We at Evanlake Cavaliers are serious advocates of
health testing all our dogs, whether they are used for breeding or not.
Our job fundamentally is “the betterment of the breed” of Cavalier
King Charles Spaniels. I view health testing as one tool toward that
goal, along with Temperament Testing and Structure Evaluation of all
puppies.
The Parent Club for Cavaliers in the United States is
the American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club. They have made a
recommendation that breeders follow a protocol of breeding animals cleared
by Board Certified Physicians for heart, eyes, hips and knees prior to
breeding.
HEART - Cavaliers often experience a
condition called Mitral Valve Disease or MVD. Lots of dogs get
MVD as they grow older, but the problem with Cavaliers is many get what is
referred to as “early onset” MVD, meaning they come down with the disease
before the age of 5. Responsible breeders are working to reduce
the incidence of MVD by having the dogs visit a Canine Cardiologist annually
to listen to the dog’s heart and make breeding recommendations.
EYES – Eyes are examined annually by a Board
Certified Ophthalmologist and the results are maintained in a large database
at Purdue University called the Canine Eye Registry Foundation or CERF.
The dogs are mainly examined for retinal folds or geographic retinal
dysplasia. If any of these conditions are found, the dog should not be
used for breeding. Combining genes from two dogs with folds or
dysplasia could lead to retinal detachment and blindness in the next
generation.
HIPS – Many people are under the mistaken
impression that small dogs do not have hip problems. I can tell you
this is simply not true. Cavaliers for the most part have good hips
but I would venture to say that at least 33% (my opinion) have some mild
form of Hip Dysplasia. For the most part it is not noticeable or
debilitating until the dog gets older, although some cases are so
severe as to require surgery. To avoid breeding two dogs who have HD,
we x-ray all our breeding dogs just after the age of two and those results
are registered on the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) web
site.
KNEES - Luxating patella’s or “slipping
knee caps” is also a problem with Cavaliers. Puppies can be diagnosed as
early as 8 weeks and should be removed from breeding programs. Some
dogs can benefit from physical rehabilitation and some require surgery. We
have our dogs checked for certification purposes at the same time the hips
are examined and those results are also forwarded to the OFA database.
IF OUR DOGS
FAIL ANY ONE OF THESE TESTS, THEY ARE NOT USED FOR BREEDING
MORE ON HEALTH
SYRINGOMYELIA – Much has been written on this subject recently, and I
will direct you to web sites that will give you the most comprehensive
information. New research is underway and information is being
published almost daily. Please check these sites frequently for
the most current updates on information.
Syringomyelia is a potentially debilitating
neurological condition, which incidentally is found in all breeds of small
dogs.
It is commonly referred to as SM and is
described as a “malformation of the occipital bone of the skull”. This
is the large bone at the back of the skull which includes the “foramen
magnum” or “big hole” where the spinal cord comes out. Due to this
malformation and other resulting abnormalities, the dog can have varied
neurological symptoms which can range from mild to severe, some dogs
requiring surgery. At the moment, the mode of inheritance is not known
and the only recommendations to breeders is not to breed dogs know to
actually have the disease.
The only way to diagnose this disease is by an MRI.
Many people do not have access to MRI machines and if they do, the costs can
range from $1500 to upward of $2000, not counting the consultation and
diagnostic recommendations. Many breeders would love to MRI their
breeding stock, but at the moment, we are not sure what to do with the
information. So many dogs are showing the “malformation” as a result
of being MRI’d, but have no symptoms. There is widespread concern,
fear and misinformation about the disease. We as breeders will monitor
the latest information and abide by recommended protocols. Until we
have gene markers for the carriers, we must go forward using what
information we have. This is not unlike the road that was traveled
when MVD was first identified. We want the best for our breed and will
do whatever it takes to eliminate this very frightening disease.
WEB SITES
www.aboutcavalierhealth.com
www.ackcsc.org
www.ckcsc.org
www.PremierCavalierInfoSite.com
www.offa.org
www.vmdb.org
www.asap.org
www.caninehealthinfo.org
CHIC – Canine Health
Information Center
The Canine Health Information Center is a huge data base supported by the
American Kennel Club. It consolidates information found on the OFA
(Orthopedic Foundation of America) and CERF (Canine Eye Registry). Cavaliers
were invited to participate in the data base and the Parent Club, the ACKCSC
was asked which testing results should be captured for Cavaliers.
Currently we are submitting test results for heart, hips eyes and knees to
two different databases. Once we submit the results to the appropriate data
base, that information is automatically submitted and consolidated by the
CHIC and one certificate is issued to indicate all the testing information
and dates on an individual dog from all the data bases.
Having a CHIC form gives the breeder and puppy buyer information on the
parents of the puppy in an easy to read certificate. It is not a guarantee
that the dog has passed all the tests, but merely reports the results.
Read more about CHIC at
www.caninehealthinfo.org
