The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: character, needs and the two health issues to know

The Cavalier is sociable, soft in its manners and oriented toward contact. It loves human company so much that prolonged solitude leaves it struggling: it is not the right breed for someone away most of the day without arranging cover. It gets on with children and other animals, adapts well to apartment life and needs no exhausting training, but it remains a spaniel, with a spontaneous pleasure in exploring and in moderate activity.

In training terms it is an easy dog, sensitive and eager to please, which responds very well to positive reinforcement and badly to coercive methods, which intimidate it. Precisely because it tends to follow anyone, it should be taught early to cope with small separations, to prevent the separation anxiety it is temperamentally prone to.

Degeneration of the mitral valve is the breed's single most important health issue. It is a heart condition in which the valve between the left atrium and ventricle no longer closes properly and blood leaks back, a defect that in the Cavalier tends to appear earlier and progress more often than in most other breeds. Not every dog develops heart failure, and many live for a long time with a simple murmur and no symptoms, but the predisposition is so common that a cardiac check becomes part of ordinary care.

• The first sign is almost always a heart murmur, picked up by the vet during a consultation, often while the dog is still perfectly well.
• Progression is gradual: many dogs remain symptom free for a long time, and that is exactly the phase in which regular checks are most valuable.
• Signs that deserve prompt assessment include a persistent cough, laboured or fast breathing at rest, unusual tiredness and fatigue during exercise.
• One parameter an owner can learn to measure at home is the resting or sleeping breathing rate, which tends to rise when the heart is struggling.

The second predisposition concerns the nervous system. In the Cavalier a particular skull shape is relatively common that can hinder the normal flow of fluid around the spinal cord, encouraging the formation of fluid filled cavities, known as syringomyelia. Not every dog with this conformation develops symptoms, but when they appear they can affect quality of life and should be recognised early.

• The most characteristic sign is repeated scratching toward the neck and shoulder, often without actually touching the skin, sometimes while walking, as a reaction to an abnormal sensation.
• There may be sensitivity to touch around the head and neck, discomfort when a collar is worn, apparently unprovoked yelping and reluctance to make certain movements.
• In more marked cases there is evident pain, altered posture or difficulty with coordination, which call for a dedicated neurological assessment.
• A firm diagnosis relies on advanced imaging, but the first step is for the owner to notice and describe the behaviours well, rather than mistaking them for harmless habits.

As with the heart, the health history of the bloodlines is relevant, and a good breeder takes it into account. For anyone living with a Cavalier, the key is not to dismiss unusual scratching or hypersensitivity as quirks, but to note them and bring them to the vet's attention.

Beyond the two predispositions, the Cavalier is a dog with manageable practical needs, as long as they are met consistently. Routine care is simple but must be regular, and some of it recurs in every small dog with drop ears and a feathered coat.

1. 1

   Brush the coat several times a week

   The feathering on ears, legs and tail tends to mat. Regular brushing prevents knots and is also a chance to check skin, ears and paw pads.

2. 2

   Check and clean the ears

   Long, drop ears trap moisture and wax. A periodic check helps catch redness, bad smell or recurrent ear infections early.

3. 3

   Look after teeth and oral hygiene

   Small dogs are prone to tartar and periodontal disease. Toothbrushing and dental checks reduce a problem that affects general health.

4. 4

   Keep the weight in check

   Excess weight burdens the heart and joints and worsens every predisposition. Measured portions, counted treats and regular weigh ins beat any crash diet.

5. 5

   Schedule veterinary checks consistently

   A periodic visit with heart auscultation and a general assessment lets a murmur or a change be caught in time, when the options are wider.

The Cavalier repays you with rare affection, but it should be chosen knowing what it involves. The question is not only whether you like it, but whether your lifestyle and expectations meet its needs and its health.

• It suits someone who wants an affectionate, present companion and can offer company for much of the day rather than long stretches of solitude.
• It needs moderate, consistent activity: good for those who enjoy walking, less so for anyone after a performance sport dog or, conversely, a fully sedentary one.
• It calls for a careful choice of provenance, with attention to cardiac screening schemes and the health history of the lines, more than to colour or looks.
• It means budgeting for regular veterinary checks and the possibility of costs linked to the heart or the nervous system over the dog's life.
• It rewards those who observe and act early: many problems are managed better when noticed in time, not once they are already advanced.

Those who accept this bargain find in the Cavalier one of the sweetest, most adaptable companions there is. Awareness takes nothing away from the affection: it simply makes it sturdier, because it rests on informed choices rather than an idealised snapshot.