ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Neurological Problems of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

Updated on March 28, 2011
MRI scan of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with hydrocephalus.
MRI scan of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with hydrocephalus. | Source

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is one of my favourite breeds of dog to see in my surgery. They seem invariably to have a happy temperament, and a joyful outlook on life. This makes it even more heartbreaking that they are prone to so many serious diseases. The Cav has long been known to have a problem with heart disease, but more recently the spotlight has been shone on the breed's neurological problems. In the BBC's 2008 programme, Pedigree Dogs Exposed, the Cavalier was strongly featured due to their predisposition to a condition called syringomyelia. However, there are a number of other neurological conditions that are common in the breed, and this article describes the most important ones. 

Syringomyelia


This complicated condition arises because of the shape of the Cavalier's skull. One of the bones at the back of the skull, the occipital bone, is shaped wrongly causing pressure on the back of the brain and the cerebellum (see link below for information on the parts of the brain). This is known as occipital hypoplasia, or caudal occipital malformation syndrome (COMS), and is similar to a condition in people known as Chiari malformation, a term that is often applied to dogs as well.

The result of this abnormality is a crowding of the back part of the brain, leading to the cerebellum protruding through the large hole at the back of the skull that allows the spinal cord to enter the brain (the foramen magnum). This alters the way the cerebro-spinal fluid (the fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord) flows out of the brain, and although the exact mechanics of this are controversial, we know that this causes pockets of fluid to build up within the spinal cord. These pockets of fluid are called syrinxes, and mostly occur in the neck, although can occur further along the spinal cord.

People with syringomyelia report strange sensations such as neck pain, a burning sensation, or an intense itch, like insects crawling over the skin. It is likely dogs with the disease feel similarly, based on the signs they show - from mild neck pain through to frantic and persistent scratching.

The diagnosis of syringomyelia requires an MRI scan (see link below for more information on MRI in veterinary medicine). Treatment options include drugs such as gabapentin that act as pain killers for pain originating from the nerves, and certain surgical procedures.

Primary secretory otitis media

This condition, also called "glue ear", arises because of a failure of the eustachian tube (the tube that runs from the middle ear to the back of the throat to help equalise pressure changes) to open, allowing a thick viscous mucus plug to build up in the middle ear. This can lead to signs of head and neck pain, itching ears and neurological signs such as facial paralysis. This can be problematic to treat, although flushing the middle ear under general anaesthetic repeated times may be helpful.

Hydrocephalus

In this condition, the ventricles of the brain which are normally filled with a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid become greatly enlarged. This will often happen very early in development, and can mean the brain will fail to develop properly. Affected dogs can be suprisingly normal, although some will show a number of signs of disease either from birth or as they get older, including seizures and ataxia (wobbliness).

Idiopathic epilepsy

Seizures can occur for a number of reasons, especially in this breed, but Cavaliers are also prone to an inherited epilepsy which is not related to any other identifiable diseases. Although all coat colours are affected, it is more common in lines originating from whole colours ancestors who were born in the 1960s.

Other neurological diseases

Cavaliers can also be prone to fly catching, thought to be a type of epilepsy, in which they snap at imaginary flies. Episodic falling is another neurological condition of Cavaliers which can involve them falling over when exercising. They also appear to be at an increased risk of strokes that affect the cerebellum, and as with most other small breed dogs, are prone to intevertebral disc disease. 

Breeding out diseases

As some neurological conditions are inherited, schemes to eradicate the diseases from the breeding pool are sensible, although are more easily desired than achieved. In the UK the Cavalier Club runs a heart health scheme for Cavaliers in conjunction with the British Veterinary Association, and a scheme to help breed out syringomyelia is currently under discussion. More information can be found at the Cavalier Club website. http://www.thecavalierclub.co.uk


Not all Cavaliers will develop neurological problems, but it is worth being aware of these conditions. Early treatment is helpful in some of these diseases, while in others not recognising the disease is present could lead to suffering of which the pet owner is not aware. 


The internet is not a substitute for a vet. If your animal is ill, seek qualified veterinary advice.


Sources

Rusbridge (2005) Neurological diseases of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 46, 265

Stern-Sertholtz et al (2003) Primary secretory otitis media in the Cavalier King Charles spaniel: a review of 61 cases. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 44, 253

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)