The Cavalier is, for the most part, a sturdy little dog, with few health issues, though like most breeds, there are some concerns of importance that must be considered and kept in mind.
If you have had the opportunity to do any research on the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed, you have likely come across the incidence of MVD, or Mitral Valve Disease, in Cavaliers. This is a problem with the left or mitral valve of the heart where the valve can thicken and degenerate, eventually leading to heart failure and even death. This disorder is common in most toy breeds, but seems to be of concern specifically in Cavaliers because it occurs early and progresses more rapidly than it does in some other toy breeds.
Regardless of where you may consider purchasing your Cavalier, you will want to make sure that you have considered a conscientious breeder, as Cavaliers from all bloodlines and from all countries can be affected with MVD.
‘Slipping knee caps' is another area you may hear about with Cavaliers. Though this is not the life-threatening issue that MVD poses, it is a health matter worth mentioning. You may hear it referred to as luxating patellas (the correct name). Again, sound breeding programs and responsible breeders with healthy breeding stock should go far in helping to ensure the lowest risk of your puppy suffering from this. The hip problems of larger dogs don't usually affect the smaller breeds, and again, when the parents are healthy and from good stock, you can feel good about your puppy, within good reason.
Eye problems are not of particular concern for the Cavs, as say for a toy breed like Pugs, but they can, like all animals, develop eye disease (as can we)!
Ear and hearing issues are also worth mention: take good care of your animal and be sure that you keep him or her free of parasites and other pests that can cause infections that set up problems now and later.
Your best bet is to find a breeder who is conscientious and to stay away from purchasing your pet from a puppy shop or a puppy broker or puppy mill. It's a shame to have to say that, as much as I would like to release all of those animals from those places, but chances are, you may be setting yourself up for more than you bargained for.
One thing you must realize, however, is that even under optimal conditions, and with sound knowledge, there is always a risk in breeding. Two beautiful, healthy and genetically-prized animals can be brought together for breeding, that on paper looks genetically and scientifically as good as it gets. Still, as with human genetics, things can and do happen and there are sometimes resulting problems. Though genetics is a scientific field, it is not an exact science because both desirable and undesirable traits are always passed down from past generations. No breeder has control over the inevitability of this. We do what we can, but we can only do so much. If we know about some anomaly, we don't breed that particular dog (conscientious breeders don't); but we are at the mercy of every breeder of every generation of every ancestor of our dog! That is depending on a lot of people! And, then assuming that all works out, we still cannot control Mother Nature and the inevitability of all the genetics being inherited or passed down at birth or sometime thereafter. These are things we wish we could predict but just cannot.
However, even with some mild problems that rescues and even some hand-picked pets may have, you may, in some instances, still find that both you and your pet enjoy a wonderful quality of life that far surpasses any trouble that some problem ever caused either of you. And, if limited care-giving is not what you're looking for, the good news is , most of the time, with most conscientious breeders, things work out great and you will find yourself with a happy, healthy and absolutely loving pet!
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