“If you have your health, you have everything”

This is not only true for humans; it is true for all living things. Beauty is what we all strive for when breeding Cavaliers but far greater than that, is producing healthy, long-lived Cavaliers. To that end, for the welfare of all my Cavaliers, puppies and the families who bring these little lives in their homes and hearts, I am committed to fully health testing prior to breeding. Health, beauty and the proper Cavalier temperament are the three legs of the stool, for the ideal Cavalier. The proper balance of each, is what I strive for in my breeding program.

Cavaliers are recommended to have four health tests prior to breeding.
Three are to be done annually.

Eyes tested annually and found free of any genetic problems by a Board Certified Ophthalmologist.

• Progressive Renal Atrophy and Retinal Dysplasia--Inheritable eye diseases, which can be diagnosed at a very early age.

Hearts tested annually and found clear by a Board Certified Cardiologist

• Mitral Valve Disease (MVD)--By age 4-5, approximately 40-50% of all Cavaliers have the beginning of this disease. Murmurs are diagnosed on a scale of 1 through 6. Medications are given when the murmur reaches a grade 4, in most cases. Enlargement of the heart plays an important role in determining a prognosis and quality of life for this disease.

Knees manipulated annually and found to be tight and free of any patellae luxation.

• Patellae’s, Slipped--A problem with the kneecaps. Those that are inheritable may be discerned in very young pups upon examination. This can also occur, however, with severe trauma to the kneecap area brought on by jumping high or down hard, etc. Puppies should not be allowed to do any type of activity, which could strain the kneecap area and slip out the patella.

Hips x-rayed and the films sent onto OFA for evaluation – this is done only once.

• Hip Dysphasia--approximately 14% of Cavaliers will suffer from this inheritable hip disease. Although Cavaliers are not a weight-bearing breed, such as large or giant breeds, HD can cause significant pain, especially in the senior years.

Thrombocytopenia is not a condition Cavalier owners should be alarmed about. It’s important your vet is made aware of the uniqueness of this condition in Cavaliers.

• Thrombocytopenia: This is an abnormally low white platelet count. Cavaliers have larger than normal platelets, which tend to clog the automatic counters; therefore, they will register a lower number. Platelets should be hand counted in a field. Normal varies by the individual; owners should get a baseline count by one year of age to know what normal is for their healthy Cavalier. Average count for a female is 200,000-250,000; male is lower at 150,000-200,00. Babies can be misdiagnosed for thrombocytopenia.