Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog breed

A puppy needs to be fed 3-4 times a day and when you bring them home, you’ll need to feed them the same dog food as the breeder gave them. Otherwise, they could get an upset tummy and cause a mess. You can change the food with time, by slowly adding small amounts of your preferred new food to the old food and reducing the amount of old food.

As they get older a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel should be fed 2-3 times a day. To get your dog to eat, make sure you set strict feeding times. Put the bowl down at the same time every day and only leave it down for a short time, say10 minutes. If your dog doesn’t eat the food in that time, don’t be tempted to leave it down for longer, or to feed it something else instead. Your dog will quickly learn that they’re not going to get anything else and will eventually get hungry enough to eat their food.

As a breed, Cavaliers can be picky eaters and would much prefer to eat treats than their dog food. If you follow the tips above, mealtimes will get easier to manage. Stick to dog food only; don’t try to tempt them with treats to get them to eat. Too many treats can lead to weight gain and health problems.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have a double coat; a topcoat of long hair that’s soft, and a thick undercoat. Brushing your dog every week will help to get rid of any fur that’s shedding and keep their coat smooth and silky. This’ll also help stop their fur from getting tangled or matted.

You’ll need to bath your dog once a month to get rid of the doggy smell and to keep their coat clean. Only wash them more often than that if your dog gets dirty or rolls in something smelly. Tear stains are common in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, but if you’re worried speak to your vet. Regularly wipe your dog’s eyes with a clean damp cloth to reduce the staining and help prevent any eye related problems.

They may be small in size, but the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has the same sporting nature as other Spaniel breeds. You’ll need to exercise your dog for 40-60 minutes daily and walking your dog is the best form of exercise. In secure areas, give your dog the chance to run around off lead for a more energetic workout.

The Cavalier King Charles is an easy breed to train; they’re patient, obedient and keen to please their owner. But if you’re having difficulty, training classes can offer practical guidance, tips and support.

When you take your puppy home, start house training as soon as possible. It will be harder to break the habit if they get used to toileting in the house. Give your dog lots of chances to go to the toilet outside, letting them out before they show signs of needing to go. They’ll soon get into the routine of only going to the toilet when you let them out.

This is the most common cause of heart murmurs in dogs. Mitral valves ensure the blood always flows in the right direction through the heart. If the valves fail to develop properly, or they’re affected by infections, blood can leak between the heart chambers, making the heart beat faster and harder. This will eventually lead to heart failure. Drugs and surgery can treat the problem, depending on how severe it is.

Dogs affected by this condition will hop on one of their back legs, with the other held up. They do this because the kneecap or ‘patella’ is unstable and jumps out of the groove it’s supposed to sit in. Most sufferers of a luxating patella will need surgery to realign the kneecap and cut the groove deeper.

If your dog has more than one fit, they could have epilepsy. It’s caused by abnormal brain activity and will most likely happen when your dog is relaxed. During the fit, your dog may fall on its side, cry out, or lose control of their bowels or bladder. The condition can’t be cured but it can be managed with tablets, allowing your dog to live a long fulfilling life.

This genetically inherited condition affects dogs under the age of 6 years. Cyst-like lesions develop in the dog’s spinal cord, causing pain and abnormal movements. The cysts can expand over time, destroying the spinal cord. Signs of the condition include twisting of the neck, scratching of the neck and shoulder, yelping for no apparent reason, and lameness of the front limbs. Currently, there’s no standard treatment for this condition. Surgery has shown the best results, but the outcome depends on the severity and age of the dog. The Chiari Malformation / Syringomyelia Scheme was developed to help breeders screen their dogs before breeding them.