Frequently Asked Questions

Mitral valve disease is the leading cause of death in Cavaliers, and nearly every Cavalier will develop a murmur if it lives long enough. The aim of careful breeding is to push the age of onset as late as possible. Each of our breeding dogs is examined every year by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist, by auscultation and with an echocardiogram at intervals, and the results are filed with the OFA. We follow the MVD breeding protocol: a dog is not bred before two and a half years of age, must be clear at that examination, and must have parents who were clear at five years or older. A general-practice veterinarian's stethoscope is not a substitute, and we are glad to show you the cardiologist's signed reports for both parents and all four grandparents.