This lists causes of death -- number of dogs, and percentage of the sample. Note this is a totally unscientific sample -- it is whoever returned questionnaires to the UK Kennel Club, which gathered forms through the individual breed clubs.
Table 1. Causes of death by organ system/category for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
Cause of death N % Most common specific causes in descending order
1 Cardiac 292 42.8 Heart failure; MVD; heart disease unspecified
2 Cancer 84 12.3 Unspecified; throat (type unspecified); brain tumour
3 Old age 83 12.2 Old age
4 Combinations 43 6.3
5 Urologic 31 4.5 Kidney failure; proliferative glomerulopathy; amyloidosis
6 Cerebral vascular 23 3.4 Stroke or cerebral vascular accident
7 Neurologic 19 2.8 Seizures; syringomyelia; IVDD
8 Hepatic 15 2.2 Liver failure chronic; unspecified
9 Other 15 2.2 Weakness or paresis
10 Unknown 15 2.2
11 Reproductive 9 1.3 Pyometra; eclampsia
12 Gastrointestinal 6 0.9 Pancreatitis; colitis; haemorrhagic diarrhoea
13 Sudden death 6 0.9
14 Trauma 6 0.9 Road traffic accident
15 Immune mediated 5 0.7 Unspecified; haemolytic anaemia
16 Collapse 4 0.6
17 Endocrine 4 0.6 Cushings; Addisons
18 Perioperative 4 0.6
19 Respiratory 3 0.4 Choked; respiratory failure; unspecified
20 Senility 3 0.4
21 Portosystemic shunt (PSS) 2 0.3
22 Musculoskeletal 2 0.3 Arthritis
23 Septicaemia 2 0.3
24 Systemic 2 0.3 Allergy to insect bite or sting or snake bite
25 Cardiovascular 1 0.1 Unspecified
26 Infection 1 0.1
27 Ocular 1 0.1 Blindness
28 Poisoning 1 0.1
Total 682 100.0