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Information and advice for Cavalier puppy buyers on hereditary health

• Go to a breeder who registers her puppies with the Kennel Club and who can supply you with a five generation pedigree for both parents of the litter of puppies. One thing to look for is how many times a dog's name appears in the pedigree. This will give you an idea of the level of inbreeding in the pedigree.
• Do not buy a puppy from a puppy farm where standards of welfare will be poor and almost certainly health screening will not have been carried out.
• The pedigree information should if possible include an inbreeding score (coefficient of inbreeding, COI) based on a ten generation pedigree. Ideally this should not be higher than 6%. The ages at which ancestors died and their cause of death would be very useful. It will be a guide to your puppy's lifespan and chances of inheriting a genetic disease. Currently most breeders do not have access to the computer software which can make the COI calculation for them. The Kennel Club could provide them with this online service, but currently do not.
• Ideally both parents should be seen and their temperaments observed and discussed with their owners.
• The age of both sire and dam should be at least two and a half years when mated, and after testing for MVD and SM. Do not buy a puppy from parents who are younger than this.
• Syringomyelia: MRI certificates required for both parents. Must be at least two and half years when tested and ideally both parents should be Grade A or equivalent (i.e, Skerritt certificate 'cerebellar herniation' only)

  Ideally the certificate should also note that there is no ventricular dilation or central canal dilatation; however, few dogs fit this category. MRI certificates and Grade A for grandparents is highly desirable, especially if done at a later age, say five years.

  Note that using A x A parents will not guarantee that all of the puppies will be free of SM, but the risk will be reduced. In addition, using A x A dogs is an ideal situation but because of the paucity of older SM free dogs and to avoid limiting the genetic pool (making other genetic diseases more likely) some breeders mate grade A dogs to asymptomatic older SM dogs. (This system is being revised and it is hoped that there will be an official scheme similar to the hip and elbow dysplasia scheme)

  A good place to start is the list of MRI scanned dogs on the Cavalier Club's website. You may also want to look at the current breeding guidelines for Syringomyelia.

• Mitral Valve Disease: Cardiologist's certificates required for both parents showing absence of heart murmur at two and a half years. Certificates for grandparents showing absence of heart murmur at five years. Ages at which other ancestors developed heart murmurs very desirable.

  Note that heart testing should be done every 12 months. Clear hearts in parents of at least two and a half years and grandparents of five years will not be a guarantee that your puppy will stay clear of MVD, but it will reduce the risk of early onset of the disease.

  A good place to start is the Cavalier Club's list of dogs over five years with a clear heart. You may also want to download the Heart Disease Breeding Protocol.

• Eye Disease (multifocal retinal dysplasia, MRD): Ophthalmologist's certificates required showing that both parents are clear. Ideally the puppies should be tested by an ophthalmologist as well.
• Dry Eye Curly Coat: This disease is unique to Cavaliers and is visible in young puppies. These are normally euthanized.
• Ear Disease: A progressive form of deafness has been identified in Cavaliers due to the degeneration of the hearing nerve. Ask the breeder if any of the dogs in the puppy's pedigree have suffered from deafness. Ideally parents should be BAER (brain stem auditory evoked response) tested before breeding.

  Primary Secretory Otitis Media (PSOM), a condition similar to 'glue ear' in children, also occurs in Cavaliers. CKCS ears drain poorly because of the narrow bullae and because their long soft palates block the eustachian tube. Depending on the degree of severity, PSOM may cause a dog pain or hearing impairment. Ask the breeder whether any of the puppy's near relatives or ancestors have suffered from this. Note that MRI screening of sire and dam for SM would also reveal the presence of PSOM.

• Episodic Falling Syndrome (Episodic Collapse, Hyperexplexia): a syndrome of exercise or excitement induced muscle stiffness then collapse. The collapse can be brief or last a few minutes. Affected dogs may show signs from three months of age. Ask the breeder if there have been any cases of EF in the near relatives or ancestors of the puppies.
• Pancreatic Disease: CKCS also have a higher incidence of pancreatic disease (diabetes mellitus and/or pancreatic digestive enzyme deficiency). Research into these disorders is ongoing.
• Hip Dysplasia: The breed mean score (BMS) for Cavaliers is 16. Both parents' hip scores should be well below this.

Research is progressing towards the goal of providing all Cavaliers in the UK with an estimated breeding value (EBV) and eventually a genetic breeding value (geBV).

Please note that this information and advice will need to be modified in the light of new research

Contact me if you need further explanation or clarification.

Carol Fowler
April 2009