• If you're a past member of the board, but can't recall your password any more, you don't need to set up a new account (unless you wish to). As long as you recall your old login name, you can log in with that user name then select 'forgot password' and the board will email you at your registration email, to let you reset your password.

UK Club's List of Health Concerns

RodRussell

Well-known member
The UK Cavalier Club has published a "prioritised list of health concerns within the breed" at
http://www.thecavalierclub.co.uk/health/health_plan_09.html

Here is the list:

"The CKCS Club Committee (and all the Regional Clubs) were asked to input to the KC their prioritised list of health concerns within the breed. The CKCS Club prioritised the list in the following order:

[1.] MVD

[2.] Neurological Conditions

[3.] Ocular Conditions

[4.] Cancer

[5.] Auditory Conditions"
------------------------------

I fully understand items 1, 2, 3, and 5. I don't quite grasp the high ranking of cancer.

MVD stands alone on this list, rather than being classified as a "Heart Condition". So, that would exclude other possible heart or circulatory disorders.

Neurological Conditions should include Chiari-like malformation (CM) and syringomyelia due to CM (CM/SM), as well as Episodic Falling Syndrome, Fly Catchers Disorder, and epilepsy.

Ocular Conditions could include hereditary cataracts, corneal dystrophy, distichiasis, dry eye syndrome, entropion, microphthalmia, progressive retinal degeneration, and retinal dysplasia.

Auditory Conditions would include congenital deafness, progressive hearing loss due to degeneration of the hearing nerve, and Primary Secretory Otitis Media (PSOM).

But cancer? How widespread is it in the breed, and what types are most common? In 40 years of owning Cavaliers, we had only one with cancer.
 
Thats all very well, a good list, but what are the rules regarding to breeding with dogs dianosed with these conditions, or plainly not having been tested as no symptoms some people assume means they done have it. As for cancer ive not heard of any cavaliers with it as yet. di
 
I do not know the incidence of cancer in Cavaliers but I think cancer risk is high in most breeds of dogs after a certain age. What concerns me about this list is the lack of specificity. While MVD is specific and informative, to me, to list "neurological" conditions generically, without stating what they are, is not particularly helpful. Same with "ocular" and "auditory". For example, stating auditory does not tell me whether it is congenital deafness, PSOM, or what have you. Perhaps there is a breakdown with more detail elsewhere?
 
Because SM is a painful condition and impacts the cavalier's quality of life to a greater degree, I would put SM as #1.

From my own experience, Geordie's SM gives us much more concern than MVD due to the pain factor.
 
Back
Top