Care: CAVALIER CARE AND PRODUCTS WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a delightfully-affectionate, playful and intelligent little dog that repays his owner's care and attention with an endearing devotion. Cavaliers are not kennel dogs. Because of four hundred years of close contact with their owners and as lap dogs, they make the most wonderful companions. They are happy, outgoing, loving little dogs who want to love you and be loved, to run and play in a safe place and to sleep in a soft bed... preferably your bed. They get along famously with children, cats, and other dogs. The ultimate companion, your Cavalier will enrich your life beyond measure! His wonderful temperment is that of a happy, devoted toy Spaniel -- tail wagging and eager to please.

We hope the following information will help answer any questions you might have about the breed and will best inform you of what to expect for proper Cavalier care.

Despite the elegant, silky coats, the Cavalier does not require a great amount of care. Rather, Cavaliers need to be brushed out and bathed once a week as well as ears cleaned, nails trimmed and teeth brushed. According to the Breed Standard, Cavaliers that are shown in AKC conformation events MUST NOT be trimmed or scissored, so professional grooming is not advised. Luckily, Cavaliers are pretty much wash and go so professional grooming is not needed.

While Cavaliers are clean and easy to groom, they do shed occasionally... but weekly combing and weekly baths, as well as a healthy diet (of which includes raw, natural foods and the essential oils), will keep the shedding to a minimum.

Whatever the temperment of the breed, the males will be the extreme. Therefore, because the Cavalier is probably the sweetest breed there is, the males are the sweetest and make the best pets. The boys are IN LOVE with you and the girls love you but can take you or leave you. Cavaliers are clean, intelligent, and eager to please so housebreaking a male is just as easy (and sometimes easier) than housebreaking a female.

A Cavalier pet from a reputable breeder that does all the annual health testing by board-certified specialists and one that shows their dogs to confirm that the dogs they are breeding are up to the standard will range anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000+ so beware of pups sold for less than $2,000 as they are definitely the result of puppy mills and brokers and you will end up with either a puppy that fails to thrive and survive or one that will cost you thousands of dollars in vet bills and will probably never have the look or temperment that you are seeking so why waste your time, money and heart on what looks to be a real bargain when, in fact, it won't be.

Cavaliers are active and sporting little dogs that require regular exercise. They have an instinct to chase just about anything that moves, and should either be on a leash or in a fenced yard or they will surely end up under the wheels of a car. Because Cavaliers never become street-smart, reputable Cavalier breeders will require a fenced yard as a prerequisite for Cavalier ownership. And, electric fences are not recommended as they allow preditors to enter the property keeping your Cavalier unprotected. An electric fence will not always contain a Cavalier... they have been known to run right through the shock and never want to return.

Cavaliers need either a moderate-sized fenced-in yard in which to run, or a minimum of one good walk each day (in addition to potty walks). Regular exercise is very important for a healthy heart.

Cavaliers love to interact with their owners and enjoy activity and play, making them especially close friends and confidants for children, and they have actually been referred to by many as "the nanny dog." Cavaliers are excellent with children, but the age of the children is an important factor in choosing a puppy. Because Cavalier puppies are so small, reputable breeders will not sell young puppies to families with children under the age of five. An older puppy or adult dog will be more suitable for such families. All children, of course, need supervision to ensure they do not hurt the dog.

Reputable breeders will not let their puppies go to new homes until at least 10 to 12 weeks of age. Cavalier puppies are very slow to mature and they really benefit from staying with their mother and littermates longer than many other breeds. A Cavalier 9 to 12 months old is a good choice for a family with children under the age of five. Cavaliers have a long puppyhood and will still be puppies at this age and for a long time afterwards.

Many people find that an older Cavalier is ideal. There are many advantages, among the fact that an older dog will already be housebroken and beyond the puppy chewing stage. Any concern that such a dog will never bond as strongly as one obtained as a young puppy is unfounded. Cavaliers of any age will bond with their new owners... If Cavaliers could sing, they would constantly chime in with "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with."

Cavaliers are the ultimate comfort Spaniel and are usually delighted to have the company of cats and dogs of any size. If you have a large dog, you will need to watch your Cavalier puppy carefully while it is small. Because Cavaliers are Spaniels with a strong sporting instinct, they should be watched closely around birds and other small animals as well. In households where no one is home during the day, the companionship of another dog or a cat is highly recommended.

This is a Cavalier characteristic especially when excited and not a cause for great alarm. It is a sudden breath intake accompanied by a snorting noise. It can usually be stopped by placing the hand over the nostrils momentarily to restrict the intake of air through the nose.

It is important to understand than even if the sire and dam have been screened and found clear of any health problems, no breeder can guarantee that a puppy will never develop a problem during its life time. But, screening does lessen the chance.

UNDESCENDED TESTICLES can be a common problem with this breed. The breed was developed in England from the English Toy Spaniel. From 1910-1940 it was common practice to breed dogs with undescended testicles. Although not recommend by the Kennel Club of England at the time, Cavalier breeders only had a few bloodlines to work with so inbreeding was the only way for them to achieve their goal. So, this is why we will see a Cavalier puppy with undescended testicles, or with only one descended testicle. This is not a health concern for the owner of a pet Cavalier, but would be for a stud dog owner. Cavaliers with undescending testicles may take up to 8 months to fully descend into the scrotum so give it a little time.

UMBILICAL HERNIA also seems to be a common problem with this breed due to the small gene pool. An umbilical hernia is an opening in the wall of the stomach where the umbilical cord was. Occasionally a little fat may push through but quite often it will heal over and close as the puppy grows older. Umbilical hernias do not cause any health issues, and they are very easy to fix during spay/neuter time.

LOW PLATELET COUNT in Cavaliers is normal and nothing to be alarmed about. Cavaliers sometimes have a lower platelet count which worries some veterinarians who do not know that this is normal in a Cavalier. Cavaliers may have a lower platelet count, but they also have larger platelets. The platelets must be hand counted to get an accurate reading.

INTERESTING ARTICLES ON EARLY SPAY/NEUTER:
(Click on the two following links to read interesting articles
on possible health considerations of early spay neuter)

Food Name	Manufacturer & Location	WDJ Comments
Back to Basics	Beowulf Natural Feeds Altmar, NY	"Human grade & hormone-free ingredients. Delivered fresh from manufacturer....Very high fat content (19%) reflects company owner's philosophy that more fat is good for dogs. Also offers a pork-based formula."
Best In Show Power Food	Best In Show Jupiter, FL	Two meat sources in top three spots! Yay!" "Kitchen sink approach to formulation: fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc. added."
California Natural Chicken & Rice	Natura Pet Products, Santa Clara, CA	"Simple, short ingredients list. Great for allergy-prone dogs."
Canidae	Canidae Pet, San Luis Obispo, CA	"Four major proteins ensure complete amino acid profile. All ingredients are whole, not fragments. Date of manuafacture printed on label."
Eagle Pack Holistic Select	Eagle Pet Products, Inc. Mishawaka, IN	"Three major proteins ensure complete amino acid profile. All ingredients are whole, not fragments. Inclusion of organic chicken to be commended." "Kitchen sink approach to formulation (throwing a little of everything good into the pot)." "Eagle has made a giant leap forward with this product."
Flint River LC Dog Food	Flint River Ranch, Riverside, CA	"Fresh product shipped direct from factory..."
Innova	Natura Pet Products Santa Clara, CA	"Three proteins top the list; hurray! All ingredients are whole; company claims all ingredients are human-grade." "More kitchen sink formulating, with lots of what must be small amounts of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, supplements."
Limited Diets Duck & Potato	Innovative Veterinary Diets (division of Heinz Pet Products) Pittsburgh, PA	"Unlike Science Diet's precription foods, these products contain no artificial preservatives. These foods, with their novel proteins (duck, rabbit, venison, whitefish, plus lamb) make elimination diets for allergy dogs easy."
Lifespan	PetGuard, Inc. Orange Park, FL	"Chicken in the first two spots." Con: "Corn gluten meal in the formulation."
MMillennia	Solid Gold Health Products for Pets, El Cajon, CA	"Two quality proteins in top four ingredients. Date of manufacture printed on label." Con: "Maker does not add preservatives of any kind, but does not disclose preservatives added to fat sources before manufacturing, either."
Natural Balance Ultra Premium	Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance, Pacoima, CA	"Three quality protein sources in top four ingredients. Mostly whole grains and vegetables used. Company donates a portion of profits to local animal charities." Con: "We don't like any unnamed flavor enhancers, even if they are purportedly "natural." Amounts of trendy supplements (vitamin C, glucosamine, yucca) not qualified."
Prime Life	Owen & Mandeville Pet Products, Oxford, CT	"Two proteins in top three ingredients. Maker claims chicken and turkey meals are antibiotic-and hormone-free. Label lists kilocalories per cup of food." Con: "We don't like unnamed flavor enhancers, even if they are purportedly "natural."
PHD Canine Growth and Maintenance	Perfect Health Diet Products, Inc., White Plains, NY	"Company encourages owners to supplement dog's diet with real foods - radical!- for live, healthy gastrointestinal bacteria and other nutrients." Con: "Use of "poultry" rather than single-source protein such as "chicken."
Pinnacle	Breeder's Choice Pet Foods, Irwindale, CA	"Two proteins top the list.Most ingredients are whole. Great enzymes (papain and alpha amylase) and probiotics added. Kilocalories per cup provided."
Wellness Super5Mix	Old Mother Hubbard Lowell, MA	"Three protein sources top the list; that's awesome. Maker says lamb is hormone-free. Filtered water is used in food production. Food is baked; probiotics and prebiotics added afterward. More kitchen sink formulating, with lots of small amounts of fruits, vegetables, herbs, supplements."
Wysong Maintenance	Wysong Corporation Midland, MI	"This food appears to contain less meat than any other food listed here; perhaps a helpful option for dogs who are intolerant of meat proteins." Con: "We'd prefer to see "chicken fat" rather than the potentially mixed "poultry fat" ingredient."

REVOLUTION
Topical Once A Month - Use Year Round.
Revolution (selamectin) is a topical parasiticide used
in the treatment and prevention of heartworm disease,
fleas, ear mites and canine sarcoptic mange.

100% USA AMERICAN MADE RAWHIDE CHEWS
We only recommend rawhide chews that are made
in the USA. Due to poor quality control in other
countries, dogs are getting cancer from cancer-
causing rawhide, so please be careful!

BEEF CAPS
The cap (patella) is marinated and smoked to a perfect flavor.
Made mostly of cartilage, your little people will
be happy for unlimited hours. These are very popular with
lots of sizes of dogs and they help keep teeth sparkly clean!

INNOVA HEALTH BARS (size small)
Feed one each morning!
Innova HealthBars are a nutrient-packed daily supplement
and each bar is like a complete breakfast meal!
http://www.naturapet.com

HALO HERBAL EAR WASH
Use once a week to keep ears clean, healthy
and smelling fresh.

THORNIT POWDER
This old-fashioned canker powder is the best remedy
for dirty and smelly ears and ear mite problems and prevention.
We wouldn't be without it! If your dog has sore ears AND
chews his feet, then you need to use Thornit in the ears
and on the feet. It is completely safe to use, and you will
be amazed by the result. You can email Mary in the UK to
place your order (mary@championpets.co.uk).
http://www.championpetsonline.co.uk

BIL-JAC SELECT DOG FOOD
Bil-Jac Select is specially formulated with the exact proportion
of all the nutrients your dog needs. That simply means he'll
receive the most balanced nutrition possible from the freshest
dry dog food available.
http://www.biljac.com/

C.E.T. TOOTHPASTE POULTRY FLAVOR
It is very important to brush teeth daily
or at least once a week!

C.E.T. FINGER TOOTHBRUSH
We have found that the finger toothbrush
is the easiest to use on our dogs.

C.E.T. ORAL HYGIENE RINSE
An oral rinse for use in dogs and cats which aids in
the prevention of plaque, calculus, and gum disease.
Just a few squirts in the mouth once a day does the job!

Care

CAVALIER CARE AND PRODUCTS WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Cavalier Care Links