Health
Health is an important consideration in any breed of dog. Anyone who tells you they do not have health problems with their dogs is not being forthcoming, or is simply unaware of them. Cavaliers have four areas of concern for which I test. These areas include the heart, eyes, patellas, and hips.
Mitral Valve Disease, MVD, is the most prevalent health problem in the breed. A regular veterinarian can not detect up a low grade murmur. Each of my adult Cavaliers are tested annually by a Board Certified Cardiologist who are qualified to detect low grade murmurs.
Annually my Cavaliers visit a Board Certified Ophthalmologist to be checked for cataracts, retinal dysplasia, and retinal atrophy.
Luxating Patellas. loose knees, is a significant problem in many small breed dogs. Knees which slip in and out of the socket will be painful for the dog and require corrective surgery. The patellas of my Cavaliers are checked after one year of age.
Hip Dysplasia may develop in small breed dogs. It is not widely recognized because small dogs carry less weight and the effects are not as pronounced in mild cases. After the age of two, I have my Cavaliers' hips x-rayed and submit the results to the OFA for evaluation.
All test results are made available to all who visit.
"Flour" "Bella" "Ginger" "Kylee"
