Health Testing in Our Cavalier Program
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are a healthy, sturdy little breed with a few well-documented inherited risks. Screening the parents before every litter, and monitoring them afterwards, lowers the odds and pushes the age of onset later. This page explains the conditions, what we test, and how you can check for yourself.
Mitral valve disease (MVD)
The mitral valve sits between two chambers on the left side of the heart. In MVD the valve degenerates and lets blood leak backwards; the first sign is usually a murmur heard through a stethoscope. The breed clubs consider it the number one health concern in Cavaliers, and it tends to appear earlier in this breed than in others. Screening is an annual heart exam, ideally by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist, registered with the OFA.
Syringomyelia and Chiari-like malformation
Chiari-like malformation is a skull shape that leaves too little room at the back of the head; syringomyelia is a fluid-filled pocket that can then form inside the spinal cord. The most common signs are neck or shoulder scratching, often "air scratching" on a lead, and sensitivity around the head and neck. The only way to confirm it is an MRI under anaesthesia, so breeders rely on family history and careful observation rather than a routine test.
Eye conditions
Cavaliers are not prone to many eye diseases that cause progressive vision loss, but the breed does see juvenile cataracts, retinal dysplasia (folds that often resolve by one year), corneal dystrophy and distichiasis. A board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist examines the eyes, and the certification is valid for twelve months, so it is repeated annually.
Hip dysplasia
Hip dysplasia is an abnormally formed hip joint that leads to arthritis over time. It is far more common in large breeds; in Cavaliers signs usually appear only in older or severely affected dogs. Screening is an X-ray at two years or older, graded by the OFA; Excellent, Good and Fair are all passing grades.
Patellar luxation
The patella, or kneecap, can slip out of its groove when the knee bends. It is common in toy breeds and is graded from 0 (normal) to 4; mild cases often need nothing more than a lean body weight and sensible exercise. Screening is a hands-on exam by a veterinarian, registered with the OFA.
Episodic falling and dry eye/curly coat syndrome
These two are different: each is caused by a single recessive gene, and a DNA cheek-swab test shows whether a dog is clear, a carrier or affected. Episodic falling is muscle stiffening and collapse triggered by exercise or excitement; dry eye/curly coat syndrome is a congenital condition of the eyes, skin and coat. A puppy can only be affected if both parents carry the gene, so testing the parents prevents it entirely.
What we test
Every one of our breeding dogs is OFA-screened and DNA-tested for heart, joint and neurological health before being bred, and we keep monitoring them afterwards. Jesse James, the sire of our next litter, has passed his OFA exams for eyes, hips and heart. We do not print certificate numbers on this page; certificate numbers are available on request, and we will share the parents' results for any litter you are considering.
You can check OFA results yourself. Go to ofa.org, choose Advanced Search, and enter the dog's registered name or registration number. The listing shows each test, the date, and the result. Ask us for the registered names of the parents of your litter.
Ask us
Health questions are the best questions a puppy buyer can ask. Email marilyn@greenacresnextgen.com or call 503-572-9960; we answer every one personally.
Sources for the breed facts above: OFA cardiac database (https://ofa.org/diseases/other-diseases/cardiac-disease/), OFA eye certification (https://ofa.org/diseases/eye-certification/), OFA hip dysplasia (https://ofa.org/diseases/hip-dysplasia/), OFA patellar luxation (https://ofa.org/diseases/patellar-luxation/), OFA Episodic Falling Syndrome (https://ofa.org/episodic-falling-syndrome/), OFA Advanced Search (https://ofa.org/advanced-search/); ACKCSC Hearts, SM, Eyes, Hips, Patellas and CHIC pages (https://ackcsc.org/health/hearts/, /health/sm/, /health/eyes/, /health/hips/, /health/patellas/, /health/chic-arch/) and the ACKCSC Parent Club Health Statement (https://cdn.akc.org/Marketplace/Health-Statement/Cavalier-King-Charles-Spaniel.pdf); CKCSC-USA Health Testing Guidelines, Inherited Health Problems, Heart, Syringomyelia and Episodic Falling pages (https://ckcsc.org/testing-guide, https://ckcsc.org/inherited-health-problems-ckcs, https://ckcsc.org/heart, https://ckcsc.org/syringomyelia, https://ckcsc.org/episodic-falling).