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As your Partner in Pet Health, the team at Hillside Animal Hospital would like to provide you with as much information as possible regarding your role in keeping your dog happy and healthy. With this in mind, we have developed new Breed-Specific Wellness Programs. These programs are intended to increase your awareness on health conditions that have been found to be commonly associated with your dog's breed. While many dogs live a long, healthy life without facing major health issues, we feel that educating pet owners about possible health conditions is the best way to be proactive in detecting health issues before they become a problem. You'll find important recommendations for scheduling physical exams and diagnostic tests which we encourage you to discuss with the doctor throughout your pet's care. Please contact us at 480-391-7297 if you would like further information or to schedule an appointment.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - Specific Wellness Program
Cardiovascular Conditions
 Endocardiosis (Chronic Valvular Disease)
About the condition:
- This condition is the most common cause of heart disease in a dog. The heart valves become deformed leading to abnormal heart function and heart failure.
How to detect this condition:
- Annual exam - your doctor will provide a thorough physical examination and can listen for any heart murmur, which may indicate this condition. If a heart murmur is detected an ultrasound, a type of non-invasive imaging, is recommended.
- An ECG is also recommended to detect any heart problems beginning at age 4 and every 2 years thereafter.
Ocular Conditions
Distichiasis
About the condition:
- This breed may be predisposed to having extra or misdirected eyelashes. Usually these additional eyelashes are very fine and cause no problem. But occasionally, they may cause irritation and/or scratching of the cornea.
How to detect this condition:
- If your pet's eye seems irritated and painful, an exam is recommended.
Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca (Dry Eye)
About the condition:
- This is a common disease characterized by reduced tear production resulting in drying and inflammation of the conjunctiva and cornea.
How to detect this condition:
- We should check the tear production of your pet's eyes at every annual exam.
Generalized Progressive Retinal Atrophy
About the condition:
- This disease causes an abnormal accumulation of pigment within the retina resulting in progressive retinal degeneration and visual deficiencies.
How to detect this condition:
- Checking the eyes regularly in conjunction with annual wellness exams can help detect this condition.
Respiratory Conditions
Brachycephalic Upper Airway Syndrome
About the condition:
- There are several breeds of dogs, including the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, that can be classified as brachycephalic. The characteristics of this syndrome are narrowed nostrils, an elongated soft palate (this is a section of tissue that separates the nasal passage from the oral cavity, which, in brachycephalic dogs, flaps within the throat causing snorting sounds), a narrowed trachea (windpipe) and inefficient panting (this may lead to problems if your dog overheats).
How to detect this condition:
- Your dog may have difficulty breathing due to their respiratory system composition. To prevent any additional problems, owners should take care not to let their dog get overweight (as this will strain their respiratory system further) as well as ensure that they do not overheat during the summer months.
- Monitor what is normal for your dog - know how much snorting and sputtering they do when they are healthy, so you will be able to quickly detect when something may be wrong.
This list is not intended to cover all possible diseases and/or conditions found in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, but instead lists those that we have found to be most common at Hillside Animal Hospital. Please let your doctor know if you have further questions regarding these or any other conditions.
Wellness Recommendations
An annual physical exam is recommended for the life of your pet so that any problems can be detected. In addition, we recommend the following diagnostic evaluations in order to provide more thorough veterinary prevention and care:
| Annually |
|
Check tear production of both eyes |
| Age 4 |
33 |
ECG to check for any heart conditions |
| Age 6 |
42 |
Full blood profile and urinalysis, ECG |
| Age 8 |
51 |
Full blood profile and urinalysis, ECG |
| Age 10 |
60 |
Full blood profile and urinalysis, ECG, x-rays of chest, abdomen and hips if needed |
| Age 12 |
69 |
Full blood profile and urinalysis, ECG, x-rays |
| Age 14 |
78 |
Full blood profile and urinalysis, ECG, x-rays |
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