The Cavalier King Charles spaniel dog breed is small and loved by many pet lovers who would like to have small dogs to carry around. It originated in the United Kingdom, but it has gained popularity in the united states and other parts of the world. It is ranked the 17th position in the pure breed dog breeds.
A heart murmur is the number one cause of death in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. By the age of 5, more than 50% have developed a heart murmur. By the age of 10, that is almost all of them. Although the estimated lifespan of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is 9 to 14 years, the average age is more toward 9 to 10 years.
If you want your cav to live longer, there is a need to know about its common health problems. Feed your dog a healthy diet. Dogs prefer meat-based diets. You will increase the chances of living longer with a meat-rich diet. Let the dog exercise regularly, and you will make it enjoy the good life for longer.
The Cavalier is playful, friendly, and easy to handle. It is among the best family dogs you can get, and they will serve your family well.
There are other breeds similar to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. You can read my article on the topic here.
You can introduce it to different environments, and it will adapt easily.
How Long Do Cavalier King Charles Live?
Several issues affect the dog. For example, it is known to suffer from heart diseases. You will experience issues such as luxating patella, hip dysplasia, and allergies.
It is also common to find the dog suffering from Syringomyelia and cataracts.
It would be best if you take your dog to the vet for checkups regularly to avoid cases where it will be exposed to health complications that can affect its lifespan.
The dog breed can live between 9 to 14 years.
The dog will serve you accordingly if you can get the right treatments. It is a reliable dog breed that you can get, and it will fit any family perfectly.
What Are a Cavalier’s Signs of Dying?
The dog tends to suffer from certain health complications. The health complications can indicate the dog will not live for long. Some of the signs you will see and know your dog will not live long include symptoms such as:
Mitral Valve Disease
The mitral valve disease develops as a heart murmur, but it will progress to cause heart failure in the dog. Most Cavalier King Charles Spaniels will develop heart murmurs after they reach five years old.
If your dog develops heart murmurs, you should be prepared to let your dog rest shortly.
You can try taking your dog to the vet regularly so he can diagnose the condition early and for the necessary treatment measures to be taken.
There are also several other symptoms you can check out to know whether the dog is suffering from health complications.
Signs & Symptoms of mitral valve disease
The veterinarians will keep checking your dog for any signs of mitral valve disease. The heart murmur health complication will start as a simple heart murmur.
Signs of mitral valve disease you might notice yourself could be:
- dizziness
- breathlessness
- tiredness
- an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) or noticeable heartbeats (palpitations)
- mitral regurgitation
They will offer you the proper measures you can take to prevent the health complications from becoming worse.
Suppose the health experts suspect the dog has specific health issues. In that case, they will run several tests and offer recommendations on dealing with the problems.
It is a common disease in dog breeds and can lead to their death.
Treatment of mitral valve disease
It would help if you got the treatment your dog needs to avoid cases where it will suffer from lifelong complications that can reduce its lifespan.
The health condition can only be treated using heart medications. If the dog can get the proper treatment, it can enjoy a normal average life span.
Dog breeds are also known to develop ear problems. The ear problems are painful and will make your dog restless. You need to check out the common causes of ear problems and try to treat them.
It will be a great idea if you can let the vet look into the issues so that they can come up with the right measures that can address the ear problems.
To know whether your dog has ear infections, you will have to look at signs such as shaking the head.
The Cavalier King Charles has long ears; you will easily know when they have an infection because they will often shake the ears. It is upon you to check out how they shake their ears and take necessary measures to avoid cases where they can suffer too much.
You love your dog, and you should take necessary measures to avoid cases where they will be exposed to too much pain.
Other signs you can check out to know whether your dog has an ear infection include odor from the ears. It will be stressful to handle your dog if it produces a lot of odor.
You need to seek medical attention, and the experts will come up with the right measures to treat them.
Tiredness in the ears is another sign you can check out to know whether your dog has a painful infection. There is a need to come up with necessary measures and treat your dog to avoid cases where it will be exposed to infections.
When you come up with the right treatment measures, you will increase the chances of your dog living longer. A discharge from the dog’s ears is another sign that indicates the dog has developed complications.
There are several treatments the veterinarian can suggest that will work towards addressing the issue of painful discharge from the ears.
The right treatment measures will contribute to making your dog enjoy good health.
It would help if you tried to make the dog as comfortable as possible.
If your dog has developed ear infections, it will be uncomfortable and have different health complications.
There is a need to come up with measures and address the issue. You can take the dog to your nearest veterinarian. The vet will recommend the medication that you can apply. The medicine will contribute to making your dog enjoy good health.
Your dog is uncomfortable if he keeps shaking its head.
Ensure you offer the dog the proper medical attention, and it will live long to make it enjoy a healthy life. The dog will live longer and make your family members happy when you get the treatment it needs.
Syringomyelia
The health condition involves the formation of fluid field cavities in the spinal cord. The condition is common in Cavalier King Charles, more than six years old. You need to check out signs such as changes in posture.
When the fluid accumulates in the spinal cord, it will lead to abnormal pressure on the spinal cord that will affect your dog’s health.
They will also develop difficulties moving their heads.
If you notice your dog has developed difficulties trying to move its head, you should be careful. It may be developing Syringomyelia.
The dog tends to wobble as they walk. The condition can lead to yelping and pain in the dogs. It is a health complication that can signify your dog will not live long.
Treatment options of Syringomyelia
If your dog has developed Syringomyelia, several treatment options are applied to manage the health condition. Start with taking your dog to your vet.
The condition has no cure. It is among the signs your dog is about to die. You will have to bear with the pain of knowing your dog will not live long.
The veterinarian can use medical therapy to manage the pain, but it will not eliminate the health complication. Some of the treatments that the medical experts will try on your dog include medication.
They may not work perfectly in treating your dog, but they will work toward addressing different issues that the dog will face.
Even if your dog will not recover from the medical condition, there is a need to seek help from a veterinary. He will recommend necessary therapies that you can apply to avoid cases where the dog will have to suffer from a lot of pain.
Conjunctivitis
If your dog suffers from Conjunctivitis, his eyelid is covered with redness. The infection is common in dogs. It is caused by inflammation.
If you realize your dog has developed red-eye, you need to take necessary measures and look for ways to deal with the issue. The issue of red-eye in your dog can lead to several health issues.
It is upon you to develop measures to deal with the issues.
Some dogs are known to develop eye conditions. The condition develops in the dog breed as they age. It is a common issue in the Cavalier King Charles dogs and can lead to death.
Suppose you realize your dog has started developing an eye condition. In that case, there is a need to take the necessary measures. Look for ways to prevent the condition from worsening in your dog.
The eyes tend to swell and can lead to discharges. Excessive blinking in the dogs and squinting are among the issues.
You would like your dog to enjoy good health so that it can offer your family members the right company.
If you realize it has started developing health complications, you should be careful. It is an indication your dog is developing issues that need quick attention from health experts.
A quick visit to the veterinarian is necessary to get your dog treated as fast as possible.
Gastritis
Another health complication can lead to death in your Cavalier King Charles dog. If you realize the dog has developed stomach inflammation, something is not right.
The dog will tend to suffer from health complications that will make it unable to digest food. The condition can be developed into an underlying health problem or develop health complications due to eating spoilt food.
Try to feed your dog the right dog food.
The dog should be given just enough food. Avoid feeding it human food because it can have chemicals that will affect the digestive systems of your dog. If you overfeed your dog, it will also develop health complications.
You are supposed to take necessary measures and ensure you feed your dog the right foods, and it will live longer.
Prevent your dog from eating plastics, garbage, and metal objects because they can easily lead to health complications.
You will see familiar signs of whether your dog suffers from health complications, including a lack of appetite and vomiting.
Veterinarians will use urinalysis, blood work, and fecal tests to determine whether the dog will require further treatments.
Some treatments that can be applied include dehydration therapy and other medical interventions as per the veterinary recommendations. Most of the treatments can be administered from home.
Hip dysplasia
Research shows that the dog breed is also prone to hip dysplasia. The dog will start developing the health complication as it ages. If you realize your dog is acquiring the health complication as it ages, it is a sign it is about to die.
Seek veterinary help where they will come up with measures to address the issues. The health care experts will employ the proper treatment measures that will address the problems in the dog.
Patellar luxation
The dog also tends to develop knee issues. If you realize the dog is not walking as it should when he ages, you need to check out the knee issue.
Maybe it is developing the knee issue, and it requires careful handling. The experts will come up with necessary treatment measures that will address the problem in the dogs.
If you can take good care of the dog and avoid cases where it will be overweight, then you will make it live longer.
Some of the health complications are associated with the health issues that the dog faces. Come up with suitable measures, and you will easily manage the health condition of your dog.
How Do Most Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Die?
The dog breed is prone to mitral valve disease. If you realize your dog has developed a murmur in the heart, then the dog might not live for long anymore.
Mitral valve disease is common in dogs, leading to their death.
You need to develop the necessary treatment measures that will manage the condition. The condition cannot be fully cured, but there are several therapies the vet can recommend that will prolong your pet’s lifespan.
The condition can lead to a heart attack.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Life Expectancy
The life expectancy of the dog is about 9-14 years. It is prone to the health conditions that we have explained above. If you can take good care of the dog, you can expect to have it with your family for up to 14 years.
Most of its chronic health conditions will start after the dog hits five years.
How Long Will My Cavalier Live with a Heart Murmur?
The heart murmur condition in the Cavalier can stay with the dog for up to three years. You need to take good care of the dog to stay longer. If you do not take good care of the dog, it will stay for a few years and lead to its death.
Some dogs even stay with the heart murmur for up to five years.
Does Overweight Shorten a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s Lifespan?
Yes, it can lead to issues such as hip dysplasia that are known to shorten the dog’s condition. You need to keep your dog at the right weight limits if you want it to live longer.
How to Positively Influence the Lifespan of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?
There are several measures you can take to prolong the lifespan of your dog. They include measures such as:
A Healthy Diet for Your Cavalier
Ensure you feed your dog food rich in meat. Natural meats are the ideal ingredients to make the dog get the desired health benefits that will make it last longer. Take time to check out the ingredients used in the dog food, and it will be easy to make the dog last longer.
Neutering or Spaying Your Cavalier
If you can neuter the dog, you will reduce its testosterones. If you can lower the testosterones, the dog will age slowly. It will tend to live longer and reduce the chances of developing health complications.
Train and Exercise your Cavalier King Charles
The dog should get enough exercise to avoid obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases that can lead to early aging in the dog.
Conclusion
Cavalier King Charles can live for up to 14 years, depending on how you take good care of them. Ensure you treat the dog the right way, and it will live longer.