About Health

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are generally healthy, sturdy small dogs. Most well-bred Cavaliers will not require medical treatment for hereditary conditions. As with all living creatures, individual dogs may experience health ailments. Provided here is information on common canine health issues for use by pet owners and the veterinarian community.

Healthier Cavaliers. Healthier Animals. Healthier People

Warm-blooded animals have much in common when it comes to health and physical well-being. While the ACKCS Charitable Trust funds grants that target health in Cavaliers, there is not a single health condition unique to Cavaliers. The medical research we assist has the potential to benefit other breeds, other animals, and even humans.

Debunking the Myth About Mix-Breed Health

The idea that a mixed-breed dog is likely to have fewer genetic diseases than a purebred is a misconception. Findings from surveys performed by the late George A. Padgett, DVM, Veterinary Pathologist & Professor Emeritus at the College of Veterinary Medicine of Michigan State University and author of “Control of Canine Genetic Diseases”, indicate that mixed-breed dogs have more genetic diseases than purebred dogs. There are 215 known diseases in mixed-breed dogs, with 71% of them having defective genes.

A study published in 2023 by Frontiers in Veterinary Science and led by The Dog Aging Project showed that purebred dogs did not show higher lifetime prevalence of medical conditions compared to mixed-breed dogs, and a higher proportion of purebred dogs than mixed-breed dogs had no owner-reported medical conditions. Learn more here.

These findings were supported by a study conducted by the Royal Veterinary College and published in 2024: New RVC research debunks belief that designer crossbreed dogs are healthier than purebreds