Mitral Valve Disease is the most serious problem affecting Cavaliers. 

All responsible breeders like to test their dogs before breeding (this is done by a Specialist and not a Veterinary Surgeon - and is a Yearly examination).  MVD is a fault involving the Mitral Valve of the heart, when it happens it stops the valves closing, causing blood to leak backwards which causes a sound called a 'Murmur'.  Over time the murmur increases, and the heart has to work harder to supply the dogs body with enough Oxygen.  Eventually the dog may go into Congestive Heart Failure and at this point in time it will be necessary to have the dog on Medication.  MVD can occur at any time during a Cavaliers life but is more common in the older dogs 3 and over.  It is advisable only mating Cavaliers which are over 2.5 years old and hold a current heart clear status and whose parents are over 5 years old who also hold current heart clear certification.   This may not stop MVD developing in your puppy but it is the step in the right direction for a breeder to do this.

What Happens with
Mitral Valve Disease ?

(1) Right Atrium	(4) Left Atrium	(7) Papillary Muscle
(2) Right Atrioventricular Valve (Tricuspid Valve)	(5) Left Atrioventricular Valve (Mitral Valve)	(8) Chordae Tendinae
(3) Right Ventricle	(6) Left Ventricle	(9) Diseased Mitral Valve Leaflets

Mitral Valve disease is a serious heart condition which is caused
by a abnormal function affecting the valve which separates the chambers of the heart (upper & lower).  The heart consists of 4 chambers, left and right atria and left and right ventricles. The valve on the left side of the heart is called the mitral valve, and the valve on the right side is known as the tricuspid valve.  In an unaffected dog, the valves open to allow blood to make its way from the atria to the ventricles then completely closes when the heart pumps blood out of the ventricles into the blood vessels.

Mitral Valve Disease (MVD) is caused by the accumulation of plaque within the heart valve.  This decreases blood flow from the heart, and the valve fails to close completely which allows to leak blood into the atrium resulting in a heart murmur. The heart needs to compensate for this defect and the heart dilates and the volume of blood increases. The dog will not show signs of this happening for some time, and in the end it results in congestive heart failure.

The prognosis for a dog suffering Mitral Valve is poor.  Some dogs symptoms may be managed with medications for a certain period of time (which varies from dog to dog).  There are many variations on drugs given to dogs suffering Mitral Valve, these are usually based on weight of the dog, severity and a number of other factors.  Also some dogs respond better to some medications than others.  The severity and speed of how quick this disease progresses varies differently from each dog.

PLEASE ASK TO VIEW ALL CERTIFICATES OF THE PARENTS ISSUED BY A CARDIOLOGIST OF ANY CAVALIER PUPPY YOU MAY CONSIDER PURCHASING.

CLICK TO VIEW
A COPY OF A CARDIOLOGIST HEART CERTIFICATE