Cavalier King Charles Spaniel — questions to ask before paying a deposit
A responsible breeder will have these readily available. Deflection is a red flag.
Mitral valve disease (MVD)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
Degeneration of the mitral heart valve leading to a leaking murmur, and in many dogs eventually to congestive heart failure; it appears earlier and far more often in this breed than in any other. There are no recognised varieties in this breed, so this applies breed-wide.
Ask to see: A current cardiac auscultation result from a boarded veterinary cardiologist for both parents, following the age-linked MVD breeding protocol (clear of a murmur past 2.5 years, ideally with parents and grandparents clear at 5)
cavalierhealth.org / MVD Breeding Protocol for Cavalier Breeders to Follow (https://cavalierhealth.org/mvdprotocol.htm) · PMC / Prevalence of disorders recorded in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels attending primary-care veterinary practices in England (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4579365/)
Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia (CM/SM)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
A mismatch between the skull and brain causes fluid-filled cavities to form in the spinal cord, producing neck pain, scratching at the neck/shoulder without contact, and in severe cases partial paralysis. The Kennel Club and British Veterinary Association run a dedicated joint screening scheme for this breed because of how closely it relates to the breed's skull conformation.
Ask to see: An MRI grading under the BVA/Kennel Club Chiari-like Malformation and Syringomyelia scheme for both parents
BVA / BVA-Kennel Club Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Syringomyelia Project (https://www.bva.co.uk/canine-health-schemes/cmsm-scheme/bvakennel-club-cavalier-king-charles-spaniel-syringomyelia-project) · PMC / Syringomyelia: determining risk and protective factors in the conformation of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4579371/)
Episodic falling syndrome (EFS)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
An inherited disorder of muscle control, usually appearing in the first year of life, in which exercise, excitement or frustration triggers rigid muscles and collapse. A DNA test has existed since the causal mutation was identified, so no dog need be bred that can produce an affected puppy.
Ask to see: An episodic falling syndrome DNA test on both parents
cavalierhealth.org / Episodic Falling Syndrome and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (https://cavalierhealth.org/episodic_falling.htm)
Curly coat / dry eye syndromecan shorten life or cause chronic pain
An inherited disorder in which affected dogs produce no tears, leaving the eyes chronically sore, alongside dry, flaky skin that can make standing and walking painful.
Ask to see: A curly coat/dry eye syndrome DNA test on both parents
cavalierhealth.org / Curly Coat/Rough Coat Syndrome and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (https://cavalierhealth.org/curly_coat.htm) · cavalierhealth.org / Dry Eye Syndrome and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (https://cavalierhealth.org/dry_eye.htm)
Chondrodystrophy-linked intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
A raised risk of premature disc degeneration from the same FGF4 retrogene insertion (CDDY) implicated in Dachshunds; testing-lab data show it at very high frequency in this breed (allele frequency around 99.6%), and a 2025 study of 43,517 US dogs found Cavaliers at four times the odds of owner-reported IVDD compared with mixed-breed dogs.
Ask to see: A CDDY/IVDD-risk DNA test on both parents
UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory / Chondrodystrophy (CDDY and IVDD) and Chondrodysplasia (CDPA) (https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/cddy-cdpa) · JAVMA / Demographic and lifestyle characteristics impact lifetime prevalence of owner-reported intervertebral disc disease: 43,517 companion dogs in the United States (https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/263/5/javma.24.08.0553.xml)