early intervention can significantly improve the chances of recovery.
In extreme circumstances, it can be fatal.
