Fredriks Hundeblogg
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
En noe gjenkjennelig rase som vokser mer populær i USA, er Cavalier King Charles Spaniel en unik rase av leken hund som allerede har vært populært i slike hundeelskende land som Storbritannia. Men hva er i et navn, egentlig? Tross alt, en rase som går under betegnelsen Cavalier King Charles Spaniel virkelig har å levere på en rekke løfter som navnet gjør: er denne rasen virkelig en så edel dyr at det skal bli oppkalt etter en konge?
Vel, det er alltid opp for hver enkelt hundeeier å avgjøre, men hvis du er som oss, tror du den Cavalier King Charles Spaniel er en av de mest ideelle kjæledyr raser tilgjengelig i dag. Selv om deres popularitet har fortsatt rom for forbedring her i Nord-Amerika, er det nok av Cavalier King Charles Spaniel eiere utenlandske som er helt fornøyd med den type hund og hushold venn de har funnet i denne rasen.
Ofte hvit og brun med en mindre ramme, men en vennlig gemytt, er Cavalier King Charles Spaniel virkelig en av de ideelle kjæledyr for innenlandske livet. Men du er i ferd med å lære mye mer av denne rasen, inkludert svaret på ett avgjørende spørsmålet: kan dette være rasen for deg og din familie?
Som du kan forestille deg fra navnet, sporer Cavalier King Charles Spaniel sine røtter tilbake til kongelige. I England ble kong Charles II kjent for sine “små hunder” og tydelig hadde en preferanse for leketøy gruppe-type raser. Det er enda en legende som kongen utstedt en kunngjøring at Cavalier King Charles Spaniel-type hund ikke kunne bli nektet adgang til et offentlig sted – en stor ære ja, hvis det er sant.
Fra denne informasjonen alene, kan du gjette at Cavalier King Charles Spaniel har eksistert i Europa i flere hundre år, selv om det ikke alltid har vært den mest populære av leketøy raser. Tro det eller ei, mops var populær i Nord-Europa på rundt den tiden av det 17. århundre.
Til syvende og sist, det har vært opp til det 19. og 20. århundre å gjenoppbygge Cavalier King Charles Spaniel rasen, ved hjelp av gammel maling som en mal, som noen av deres arv var gått tapt under avl av de siste par hundre år. I disse dager kan du finne en Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ofte i England og Storbritannia generelt, og en stadig økende mengde i USA.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel finner sin stamtavle med flere hunder på grunn av sin litt merkelig avl historie. Den Opprinnelseal Cavalier King Charles Spaniels var rundt og hadde blitt avlet fra andre leketøy hunder og spaniels i det 16. århundre eller så, men dagens oppdrettere har brukt andre metoder for avl for å få en mer ren versjon av Cavalier King Charles Spaniel tilbake inn eksistens.
Som et leketøy rase, ikke Cavalier King Charles Spaniel har ikke en nødvendigvis stor diett i forhold til andre hunder, men det er viktig å huske at det er en av de tyngste og største leketøy raser i eksistens. En full, skinnende pels vil kreve god ernæring og omsorg, så pass på å mate hunden din gode hele matvarer som kjøtt og grønnsaker i tillegg til en normal hund diett av kibbles og behandler.
Disse hundene er svært vennlige og kjent for å være tålmodig, og deres iver etter å behage anses som et pluss for hundetrenere som ikke har mye erfaring i å forme hundens oppførsel. Dette er gode nyheter hvis du er ny til en verden av hund dressur og kunne virkelig bruke en lettere hund å håndtere.
En vekt på 10-18 pounds gjør dette til en relativt stor leketøy rasen, og foreslår sin arv som en hund avlet for å være komfortabel på fanget. Om 10-18 pounds er faktisk en høy grad av variasjon, så bare pass på at hunden din ser ut til å ha en vekt proporsjonal med dens generelle bygge og høyde.
Ideell for et liv med barn og i nabolag med andre hunder, er lynne av Cavalier King Charles Spaniel omtrent så god som du finner i en selskapshund. Det vil ikke nødvendigvis gjøre en stor eller aggressiv vakthund, men det vil komme sammen med dine barn og andre hunder helt fint.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels har noen problemer med helsen, særlig i verden av genetiske sykdommer. For eksempel, nesten alle Cavalier King Charles Spaniels kjøre til slutt inn i hjerte problemer i form av mitral ventil sykdom, en sykdom som til slutt kan føre til hjertesvikt ned linjen. Syringomyelia er en annen sykdom som påvirker Cavalier King Charles Spaniel verre enn i andre hunder, og siden det påvirker ryggraden og hjernen; det kan være en spesielt vanskelig for hunden å tåle.
En forventet levealder på rundt 9 til 14 år bør forventes, med høy grad av variansen forklares med rasens tilbøyelighet til en rekke helseproblemer og arvelige sykdommer.
Livlige hunder, vil Cavalier King Charles Spaniels krever god daglig mosjon og nyte en god mengde spill – du kan finne det å være en vanskelig hund å slites ut hvis du ikke er klar for det.
The American Kennel Club priser Cavalier King Charles Spaniel som en “elegant, energisk leken rase som er kompatibel for byen eller landet liv.”
En lengre pels som kan ha en virkelig flott glans og attraktivt utseende betyr at du får lyst til å gå en ekstra mil for å sikre at pelsen er tatt vare på og stelt skikkelig.
Siden Cavalier King Charles Spaniels er lett å trene, oppdra en fra en valp bør ikke vise seg å være en altfor vanskelig utfordring å administrere. Stille grunnleggende forventninger og grenser for valpen er tilrådelig som det ville være for en hund av hvilken som helst rase.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel hvalpe fra
Kennel Annexgården er det rigtige valg
Hvis du går og drømmer om at anskaffe dig en Cavalier King Charles Spaniel som "bedste ven", så er du på rette vej. Kennel Annexgårdens Cavalier King Charles Spaniel hvalpe er kendte for at være sunde, glade, imødekommende og ikke mindst meget kærlige hunde.
Mit navn er Carla og jeg ejer og forestår den daglige drift af Kennel Annexgården. I 35 år har jeg opdrættet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, så når du vælger at købe din ny hvalp hos Kennel Annexgården, får du ikke blot en god, kærlig og velfungerende hund, du får også glæde af min mangeårige erfaring som hundeopdrætter.
Som nybagt hundeejer er det rart at kunne drage hjem med "familieforøgelsen" i sikker forvisning om at kunne få hjælp og svar på spørgsmål, hvis behovet skulle opstå. Det kan du her, for jeg interesserer mig for mine hunde – også efter at de er solgt.
Alle mine hvalpe er naturligvis dyrelæge-kontrollerede, vaccinerede, chippede. De har også fået 3 gange ormekur. Jeg giver 2 års garanti for "skjulte fejl".
Her på hjemmesiden kan du læse lidt om Kennel Annexgården og bl.a. se billeder af mine Cavalier King Charles Spaniel avlshunde.
Hvis du vil vide mere, er du velkommen til at ringe til mig på telefon 75 38 81 00 eller 40 18 18 14. Se under kontakt for telefontider.
Aktuelt hvalpe nyt
Vi har lige nu 2 ruby hanner og 1 ruby tжve. Alle er klar til at fе et nyt hjem nu.
Hvis du har spшrgsmеl er du velkommen til at kontakte os pе 75 38 81 00 eller 40 18 18 14.
Vi er gode til at rеdgive 1.gangs kшbere om hvad der er bedst for hvalpen i den fшrste tid. Vi har 35 еrs erfaring med opdrжt af Cavalier hvalpe.
Ring og aftal tid på 75 38 81 00 eller 40 18 18 14 for at se de dejlige hvalpe og udvælg netop den hvalp du ku tænke dig.
Du er også altid velkommen til at ringe til os, hvis du har spørgsmål.
Cavalier king charles spaniel
MENTALITET
Cavalier king charles spaniel er livlig, venlig og imødekommende over for voksne såvel som børn, fremmede og andre hunde. Det er en stilfærdig og behagelig selskabshund, som knytter sig til hele familien. Cavalier king charles spaniel er velegnet også hos lidt ældre, men stadig aktive mennesker, der ligesom den sætter pris på friske gåture. Den kan være lidt gøende.
Cavalier king charles spaniel behøver et godt socialt liv med nær menneskelig kontakt. Den har også brug for motion og mentalt stimulerende beskæftigelse. Den er glad for at lege, bruge sin næse og apportere.
AKTIVITETSNIVEAU OG HANDLERADIUS
Ude er cavalier king charles spaniel aktiv, elsker at bevæge sig og glad for at få nye positive oplevelser. Den har bevaret noget af de større spaniels vildtinteresse. Hjemme er den rolig og afslappet. Den er kontaktsøgende og tilpasser sig generelt familiens aktivitetsniveau.
PELS OG PLEJE
Pelsen er lang, silkeagtig og glat eller let bølget. Den kræver jævnligt en grundig gennembørstning, og de fyldige behæng på bryst, ben, ører og hale skal helst friseres dagligt. Væn tidligt hunden til at blive puslet om, så det bliver en hyggestund for begge parter.
TIPS OG TRICKS TIL INDLÆRING OG HÅNDTERING
Cavalier king charles spanielen sætter stor pris på ejerens opmærksomhed og samarbejder gerne, når indsatsen belønnes hurtigt og varieret. Hold igen med godbidderne for at undgå overvægt og skift mellem leg og apportering. Træn venligt og kvikt i korte sekvenser.
31-33 cm for begge køn.
Sort med tanfarvede aftegninger, ensfarvet rød, hvid med kastanjebrune partier (farven kaldes blenheim) eller trefarvet hvid-tan-sort.
OPRINDELSE
Små dværgspaniels har været kendt i mere end tusind år. De blev især forbundet med den engelske kong Charles II i slutningen af 1600-tallet og med slægten Marlborough på Blenheim Castle hundrede år senere. Gennem 1800-tallet blev en kortnæset variant stadig mere populær under navnet king charles spaniel, og den langnæsede gik næsten i glemmebogen. Indtil en amerikaner i 1920'er udsatte pengepræmier til de bedste hunde af den gamle type. De fik så føjet ordet cavalier til racenavnet.
INTERNATIONALT RACENAVN
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Cavalier king charles spaniel HVALPE TIL SALG
VISER 6 ANNONCER
Herunder finder du en oversigt over aktuelle kuld af racen Cavalier king charles spaniel, der pt. er til salg.
Husk også at læse guiden til, hvad du skal være opmærksom på, inden du køber hund.
Animal Planet
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Guide
Toy Dog Breeds
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has quite a posh history. This quintessential lapdog has warmed some of the noblest laps in Europe, including Charles II, the 17th century British king who gave the breed their name.
Breed's Original Pastime: Companion
Average Lifespan: 12-15 years
Energy level A sprinter
Exercise needs 30-45 minutes per day
Playfullness and Games All day, every day
Attachment to People Never leave my side
Behavior with Other Dogs Shy. I may prefer to be the only dog.
Behavior with Other Small Pets I'm usually friendly, as long as we're supervised
Behavior Toward Strangers I've never met a stranger I don't like
Trainability I'll probably make you work at it
Watchdog ability I'm vigilant, but not very protective
Protection ability I'm not very protective
Grooming needs Regular brushing, probably professional grooming
Cold tolerance I'll probably need a jacket in the cold
Heat tolerance Above 70 degrees? Give me winter, please
Related Breeds
English Toy Spaniel
Japanese Chin
Comments
Most Popular Dog Breeds
Alaskan Malamute
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Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
You can’t help being enchanted by the big, twinkling eyes of the Cavalier, a gentle, pint-sized bundle (13 to 18 pounds) of tail-wagging joy. Friendly and easily trained, the Cavalier is an ideal companion for families with young children and other pets. "Sex and the City" fans will recognize this breed as the same as Charlotte’s dog, Elizabeth Taylor, but they first gained popularity as the preferred pet of King Charles II and still appear frequently on the UK Kennel Club’s list of most popular breeds.
- Dog Breeds
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Personality: Affectionate, graceful, and gentle.
- Energy Level: Somewhat Active; Cavies do not require an exhaustive workout, they're happy with a good walk every day.
- Good with Children: Yes
- Good with other Dogs: Yes
- Shedding: Seasonal
- Grooming: Occasional
- Trainability: Eager To Please
- Height: 12-13 inches
- Weight: 13-18 pounds
- Life Expectancy: 12-15 years
- Barking Level: Barks When Necessary
meet theCavalier King Charles Spaniel
Did you know?
The Cavalier was featured on the hit HBO series, "Sex and the City," as Charlotte York's dog.
How similar
Breed History
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was officially recognized by the AKC
Learn more about the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed standard.
at aGlance
Energy & Size
AKC Dog Ranking
Personality
Affectionate
NATIONAL BREED CLUB
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General Appearance
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is an active, graceful, well-balanced toy spaniel, very gay and free in action; fearless and sporting in character, yet at the same time gentle and affectionate. It is this typical gay temperament, combined with true elegance and royal appearance which are of paramount importance in the breed. Natural appearance with no trimming, sculpting or artificial alteration is essential to breed type.
Proportionate to size of dog, appearing neither too large nor too small for the body. Expression - The sweet, gentle, melting expression is an important breed characteristic. Eyes - Large, round, but not prominent and set well apart; color a warm, very dark brown; giving a lustrous, limpid look. Rims dark. There should be cushioning under the eyes which contributes to the soft expression. Faults - small, almond-shaped, prominent, or light eyes; white surrounding ring. Ears - Set high, but not close, on top of the head. Leather long with plenty of feathering and wide enough so that when the dog is alert, the ears fan slightly forward to frame the face.
Neck - Fairly long, without throatiness, well enough muscled to form a slight arch at the crest. Set smoothly into nicely sloping shoulders to give an elegant look. Topline - Level both when moving and standing. Body - Short-coupled with ribs well sprung but not barrelled. Chest moderately deep, extending to elbows allowing ample heart room. Slightly less body at the flank than at the last rib, but with no tucked-up appearance. Tail - Well set on, carried happily but never much above the level of the back, and in constant characteristic motion when the dog is in action. Docking is optional. If docked, no more than one third to be removed.
Forequarters
Shoulders well laid back. Forelegs straight and well under the dog with elbows close to the sides. Pasterns strong and feet compact with well-cushioned pads. Dewclaws may be removed.
Of moderate length, silky, free from curl. Slight wave permissible. Feathering on ears, chest, legs and tail should be long, and the feathering on the feet is a feature of the breed. No trimming of the dog is permitted. Specimens where the coat has been altered by trimming, clipping, or by artificial means shall be so severely penalized as to be effectively eliminated from competition. Hair growing between the pads on the underside of the feet may be trimmed.
Hindquarters
The hindquarters construction should come down from a good broad pelvis, moderately muscled; stifles well turned and hocks well let down. The hindlegs when viewed from the rear should parallel each other from hock to heel. Faults - Cow or sickle hocks.
Cavalier King Charles SpanielCare
Good nutrition for Cavaliers is very important from puppyhood to their senior years.
The Cavalier’s glamorous, colorful silk coat is kept natural and untrimmed but needs regular weekly brushing.
Cavaliers get along well with children and other dogs and can be a bit quiet.
Your puppy's health-conscious breeder has probably had his sire and dam tested for inherited eye defects.
Cavalier hund
CONNECT WITH US
Syringomyelia (SM) and the
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
IN SHORT
- IN DEPTH
- CM - OH - COMS
- CHIARI-LIKE MALFORMATION
- - CM research history
- - CM recent findings
- - atlanto-occipital overlap
- - pain due to CM
- WHAT SM IS
- - ventriculomegaly
- SYMPTOMS
- - phantom scratching
- - expressions of pain
- - other common symptoms
- - other disorders
- DIAGNOSIS
- - MRIs
- - CTs
- - thermography
- - ultrasound
- - BAER
- - physical exam
- MRI CLINICS
- DNA TESTING
- PROGRESSION
- TREATMENT
- - drugs
- - alternative care
- - surgery
- - soundwave therapy
- SEMINARS
- BREEDERS' RESPONSIBILITIES
- WHAT YOU CAN DO
- RESEARCH NEWS
- RELATED LINKS
- CM & SM IN OTHER BREEDS
- VETERINARY RESOURCES
- PAGE 2 of SYRINGOMYELIA
- PAGE 3 of SYRINGOMYELIA
Syringomyelia (SM) is an extremely serious condition in which fluid-filled cavities develop within the spinal cord near the brain. It is also known as "neck scratcher's disease", because one of its common signs is scratching in the air near the neck.
The back half of the cavalier King Charles spaniel’s skull typically may be too small to accommodate all of the brain’s cerebellum, which may also be too large, and so it squeezes through the foramen magnum – the hole at the back of the skull – partially blocking the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) down the spinal cord. The variable pressure created by the abnormal flow of CSF is believed to create the SM cavities – called syrinx – in the spinal cord.
SM is rare in most breeds but has become very widespread in cavalier King Charles spaniels, the Brussels Griffon (Griffon Bruxellois), and Chihuahuas. The number of diagnosed cases in cavaliers has increased dramatically since 2000. Researchers estimate that up to 95% of CKCSs may have Chiari-like malformation (CM or CLM) – also known as caudal occipital malformation syndrome (COMS) or occipital hypoplasia (OH), the skull bone malformation present in all cases and believed to be at least part of the cause of syringomyelia – and that more than 50% of cavaliers may have SM. The severity and extent of syringomyelia also appear to get worse in each succeeding generation of cavaliers. It is worldwide in scope and not limited to any country, breeding line, or kennel, and experts report that it is believed to be inherited in the cavalier. More .
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Pain is the most important clinical sign of the disorder. Symptoms may vary widely among different dogs, but the earliest sign often is that the dog feels a hypersensitivity in its neck area, causing in some an uncontrollable urge to scratch at its neck and shoulders. Then usually follows severe pain around its head, neck, and 
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The only accurate way of confirming diagnosis of the disease is through the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning, which can be an extremely costly procedure. The MRI allows the veterinary neurologist to study the spine for the presence of any abnormality which might obstruct the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid. Accurate MRI results require that the dog be anesthetized. Clinic charges for MRI examinations of canines have been known to vary from a rare discounted rate of $600.00 to over $2,000.00.
The names and locations of veterinary neurologists who are board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) are on our Neurologists webpage.
Another disorder common to cavaliers and with symptoms similar to SM is Primary Secretory Otitis Media (PSOM), which is a highly viscous mucus plug which fills the middle ear and causes the tympanic membrane to bulge. Because the pain and other sensations in the head and neck areas, resulting from PSOM, are so similar to symptoms due to SM, the possibility that the cavalier has PSOM and not SM should be determined before diagnosing SM. More .
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Treatment options for SM are very limited. But first of all, it is important to distinguish SM with symptoms from SM without symptoms. As a general rule, SM without symptoms (asymptomatic) should not be treated with drugs.
Anticonvulsants, such as gabapentin (Neurontin, Gabarone), have been successful in some more severe cases. 
Drugs which reduce the production of cerebrospinal fluid, including proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole (Prilosec), and the diuretic, furosemide (Lasix, Diuride, Frudix, Frusemide), and spironolactone (Aldactone), may be useful, but clinical data on their use and effectiveness is lacking. Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, such as acetazolamide (Diamox) also serve to decrease the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, but their adverse side effects of abdominal pain, lethargy, and weakness limit long term use.
Before the disease progresses to its severe form, the use of cortisteroids, such as prednisolone, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, such as Rimadyl and Metacam) may relieve the symptoms but not the deterioration. Cortisteroids have serious side effects, such as weight, gait, and skin changes, and harmful suppression of the immune system. Long term use of these drugs is not advised. As a general rule, they should be reserved for a last resort, although some neurologists will start initial treatment of symptomatic dogs with a combination of an anticonvulsants, such as gabapentin, and a none-inflammatory dose of prednisolone.
Surgery to allow the cerebrospinal fluid to flow normally may be necessary to reduce the pain and deterioration. However, such surgeries are technically difficult and should be performed only by specialists. In some cases a shunt is installed. Although surgery often is successful, it is very expensive, and many dogs either have a recurrence of the disease or still show signs of pain and scratching. The most frequent reason for recurrence reportedly is the development of post-operative scar tissue. At least one neurologist has been inserting titanium mesh, in an effort to prevent such scar tissue from building up. More .
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Breeders' Responsibilities
SM has a tendency to be more severe in each subsequent generation, and with an earlier onset. Breeders should follow the SM Breeding Protocol. The aim of the breeding protocol is to reduce the incidence of symptomatic syringomyelia in the cavalier breed, and not to create litters of puppies guaranteed not to have SM. The chance of producing an affected dog cannot be predicted without knowing the inheritance.
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What You Can Do
• Send MRI scans of cavaliers 5 years old or older and which do not have SM, along with MRIs of those dogs' family members, to Dr. Clare Rusbridge at neurovet@virginmedia.com Read about it here.
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SM was first identified by veterinary neurologists in the late 1990s, while classic symptoms, such as air scratching, had been reported anecdotally prior to then.
Technically, hydromyelia is a dilatation of the central canal within the spinal cord, and syringomyelia is the cavitation of the spinal cord parenchyma. Combined, they are referred to either as syringo-hydromyelia (SHM) or hydro-syringomyelia. The disease is referred to generally as syringomyelia and SM herein. This condition is similar, but not identical, to Arnold Chiari Type I Syndrome in humans.
Syringomyelia also may be described as syringomyelia secondary to Chiari-like malformation (CM or CLM). CM is also referred to as occipital hypoplasia (OH) or caudal occipital malformation syndrome (COMS). The full relationship between CM and the development of SM is not fully understood.
SM is rare in most breeds but reportedly has become very widespread in cavalier King Charles spaniels and the Brussels Griffon (Griffon Bruxellois) and Chihuahuas. Some researchers estimate that as many as 95% of CKCSs may have Chiari-like malformation (CM or CLM), the skull bone malformation believed to be a part of the cause of syringomyelia, and that more than 50% of cavaliers may have SM. * It is worldwide in scope and not limited to any country, breeding line, or kennel, and experts report that it is believed to be inherited in the cavalier King Charles spaniel. CM is so widespread in the cavalier that it may be an inherent part of the CKCS's breed standard.
* A 2011 study of 555 UK cavaliers, reported by their owners to be symptom-less, found 25% of one year olds and 70% of 6+ year olds had SM. However, in a 2015 study of the veterinary records of 3,860 CKCSs in the UK and Australia from 2009 to 2014, only 37 were diagnosed by MRI as being affected with CM/SM and an additional 84 cavaliers were suspected of being affected.
The severity and extent of syringomyelia also appear to get worse in each succeeding generation of cavaliers. Other breeds known to be affected to a lesser extent include the Affenpinscher,Bichon Frisé, Boston terrier, bull terrier, French bulldog, Havanese, King Charles spaniel (the English toy spaniel), Maltese terrier, miniature dachshunds, miniature and toy poodles, Papillon, Pomeranian, Pugs, Shih Tzu, Staffordshire bull terrier, and the Yorkshire terrier. See SM in Other Breeds, below, for links to Internet articles about syringomyelia in some of these breeds.
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Chiari-like malformation (CM or CLM) -- Occipital hypoplasia (OH) -- Caudal occipital malformation syndrome (COMS)
* Cavaliers have been determined to be brachycephalic. See 2011 report.
-- Chiari-like malformation (CM or CLM)
Chiari-like malformation (CM or CLM) is named after a similar condition in humans, discovered by Dr. Hans Chiari. Chiari-like malformation is defined * as "a condition characterized by a mismatch in size between the brain (too big) and the skull (too small). There is not enough room for the brain and the back part (cerebellum and medulla) is pushed out the foramen magnum." The foramen magnum is a hole in the back of the skull -- the occipital bone -- which leads to the spinal cord. The cavalier appears to have a brain more appropriate for a bigger dog, about the size as that of a Labrador retriever.
* The definition of this term underwent a revision in 2010. Previously to 2010, CM was defined as "decreased caudal fossa volume with caudal descent of the cerebellum, and often the brainstem, into or though the foramen magnum."
In an October 2014 article, UK researchers found three different definitions of CM:
1. Indentation: "Indentation of the caudal aspect of the cerebellum —- defined as a concave, rather than flattened or convex, caudal border of the cerebellum." 
They concluded that only the "herniation" definition distinguishes CM-dogs because "there is a high prevalence of cerebellar indentation and impaction in the normal canine population, suggesting they are unreliable as defining factors for CM."
However, even prior to that change, in a February 2014 article, a neurology team studying the Griffon Bruxellois (Brussels Griffons) recommended a redefinition of CM, explaining:
"This study supports the view that CM is a multifactorial condition that includes the shortening of the entire basicranium, loss of convexity of the supraoccipital bone, invagination of the cerebellum under the occipital lobes and possibly by increased proximity of the atlas to the occiput. As a compensatory change, there is increased height of the rostral cranial cavity and lengthening of the dorsal cranial vault. Overcrowding in the caudal cranial fossa and the craniocervical junction is a defining feature. The study provides the basis of a quantitative assessment of CM which might identify risk of syringomyelia and suggests that CM should be redefined so that account is taken of the overcrowding of the entire cranial fossa and craniocervical junction with reorganization of the brain."
Most recently, in a March 2016 study of Griffons Bruxellois, the definition has been tweaked again, and this time, much more complexly worded, as follows:
"a more global cranium and craniocervical junction abnormally characterized by insufficiency of the supra and basioccipital bones with compensatory rostral cranium doming, shortening of the skull base and increased proximity of the cervical vertebrae to the occiput resulting in overcrowding of the neural parenchyma in the caudal fossa."
CM can be progressive, in the sense that over a period of several months, the length of the cerebellar herniation can increase significantly. However, the severity of CM in a dog does not predict the presence of syringomyelia in that dog. Therefore, other factors are believed to influence the development of a syrinx.
See Karen Kennedy's ** Understanding Canine Chiari Malformation and Syrningomyelia for diagrams of the occipital bone and foramen magnum.
** Posted with the permission of Karen Kennedy, RTMR, MappSc, a magnetic resonance imaging specialist with The London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada. She prepared these diagrams on behalf of the Health & Education Committee of the CKCSC of Canada.
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--- history of Chiari-like malformation research
In a 2006 study conducted by Dr. Natasha J. Olby and Dr. Sofia Cerda-Gonzalez, both board certified veterinary neurologists, and others at North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine's Department of Clinical Sciences and the IAMS Pet Imaging Center in Raleigh, NC., they have concluded that the incidence of caudal fossa and cervical spinal abnormalities is high in Cavaliers, and that the pathogenesis of syringomyelia is multi-factorial rather than due to a single malformation.
In a 2009 Scottish study led by Dr. Jacques Penderis, of 70 cavaliers and 80 dogs of other breeds, the researchers found that "all [of the] CKCSs had abnormalities in occipital bone shape. . CKCSs had a shallower caudal cranial fossa and abnormalities of the occipital bone, compared with those of mesaticephalic dogs. These changes were more severe in CKCSs with syringomyelia."
However, in a January 2009 article, Drs. Sofia Cerda-Gonzalez, Natasha J. Olby, Susan McCullough, Anthony P. Pease, Richard Broadstone, and Jason A. Osborne failed to find the same association when comparing the caudal fossa of CKCS with and without syringomyelia using three-dimensional measurement methods.
Research journal articles published in 2009 and 2010 point to evidence that cavaliers' hind-skull volumes are not different from other small breeds, particularly those with short muzzles, and that the percentage of the volume of the caudal fossa -- the hind-skull cavity -- to the volume of the total cranial cavity, did not differ significantly between those CKCSs with and without SM.
However, these studies also found that the volume of hindbrain within the hind-skull was significantly greater for young -- 2-years and younger -- cavaliers with SM than older dogs -- 5 years and older -- without SM. They also found that increased hindbrain volume in CKCSs with SM, compared to that of the hind-skull, was directly correlated with the size of the dogs' syrinxes.
The first of these investigations was a 2009 German study of 40 cavaliers and 25 dogs of other brachycephalic breeds. The researchers found that: (1) "All CKCSs had cranial characteristics consistent with CLM"; and (2) "There were no significant differences between CKCSs and brachycephalic dogs with respect to the . volumes of the CF [caudal fossa * ] . ". They concluded: "Results of this study suggested that descent of the cerebellum into the foramen magnum and the presence of syringohydromyelia in CKCSs are not necessarily associated with a volume reduction in the CF of the skull."
* The caudal ( for "rear") cranial fossa is part of the cavity within the skull. It contains the brainstem and cerebellum, and towards its rear, it is enclosed by the occipital bone, which also frames the opening called the foramen magnum.
Similarly, in a 2009 UK study comparing the cerebral cranium volumes of the CKCS with those of other small breeds and the Labrador retriever, Hannah Cross and Drs. Rusbridge and Rodolfo Cappello found that cavaliers do not have a proportionately smaller caudal fossa compared to other small breeds, but that the CKCS's brain is comparatively large.
In that 2009 UK study, the researchers stated:
"When compared with Labradors, CKCS had proportionately the same volume of parenchyma [hindbrain] in their caudal fossa [skull], hence there is a mismatch of volumes with too much parenchyma in a too small caudal fossa causing overcrowding. . Other small breeds of dogs had a proportionately smaller volume of parenchyma in their caudal fossa which can explain why, despite having a similar sized caudal fossa to CKCS, they do not experience overcrowding. It is hypothesised that through the miniaturisation process of other small dogs, both the cranium and brain are proportionately smaller but in CKCS only the cranium has reduced in volume, hence why there is a higher incidence of CM in CKCS than other small breeds. "Cavalier King Charles spaniels also had a greater percentage of their cranial fossa filled with parenchyma (cranial fossa parenchyma percentage) compared with small breeds and Labradors which had a similar percentage. Overcrowding in CKCS might therefore occur due to a mismatch in volumes in both the caudal fossa and cranial fossa of the skull, suggesting the cranial fossa is also involved in the pathophysiology of CM."
"The results support mesoderm * insufficiency or craniosynostosis ** as the pathogenesis of Chiari-like malformation (CM) in CKCS. It presents evidence for overcrowding of the caudal fossa due to a mismatch of brain parenchyma and fossa volumes as to why CKCS and not other small dogs are affected."
* The mesoderm is the middle of the three primary germ cell layers -- the others being ectoderm and endoderm -- in the early stage of an embryo. The mesoderm is responsible for developing various tissues and structures, such as bone, muscle, connective tissue, and the middle layer of the skin. Mesoderm insufficiency during embryology may cause insufficient scope for the mesoderm and ectoderm layers to develop .
** Craniosynostosis is the premature closure of the skull's growth plate.
This suggests both a possible genetic cause of the displacement of the cerebellum through the foramen magnum, as well as evidence that the cavalier's skull may not be too small, but that its hindbrain is too large, hence the "mismatch".
To the contrary, however, in a 2009 Scottish study led by Dr. Jacques Penderis, of 70 cavaliers and 80 dogs of other breeds, the researchers found that "all [of the] CKCSs had abnormalities in occipital bone shape. . CKCSs had a shallower caudal cranial fossa and abnormalities of the occipital bone, compared with those of mesaticephalic dogs. These changes were more severe in CKCSs with syringomyelia."
* The posterior (or caudal -- for "rear") cranial fossa is part of the cavity within the skull. It contains the brainstem and cerebellum.
The JSAP 2010 study researchers found that a cavalier with a higher volume of hindbrain within the skull is more likely to have SM, and the greater the volume of hindbrain, the larger the syrinx. They also found a direct relationship between between the dimensions of the brain ventricles ("ventriculomegaly" -- see below) and the size of the syrinx.
In addition, the 2010 JSAP research suggested that there may be a "failure of communication" between the paraxial mesoderm * and the cranial somites ** with the closing neural tube *** in the embryo, resulting in loss of coordination between the growth of the skull and the hindbrain. When functioning properly, the growth of the mesoderm supports and helps to facilitate the closure process of the neural tube. They concluded that overgrowth of the cerebellum in the embryo may cause the mis-match, because cavaliers have proportionately more hindbrain volume than other small breed dogs. They stated: "Early growth plate closure may result in CM because despite the dynamic nature of osseous tissue, it would be unable to accommodate the developing brain."
* Paraxial mesoderm forms the supraoccipital bone.
** Cranial somitic mesoderm forms the exoccipital and basioccipital bones.
*** The neural tube in the embryo develops the brain and spinal cord .
Then, later in 2010, the authors of the 2010 UK JSAP report presented an abstract before the 2010 congress of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA), in which they re-affirmed that, while SM occurs in cavaliers which have CM, it is the mis-match between the volumes of the hindbrain and the hind-skull which is believed to actually lead to SM, if not be the cause of SM. In that abstract, the authors go on to conclude that the more marked volume mis-matches they found between the hindbrain and the skull, the more severe the SM which affected the young dogs -- under 2 years of age -- in the study.
In a December 2010 UK study, led by Colin Driver, the researchers' results were consistent with the previous findings that ventriculomegaly and a small but significant increase in caudal fossa parenchyma are associated with syringomyelia. Further, this December 2010 study also found that the volume of the skulls of CKCS under 2 years of age and SM-affected were significantly smaller than the skull volumes of cavaliers over 5 years of age and SM-clear.
The UK studies in 2009 and 2010 suggest that a disproportionately large hind portion of the brain may be a necessary element of SM in the breed. These 2009 and 2010 research reports explain why CM has been re-defined as "a condition characterized by a mismatch in size between the brain (too big) and the skull (too small). There is not enough room for the brain and the back part (cerebellum and medulla) is pushed out the foramen magnum."
In a June 2011 study, which included Drs. Rusbridge, Driver, and McGonnell, they reported that twelve CM-affected cavaliers' foramen magnums and the length of cerebellar herniation "increased significantly" between MRI scans 9.5 months apart. they concluded:
"This work could suggest that overcrowding of the caudal cranial fossa in conjunction with the movements of cerebrospinal fluid and cerebellar tissue secondary to pulse pressures created during the cardiac cycle causes pressures on the occipital bone. This leads to a resorption of the bone and therefore an increase in caudal cranial fossa and foramen magnum size allowing cerebellar herniation length to increase."
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--- most recent findings of Chiari-like malformation research
"the CKCS has a relatively larger cerebellum [in purple at right] than small breed dogs and Labradors and there is an association between increased cerebellar volume and SM in CKCS. In contrast to small breed dogs and Labradors, CKCS exhibit correlation between increased cerebellar volume and cerebellar crowding within the caudal CCF, suggesting that CCF growth in CKCS is not keeping pace with the growth of the cerebellum. "These findings support the hypothesis that it is a multifactorial disease process governed by increased cerebellar volume and failure of the CCF to reach a commensurate size."
They also found:
(a) "CKCS under the age of 2 with SM have an increased cerebellar volume when compared to CKCS over the age of 5 without SM. This supports hypothesis that increased cerebellar volume in CKCS is associated with syringomyelia. Previous volumetric studies in CKCS have shown that there is an association between SM and CCF parenchyma volume, but this is the first time that cerebellar volume has been linked to SM. The cerebellum to brain volume ratio is consistent between normal dogs and has been shown to decrease with cerebellar degenerative disorders, but it has never been shown to be increased in size in a canine neurological disorder." (b) "The degree of cerebellar crowding in the caudal CCF is correlated with increased volume of the cerebellum in CKCS, and this is not seen in small breed dogs or Labradors." (c) "The degree of crowding may determine the degree of foramen magnum obstruction, and in turn the tendency for syrinxes to form. Cerebellar volume is potentially a key factor in determining the degree of obstruction and interference in normal CSF flow through the foramen magnum, which disposes dogs to the subsequent development of SM." (d) "In CKCS an increase in relative cerebellar volume is correlated with an increase in cerebellar crowding in the caudal CCF. It should be noted that small breed dogs and Labradors do not show the same relationship. We infer from this result that during cranial development in Labradors and small breed dogs, a compensatory mechanism maintains the relationship between cerebellar volume and CCF dimensions, and this mechanism is defective in CKCS." (e) "We also found in CKCS that cerebellar crowding in the caudal CCF is more sensitive to changes in relative cerebellar volume than cerebellar crowding in the rostral CCF, which is consistent with the theory that increased cerebellar volume results in the cerebellum shifting caudally and causes obliteration of dead space in the caudal CCF. This also causes herniation of the cerebellum through the foramen magnum (i.e. CM)." (f) "In this study, we find that in CKCS, unlike small breed dogs or Labradors, there is a positive correlation between the volume of the cerebellum and degree of crowding in the caudal CCF, which suggests that CM may be due to CCF development not keeping pace with growth of the cerebellum. This supports the idea that CM/SM in CKCS may in fact be multifactorial and an abnormal development process affecting the CCF may be acting as a disease modifier." (g) "Impaired CCF development may be caused by a failure of communication between one or more of these progenitors and the developing neural tube (specifically, rhombomere 1, which gives rise to the cerebellum). Alternatively, it could simply be explained by premature closure of growth plates between the bones of the CCF." (h) "It has also been noted on post-mortem examination of CKCS and other small breed dogs that the supraoccipital bone overlying the cerebellar vermis is remarkably thin and sometimes eroded so that the foramen magnum is enlarged dorsally, which could indicate that there has been substantial bone resorbtion. Work is needed to elucidate the mechanisms of occipital growth in dogs to determine the extent to which an osteoresorbtive process can mitigate an enlarged cerebellum in CKCS and in other breeds."
However, in a June 2012 article, German researchers Martin J. Schmidt, Martin Kramer, and Nele Ondreka compared the volumes of occipital bones of cavaliers with and without syringomyelia and of French bulldogs. They did not find a reduced volume of the occipital bone of CKCSs, compared to the bulldogs. They concluded:
"These results do not support occipital hypoplasia as a cause for syringomyelia development, challenging the paraxial mesoderm insufficiency theory. This also suggests that the term Chiari-like malformation, a term derived from human studies, is not appropriate in the Cavalier King Charles spaniel."
The authors of this 2012 German article seemed mired in the pre-2010 definition of Chiari-like malformation. They state:
". [T]he Chiari-like malformation in the Cavalier King Charles spaniel is characterized by indentation of the occipital (bone) with cerebellar herniation and is more correctly termed caudal occipital malformation syndrome."
They also appear to be unduly dismissive of the studies beginning in 2009 which found that the cavalier's cerebellum is relatively larger than that in other breeds. The authors of the 2012 German article did not include cerebellum size in their study, and their comment about the 2009-2012 reports simply is:
"Results of studies proposing a mismatch between cerebellar and caudal cranial fossa volume in this breed and in comparison to other breeds were controversial. In some studies, there was a mismatch between caudal fossa parenchyma and caudal fossa volume in dogs with syringomyelia and overcrowding was proposed as a cause of syringomyelia development. In most studies, however, no difference was found between caudal fossa volume in Cavalier King Charles spaniels with and without syringomyelia, although this was not universal." (Emphasis added.)
In a February 2013 report, UK researchers T. A. Shaw, I. M. McGonnell, C. J. Driver, C. Rusbridge, and H. A. Volk compared MRI scans of 45 CKCSs, 38 dogs of other small breeds, and 26 Labrador retrievers, and concluded:
"The data support the hypothesis that CM/SM in CKCS is a multifactorial disease process governed by the effects of increased hindbrain volume and impaired occipital bone development. The present authors recently reported that CM/SM is linked to increased cerebellar volume (Shaw and others 2012). In view of this, the aetiopathogenesis of CM/SM may equivocally be mediated by conditions independently affecting the developing occipital bones and cerebellum, or by dysregulation of a signalling mechanism coordinating the growth of the developing hindbrain and occipital skull."
In a June 2013 report, UK and German neurology researchers Joe Fenn, Martin J. Schmidt, Harriet Simpson, Colin J. Driver, and Holger A. Volk, having compared 22 cavaliers with SM and 12 without SM, found that in CKCSs with SM the percentage of space taken by venous sinuses in the brain is significantly lower than the volume occupied by the brain's parenchyma. Venous sinuses are a network of channels in the brain, which receive blood from the brains veins and also receive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and empty blood into the jugular vein. The report concludes that: "These results support a role for reduced venous drainage and parenchymal ‘overcrowding’ of the CCF [caudal cranial fossa] in the pathophysiology of SM."
In a 2013 doctorate dissertation, German Dr. Melanie Klinger studied the cranial base growth plates of 58 cavaliers and 24 other brachycephalic dogs and 67 mesocephalic dogs for the their first 18 months. She found that: "In the CKCS the growth plate closure occurred about the 5th month of life. The second group which was composed of the brachycephalic participants of the study followed next. Finally the synchondrosis sphenooccipitalis ossificated in representatives of mesocephalic breeds around the 13.5th month."
"The results confirm the assumption that the premature ossification of the sphenooccipital synchondrosis is the cause of the reduced skull length for brachycephalic breeds. . With regard to the pathogenesis of the CM the present results support the exceptional position which the CKCS possesses among the brachycephalic breeds."
In an April 2015 article by Drs. S. Cerda-Gonzalez, N.J. Olby, E.H. Griffith, on the subject of the kinking (or elevation) of the medulla, they examined 36 cavaliers (33 having Chiari-like malformation and 26 having 
(The photo at right from the April 2015 article shows how the position of the brainstem was evaluated by measuring the distance between the obex (the caudodorsal-most border of the fourth ventricle) and a line drawn parallel to the foramen magnum. This was termed the "obex measurement". )
In an April 2016 abstract, UK neurological researchers found evidence that CM may be the result of an overall disorder of the conformation of the CKCS brain and skull. They examined MRI scans of the skulls of 70 cavaliers, divided into four categories: SM with phantom scratching (15 CKCSs); clinical SM (e.g. pain) but no phantom scratching (17 CKCSs); behavioral signs of pain with CM but no SM (25 CKCSs); and CKCS with no SM and no behavioral signs of pain or scratching (13 dogs -- “CKCS control”). They also had an “other-breed-control” group of 19 dogs (including 5 brachycephalic -- short-muzzled), with normal brain sizes.
They hypothesized that there may be insufficient room within the skull for the forebrain, and that may contribute to backward displacement and overcrowding of the hindbrain. They focused upon the forebrain's olfactory bulb (OB -- also called olfactory lobe), which is at the lower front of the forebrain and directly behind the olfactory receptor cells in the dog’s nose. The more brachycephalic (short-muzzled) the dog, the more the OB tends to be lower and the more the frontal lobe tends to be flattened against the front of the skull. (Compare the normal location of the canine forebrain in the diagram at the left, with the flattened frontal lobe and the lower olfactory lobe of a CM/SM-affected cavalier, at the right.)
They found that the more severe the CM/SM condition of the cavaliers in the study, the smaller the mean size of the OB, and that there was a significant difference between the cavaliers in the four CM/SM groups and the dogs in the other-breed-control group. They also noticed a trend towards more ventrally (lower) orientated OB with increasing CM/SM severity. They concluded:
“This study suggests that CM should be considered a more global brain and skull conformational disorder with features of extreme brachycephaly including smaller more ventrally orientated OB; however, further work is required and the measurement technique has been refined for future studies. We recommend that future studies into MRI conformation of CM and SM uses rigorous phenotyping based on clinical signs and age.”
In a January 2017 article, the UK researchers further pursued their analysis of CM resulting from an overall disorder of the conformation of the CKCS brain and skull. They stated:
"Thus, CM is not just a reduction in the cranial base and caudal fossa. The `ellipticity' of the brain provides a quantitative value to compare the natural oval shape of the Control cohort to the more global brachycephalic CM pain and two SM cases. The reduced size and rotation of the olfactory bulb, together with the clival angle (cranial base angulation between the ethmoidal plane and the clival plane), is associated with a shortened muzzle and increased stop and a `face' that tilts up like a human. . The morphing movie (S1 Movie) highlights the dynamic changes of the skull conformation and brain parenchyma associated with progressive brachycephaly and airorhynchy, shortening of the basicranium and supraoccipital bones and the proximity and angulation of the atlas and dens."
Describing cavaliers specifically, the researchers stated:
"Ten of the fourteen significant variables were found in the CKCS with one, line a-c [see red line a-c in the diagram below], unique to the breed. Line a-c indicates the proximity of the sphenooccipital synchondrosis to the atlas bone. This study confirms the findings of others that the CKCS with SM have a reduced caudal fossa size a presumed consequence of early closure of the spheno-occipital and possibly other cranial sutures. Compared to other breeds including the GB, the CKCS has considerably greater incidence of cerebellar deformation by the supra-occipital bone and vermis herniation. These findings and the coexistence of occipital dysplasia and hypoplasia suggest that the CKCS may have additional predisposing risk factors for SM compared to the other breeds."
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--- other factors leading to SM
The severity of CM in a dog does not predict the presence of syringomyelia in that dog. Therefore, other factors are believed to influence the development of a syrinx, including atlanto-occipital overlapping (AOO) . Ongoing research into genetic correlations between CM and SM seeks to determine whether different genes may control the expression of SM and CM. If so, it may be possible to select breeding stock which has been diagnosed to have CM but may not be expected to produce offspring with SM genes.
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-- atlanto-occipital overlap (AOO)
The atlas is the spinal vertebra (C1) closest to the skull. It sits next to the foramen magnum, the hole in the occipital bone. The "atlanto-occipital joint" is the connection between the atlas and the occipital bone, and is stabilized by ligaments. "Atlanto-occipital overlapping" (AOO) is characterized by a decreased distance between the atlas and the occipital bone. In some cases, the dorsal arch of the atlas may actually protrude into the foramen magnum. See the image below (courtesy of: www.wikispaces.com).
In a February 2014 article, a leading neurology team studying the Griffon Bruxellois (Susan P. Knowler, Angus K. McFadyen, Courtenay Freeman, Marc Kent, Simon R. Platt, Zoha Kibar, Clare Rusbridge) observed:
"In other words a developmental anomaly resulting in a Chiari malformation may also be associated with abnormalities of the atlas, axis and dens. In the dog, the most important craniovertebral junction abnormality associated with CM is atlanto-occipital overlapping, which has been reported as similar to basilar invagination in humans."
In a January 2016 article, Cornell University neuroglogist Dr. Sofia Cerda-Gonzalez and her research team examined the MRIs of 271 dogs, measuring the proximity of the atlas to the foramen magnum. They found a close association (higher than previously reported) between atlanto-occipital overlapping (AOO) and small breed dogs, including cavalier King Charles spaniels, affected with clinical signs of syringomyelia (SM).
-- occipital hypoplasia (OH)
Occipital hypoplasia (OH) has been used to describe the displacement of the cerebellum into the area of the foramen magnum and a kinking of the medulla and an indentation of the cerebellum. "Hypoplasia" is a medical term defined as underdevelopment or incomplete development, and so, "occipital hypoplasia" in this instance means an underdeveloped or incompletely developed occipital bone, which is part of the back of the skull. However, at the November 2006 London conference, this term was rejected because there is no proof yet that the condition is related to a hypoplastic occipital bone. The actual disorder is believed to be caused either by an unusually small occipital bone or a confining membrane within the occipital bone, resulting in the cavity in the skull containing the cerebellum to be too small to fully contain it, leading to overcrowding of the caudal fossa and obstruction of the neural structures, including the incomplete closure or development of the neural tube through which flows the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
However, in a June 2012 article, German researchers Martin J. Schmidt, Martin Kramer, and Nele Ondreka compared the volumes of occipital bones of cavaliers with and without syringomyelia and of French bulldogs. They did not find a reduced volume of the occipital bone of CKCSs, compared to the bulldogs. They concluded: "These results do not support occipital hypoplasia as a cause for syringomyelia development, challenging the paraxial mesoderm insufficiency theory."
Occipital hypoplasia is to be distinguished from occipital dysplasia, which is an incomplete ossification of the supraoccipital bone, causing a widening of the foramen magnum. The more brachycephalic is the shape of the dog's skull, the more likely there will be occipital dysplasia. The cavalier is a brachycephalic breed, and therefore a combination of both occipital hypoplasia and occipital dysplasia can occur in the CKCS.
In a 2008 German study, the researchers recommend that cavaliers be screened for both occipital hypoplasia and occipital dysplasia.
-- caudal occipital malformation syndrome (COMS)
Caudal occipital malformation syndrome (COMS) had been used, particularly by some specialists in the United States, to describe the disorder. However, at the November 2006 London conference, the term COMS also was rejected because there is no proof yet that the condition is related to a malformed occipital bone. Nevertheless, some diehard neurologists in the northeast USA persist in using this term when referring to Chiari-like malformation in cavaliers. Similarly, the authors of a 2012 German article insist that:
". [T]he Chiari-like malformation in the Cavalier King Charles spaniel is characterized by indentation of the occipital (bone) with cerebellar herniation and is more correctly termed caudal occipital malformation syndrome."
Because prior to the November 2006 London conference, CM and OH and COMS all were used to describe the same malformation, they all are used interchangeably in this article. See Karen Kennedy's * Understanding Canine Chiari Malformation and Syrningomyelia for scans of the occipital bone and foramen magnum, comparing "normal", mild Chiari" and "severe Chiari" dogs.
* Posted with the permission of Karen Kennedy, RTMR, MappSc, a magnetic resonance imaging specialist with The London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada. She prepared these diagrams on behalf of the Health & Education Committee of the CKCSC of Canada.
-- pain due to CM
Dogs with CM but not syringomyelia (SM) can experience discomfort, including pain. Such pain is evidenced by vocalization, unwillingness to exercise, and being withdrawn, with the signs being consistent over months and with other sources of pain being eliminated. This is attributed to a direct compression of the medulla oblongata, which is involved in the modulation of pain. See our section on expressions of pain as a symptom of SM, below, for information about CM and SM pain research.
In an October 2012 study by UK researchers of 48 cavaliers, nine of which had only CM and the rest also had SM, neuropathic pain progressed in 75% of the dogs over a mean average period of 39 months. The researchers noted that it is not fully understood how CM/SM causes neuropathic pain, and they did not make any such finding. However, their report confirms that neuropathic pain does exist, and it progresses, in cavaliers with only CM.
In a January 2017 article, UK researchers determined, from its group of 28 cavaliers with pain due to CM but not SM, that they "had a short basicranium (line ab in Figure 1 below) with a resultant compensatory increased cranial height (small angle 7, below) and increased brachycephaly with olfactory bulb more ventrally rotated (p = 0.003) and rostral forebrain flattening compared to Control CKCS. However, in comparison with SM dogs, the CM cohort has a longer line bc and a wider angle 9 increases the volume of the caudal fossa, which may lessen obstruction to CSF flow and the risk of developing SM."
In a November 2017 article, a team of researchers at NC State University and Cornell University prepared and studied the results of a questionnaire answered by owners of 50 cavalier King Charles spaniels, 20 with only Chiari-like malformation (CM) and 30 with both CM and syringomyelia (SM). Of the 50 dogs, 33 were symptomatic and 17 were not. The most common presenting sign was phantom scratching, occurring in 32 dogs, and the most common sign of pain was crying out when being lifted, occurring in 11 dogs. The researchers found that owner-reported findings were not significantly associated with presence or severity of SM or neurologic examination findings. Ten of the 20 CM-only dogs reportedly displayed "classic" signs of neuropathic pain.
"The conclusion that SM causes pain in CKCS is complicated by the finding that dogs with CM but no SM can show classic signs of neuropathic pain, as illustrated by 10 dogs in our study. . To conclude, the full range of signs reported by owners of CKCS includes a variety of manifestations of pain, with phantom scratching as the most commonly reported sign followed by crying out when being lifted. Owner reporting of pain and scratch frequency and severity captured by the ChiMPS-T correlates with the owner-reported surface area affected by these signs in their dogs. Neither the scores nor the surface area reported correlated with the presence or severity of SM, highlighting uncertainty on the source of pain in these dogs."
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What SM is
Cerebrospinal fluid normally flows back and forth between the brain and spinal cord with each heart beat. As the heart pumps blood to the brain, the CSF flows from the brain through the hole called the foramen magnum to the spinal cord, to accommodate the increased volume of incoming blood.
Syringomyelia is believed to result when the cerebrospinal fluid is prevented from circulating normally between the brain and spinal cord, due to a narrowing or blockage of the CSF flow at the foramen magnum, thereby forcing the CSF at a higher than normal pressure into the spinal cord. The pressure difference causes the spinal cord to distend or pull apart, creating a cavity called a syrinx, and squeezing fluid either from blood vessels and other tissues or CSF into the cavity. (See above a magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] scan of a cavalier's brain and spinal cord, with the arrow pointing to a syrinx [the elongated white area] within the spinal cord.)
However, in a September 2015 abstract before the ESVN-ECVN, UK researchers created a computer model of the spinal cord, subarachnoid space (SAS), dura mater, and the epidural space of a cavalier King Charles spaniel affected with CM/SM. They performed exaggerated movement of the spinal cord during the cardiac cycle, seeking to confirm a theory that abnormities in the circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) generate pressures that drive the fluid into the cord. Instead, they found that CSF pressure gradients are unlikely to cause fluid movement into the cord, sufficient to generate syrinxes. They concluded:
"On the other hand, although the shear stress in the cord is low, its location and cyclic nature indicates the possibility that this may be the factor that generates the initial tissue damage, which eventually leads to the formation of syrinxes."
Syringomyelia is an extremely serious, progressively worsening spinal disease which is rare in most breeds but is becoming very widespread in cavalier King Charles spaniels of all bloodlines. In May 2005, Dr. Rusbridge and Susan P. (Penny) Knowler, BSc (Hons), who have been studying the disease in several hundreds of cavaliers, reported that a conservative estimate is that at least 50% of cavalier King Charles spaniels have a degree of Chiari-like malformation, although not all are so severely affected as to have syringomyelia. In February 2010, Dr. Georgina Child, board certified veterinary neurologist in Australia, reported that of 60 asymptomatic cavaliers scanned as potential breeding stock, 50% had SM syrinxes. In a September 2010 report of 804 cavaliers, Mrs. Knowler and others estimated that "the lifetime risk of developing syringomyelia in the study population was estimated to be 55%."
In a 2011 study of 49 cavaliers diagnosed with SM, Dr. Rusbridge and others found that "total syrinx size was positively correlated with age" of the dogs. In a June 2011 study of 555 cavaliers without any symptoms of syringomyelia, 25% of the one year old dogs had SM and 70% of the dogs aged 6 years and older had SM.
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-- role of the ventricle system (vetricular dilatation - ventriculomegaly)
Some neurologists are including in their examination reports an analysis of whether the ventricles are dilated, and if so, a measurement of the amount of their dilatation. The medical term for dilated lateral ventricles is ventriculomegaly. In a December 2010 UK study, also led by Colin Driver, the researchers' results were consistent with the previous findings that ventriculomegaly and a small but significant increase in caudal fossa parenchyma are associated with syringomyelia.
In an October 2016 abstract, German researchers compared the perfusion of blood in the periventricular white matter of 23 cavalier King Charles spaniels with ventriculomegaly compared to control dogs consisting of 10 healthy Beagles. They found that cerebral blood flow and volume were significantly lower in the cavaliers. They concluded that the dogs with ventriculomegaly may have a form of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).
In an August 2017 article, Dr. Schmidt and his team studied the ventricle system of 42 cavaliers -- 32 CKSCs with ventriculomegaly and 10 control CKCSs. They used "dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion" magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-PMRI), which allows them to quantify the volume of blood passing through the brain tissue. They found that cerebral blood flow (CBF) is reduced in the periventricular white matter of CKCSs with ventriculomegaly, which makes some increase of intraventricular pressure likely. They stated that these findings make it plausible that ventriculomegaly may be a form of internal hydrocephalus. They observed that when intraventricular pressure is increased, a higher cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume is forced from the ventricles at a higher velocity.
Below is a comparison between a canine brain with normal lateral cerebral ventricles (A) and one with enlarged lateral ventricles (B). From a May 2015 study led by Dr. Martin J. Schmidt.
-- other causes of SM
There are other forms of syringomyelia in canines. Spinal dysraphism or spinal dysplasia is a genetic disorder in which puppies normally under the age of three months display a bunny hopping gait and wide-based stance and scoliosis, due to the spinal cord not developing completely in the womb. Dalmatians, English setters, golden retrievers, rottweilers, visla, and Weimaraners have been identified with this disorder. Also, SM may be caused by tumors, cysts, or trauma. Neither of those are discussed here.
Also, benign, small syrinxes are a common incidental finding on MRI examinations. Therefore, clinical
correlation is important in order to determine if the syrinx is associated with the Chiari-like malformation and/or symptoms.
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The following paragraphs discuss typical symptoms/signs displayed by dogs diagnosed with syringomyelia (SM). The most common one is phantom scratching. Several of these signs are so common that they may be for other reasons and unrelated to SM at all. For example, prior studies have shown that approximately 25% of dogs that display clinical signs of SM are not found to have a syrinx on MRI scans. See, e.g., this December 2011 article. Scroll down to "Other disorders with similar symptoms" for a discussion of likely other disorders causing similar signs.
-- phantom scratching
Phantom scratching had been believed to be due to an increase in the pressure of the flow of cerebrospinal fluid through the central canal from the brain down the spinal column, causing the central canal to expand and press against the nerves of the spinal column and creating a pins-and-needle-like tingling or a burning-type pain, and other strange sensations (called dysaesthesia or paresthesia), which prompt the dog to scratch.
However, in an April 2016 abstract, UK researchers found that phantom scratching is associated with a large syrinx that extends to the superficial dorsal horn (SDH) in the C3-C6 spinal segments. The study found that phantom scratching is associated with a large dorso-lateral syrinx that extends to the SDH in the C3-C6 spinal segments (C2-C5 vertebrae). The study did not find an association to damage of other areas of cervical spinal cord. They suggested that phantom scratching is due to damage to projection neurons in lamina I of the superficial dorsal horn (SDH) with resulting reduced descending inhibition to the lumbosacral scratching CPG [central pattern generator -- neural circuits controlling a stereotyped sequence of muscle contractions]. . They concluded that if a dog has an SM syrinx extending to the SDH then it is at risk for phantom scratching. In a November 2017 article -- an extended publication of the April 2016 abstract -- the same investigators concluded:
"SM associated phantom scratching appears associated with MRI findings of a large syrinx extending into the mid cervical SDH. We hypothesise that damage in this region might influence the lumbosacral scratching central pattern generator (CPG). If a scratching SM affected dog does not have a large dorsolateral cervical syrinx with SDH involvement then alternative explanations for scratching should be investigated."
This article suggests that only dogs with both CM and SM will phantom scratch, and that dogs with only CM will not. It also suggests that the action is very similar to fictive scratching which occurs in animals with severed spinal cords.
Ten of the 20 CM-only dogs reportedly displayed "classic" signs of neuropathic pain. The researchers concluded:
"The conclusion that SM causes pain in CKCS is complicated by the finding that dogs with CM but no SM can show classic signs of neuropathic pain, as illustrated by 10 dogs in our study. . To conclude, the full range of signs reported by owners of CKCS includes a variety of manifestations of pain, with phantom scratching as the most commonly reported sign followed by crying out when being lifted. Owner reporting of pain and scratch frequency and severity captured by the ChiMPS-T correlates with the owner-reported surface area affected by these signs in their dogs. Neither the scores nor the surface area reported correlated with the presence or severity of SM, highlighting uncertainty on the source of pain in these dogs."
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-- other common symptoms
Some dogs perform facial or head rubbing or spontaneous vocalizations. Click here or the YouTube logo (below right) to see videos of cavaliers with SM symptoms. An excellent review of the various symptoms displayed by dogs affected with syringomyelia may be found on the SM.CavalierTalk.com website, prepared by Karlin Lillington of Dublin, Ireland. Her website includes videos of SM-affected dogs. Other videos are available under Related Links below.
* Photo at left is from Dr. Clare Rusbridge.
SM and CM very seldom can be detected in young puppies, as symptoms usually are not evident before the age of six months or even many years later. There is no way to know in advance of the symptoms whether a dog is normal or is a syringomyelia carrier which does not develop the disease but can pass it on to its offspring.
The condition causes damage to the spinal cord and usually results in symptoms of hypersensitivity, intense pain, and leg dysfunction. The primary symptoms may vary widely, and in some cases, a cavalier may even have SM without displaying any outward symptoms at all. Some cavaliers diagnosed with SM lack any clinical signs. It also is possible that a dog with Chiari-like malformation (CM) does not have syringomyelia (the syrinx in the spinal cord), but still may have symptoms of SM due to the CM obstructing the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This also is attributed to a direct compression of the medulla oblongata, which is involved in the modulation of pain.
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-- expressions of pain
Nevertheless, as recently as October 2012, researchers still state that, "It is not yet fully understood how CM/SM causes NeP [neuropathic pain]."
Similar forms of neuropathic pain in humans suffering from Chiari type I malformation (the human counterpart to CM) and SM include: (a) a burning type pain, pins-and-needles and other odd sensations (called dysaesthesia); (b) pain from a stimulus which is not normally painful, such as light touch or motion (called allodynia); (c) increased pain from stimuli which are normally painful (called hyperpathia,); and (d) a constant, burning type pain (called causalgia). In humans, neuropathic pain also is associated with anxiety, depression, and reduced quality of life.
As the disease destroys portions of the cavalier's spinal cord, the dog may experience so much pain that it may contort its neck and may even sleep and eat only with its head held high. Ultimately, the dog may develop scoliosis, as a result. There may also be progressive weakness in the legs, so that walking becomes increasingly difficult. Some dogs deteriorate to the point of paralysis.
* Photo at right above is of a cavalier suffering severe head pain due to SM. Photo below left is of a cavalier writhing in pain from SM. Photo above is from Dr. Clare Rusbridge. Photo below is from Pedigree Dogs Exposed .
In a June 2007 study of 55 cavaliers, the researchers reported that the wider the syrinx, the stronger the predictor of pain, scratching behavior and scoliosis in dogs with syringomyelia. They stated: "Both pain and syrinx size were positively correlated with syrinxes located in the dorsal half of the spinal cord." They also concluded that such pain is likely to be neuropathic pain, resulting from disordered neural processing in the damaged dorsal horn. Similarly, in an August 2012 study, the researchers found evidence that:
". the disruption of the dorsal horn structure is a significant event in the production of clinical signs in CKCS. The spinal cord dorsal horn in symptomatic CKCS is significantly more asymmetric than that of control animals, whereas the asymptomatic CKCS have changes that are midway between control and symptomatic CKCS. This suggests the possibility that progression from mild to severe asymmetry in CKCS is associated with development of clinical signs; however such a conclusion cannot be definitively supported by this study because of the cross sectional nature of the data collected."
In a 2009 study of 64 cavaliers affected with CM/SM, Drs. Sofia Cerda-Gonzalez, Natasha J. Olby and others classified clinical signs of pain from grade 0 to grade 5, by which the dogs displayed symptoms of neck scratching, head scratching, neck pain upon neurolgoical examination, as well as ataxia and paresis detected upon examination. See table below:
In a September 2017 study of CM and SM in Chihuahuas, the researchers used a questionnaire for the dogs' owners to complete. The questions for dogs included a grading system for the description of the presence frequency, and severity of CM/SM-related clinical signs, such as:
1.persistent scratching episodes of the ears or shoulders with or without skin contact
2.persistent scratching episodes of the cranial thoracic spine with or without skin contact
These were graded from 1 (occurring <2 times a week) to 5 (occurring several times a day). A percentage from the maximum points (7x5 = 35 points) was calculated for each patient.
In a 2010 Canadian study, researchers found a significant linear correlation between the severity of neurologic dysfunction and size of the syrinx, with a larger syrinx being associated with more severe neurologic signs.
In an April 2012 study, Geoffrey Skerritt and Dr. Luca Motta observed that the level of neurological pain a dog experiences can only be based upon subjective evaluations of the dog's behaviors, which includes the dog's owner's subjective observations.
In order to evaluate changes in the level of a dog's discomfort as objectively as possible, to determine whether their surgical procedure on the dog was successful (see "syringosubarachnoid shunt" below) these neurosurgeons devised a Pain Score Scheme (see table below) for the dog's owners to measure pain which the dog experiences from CM and SM, particularly following surgery. Their pain score scheme was created on the basis of different neurological grade classifications previously suggested by other researchers, including the Cerda-Gonzalez / Olby 2009 study above. Mr. Skerritt and Dr. Motta evaluated their patients’ histories and found some specific information that could be used to create an objective pain score (i.e., frequency of scratching episodes and site of scratching, screaming episodes). However, because of the inherent subjectivity of relying upon reports from the dog's owners, they concluded that the design of a more robust scoring system together with prospective studies was warranted.
In a 2012 study, UK researchers (Lynda Rutherford, Annette Wessmann, Clare Rusbridge, Imelda M. McGonnell, Siobhan Abeyesinghe, Charlotte Burn, and Holger A. Volk) of cavaliers with neuropathic pain report on the results of far more extensive questionnaires (using a 5-point scale), completed by the owners of 122 CM/SM-affected CKCSs. They found that owners who noticed evidence of neuropathic pain in their dogs also found the dogs to have increased fear-related behaviors (such as acting more fearfully when approached by strangers, or when in unfamiliar situations, or when sudden loud noises occurred, such as thunderstorms). These dogs also were more clingy to their owners and appeared to be more fearful when left alone. They also showed decreased willingness to exercise, and problems in settling, including sleep disturbances. Not surprisingly, the study also showed that owners found that their affected dogs had reduced quality of life.
In an effort to pinpoint the locus of the pain caused by SM, in an August 2012 study, researchers Hilary Zhaoxu Hu, Clare Rusbridge, Fernando Constantino-Casas, and Nick Jeffery compared the expression of two pain-related neuropeptides * in the spinal cord dorsal horn of normal dogs with the peptides' expression in cavaliers with and without clinical signs of syringomyelia. They discovered that there was a decrease in expression of both peptides in CKCSs with symptomatic syringomyelia.
* Peptides are molecules formed by joining from two to about fifty amino acids. The two neuropeptides in this study were substance P and calcitonin.
In an April 2013 study of 26 cavaliers (11 dogs without clinical signs of pain; 6 dogs with pain and symmetrical syrinxes; 9 dogs with pain and asymmetrical syrinxes), German researchers M.J. Schmidt, J. Roth, N. Ondreka, M. Kramer, and C. Rummel found "an association" between pain and SM asymmetry, and they found "a strong association" between pain and dorsal horn involvement of SM. CKCSs with clinical signs of pain showed either 
In a May 2014 report, USA Drs. S. Cerda-Gonzalez, N.J. Olby, E.H. Griffith assessed 36 cavalier King Charles spaniels for neurologic pain and dysfunction. They found that 20 of the dogs demonstrated neuropathic pain; that dural bands (compressive lesions caused by abnormally thickened dura matter at the craniocervical junction) were present in 31 of the dogs; that 34 of the dogs had Chiari-like malformation; that 23 of the dogs had syringomyelia (and 21 of those 23 dogs had dural bands). They also found that dural bands were associated with both the presence and severity of clinical signs and the presence of SM, and that higher compression indices were associated with more severe SM. They concluded that:
"Dural bands appear to play a significant clinical role. Compression indices provide a better assessment of dural band severity compared to grading."
In a November 2016 abstract, UK researchers (H. Williams, S. Sanchis, H. A. Volk, L. Pelligand, J. Murrell, N. Granger) tested 70 cavalier King Charles spaniels for skin sensitivity using the eVF. The dogs were categorized in three classes: (i) 37 dogs had syringomyelia and clinical signs (syringomyelia-symptomatic – SM-S); (ii) 15 dogs had syringomyelia without clinical signs (syringomyelia-asymptomatic – SM-A); and (iii) 18 dogs had no syringomyelia (syringomyelia-free - SM-F). The researchers found that eVF assessment of skin sensitivity does not differ significantly by syringomyelia status.
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-- other disorders with similar symptoms
Another disorder common to cavaliers and with symptoms similar to SM is Primary Secretory Otitis Media (PSOM), which is a highly viscous mucus plug which fills the middle ear and causes the tympanic membrane to bulge. Because the pain and other sensations in the head and neck areas, resulting from PSOM, are so similar to symptoms due to SM, the possibility that the cavalier has PSOM and not SM should be determined before diagnosing SM.
In a brief July 2009 article, UK researchers Dr. Richard J Piercy and Gemma Walmsley disclosed that they had identified a genetic form of muscular dystrophy in the cavalier, with symptoms (weakness and exercise intolerance) similar to some of those of SM. However, these other symptoms of this muscular dystrophy may clearly distinguish it from SM: muscle atrophy, difficulty swallowing, and an enlarged tongue. Also, the researchers have found that only males are affected by this form of muscular dystrophy, and the females are only carriers of the mutation.
Dr. Curtis Dewey has reported that in the course of his examination of MRIs of cavaliers with Chiari-like malformation, he also has discovered cerebellar infarcts (strokes). He has written that CKCSs appear to be pre-disposed to infarcts due to the presence of CM and that the existence of both CM and infarcts "is common in the CKCS." See Cerebellar Infarcts for details.
Dr. Rusbridge has a website, veterinary-neurologist.co.uk, which discusses SM extensively, as well as other neurological disorders which she has researched. Her doctoral thesis, a 200+ page book (right), Chiari-like Malformation and Syringomyelia in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, also is available online, for free.
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-- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
* See our list of low-cost MRI clinics here.
The MRI allows the veterinary neurologist or neurosurgeon to study the skull and spine for the presence of any abnormality which might obstruct the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid. When examined by MRI, the syringomyelia appears as a tubular cavity of fluid, called a syrinx, within the spinal cord. In severe cases, the syrinx is so wide that only a thin rim of the spinal cord is visible. An MRI scan of a dog without any syrinxes at all still may show that the dog has Chiari-like malformation.
The MRI scan of a cavalier at the right shows the occipital malformation, with the cerebellum being squeezed out of the occipital bone and into the area of the foramen magnum (red-outlined area). It also shows pockets of white cerebrospinal fluid in the spinal cord (yellow-outlined area). See Karen Kennedy's Basic Canine NeuroAnatomy and MRI Imaging Planes, for further information about MRI scans.
In a 2011 study conducted by Dr. Rusbridge and Ms. Knowler, in a sample of seventy "unaffected" cavaliers from Europe and North America, which were MRI-scanned only for breeding purposes, 70% of them had syringomyelia, 17% were "at risk", meaning were young dogs with Chiari-like malformation but no syringomyelia yet, and only 13% were "clear" of both the malformation and SM. In February 2010, Dr. Georgina Child, board certified veterinary neurologist in Australia, reported that of 60 asymptomatic cavaliers scanned as potential breeding stock, 50% had SM syrinxes.
Dr. Curtis Dewey has reported that in the course of his examination of MRIs of cavaliers with Chiari-like malformation, he also has discovered cerebellar infarcts (strokes). He has written that CKCSs appear to be pre-disposed to infarcts due to the presence of CM and that the existence of both CM and infarcts "is common in the CKCS." See Cerebellar Infarcts for details.
Also, benign, small syrinxes are a common incidental finding on MRI examinations. Therefore, clinical
correlation is important in order to determine if the syrinx is associated with the Chiari-like malformation and/or symptoms.
Dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion MRI: Dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-PMRI) enables the quantification of the volume of blood passing through the brain tissue. 
-- computed tomography (CT)
Dr. Dominic J. Marino of Long Island Veterinary Specialists (LIVS) reported in October 2007 that evaluation of the entire skull shape and size utilizing Spiral CT technology with 3D reconstruction is currently underway to identify additional mechanisms of syrinx formation. He wrote that CT scanning may enable surgeons to focus on correcting the flow of CSF as the malformation affects its normal passage around the brain and spinal cord and leads to the syrinx formation known as syringomyelia.
In a 2013 study of nine cavaliers with neurological disorders, a team of Ghent University (Belgium) veterinary radiologists compared the dogs' MRIs and CTs and concluded:
"The statistical analysis suggested that both techniques are useful for detecting CH [cerebellar herniation]. However because the bias was significantly different from zero, one of the methods consistently led to the determination of longer or shorter HL [cerebellar herniation length] than the other method. For most comparisons, the HL was on average longer on CT. MRI provides greater soft tissue detail with no beam-hardening artifacts, which may improve the delineation of the cerebellum. Because HL does affect a diagnosis of CM, so CT can be used as a primary diagnostic tool for diagnosing CM in CKSs when MRI is not available."
In a November 2014 study of 15 cavalier King Charles spaniels by a team of Belgian researchers, they compared computed tomography (CT) scans with MRI scans and analyzing them statistically, they found "no significant difference between the different observers and techniques for the detection of CH [cerebellar herniation] and measurement of CHL [cerebellar herniation length]." However, they found, "Overall, the CHL was longer on the CT images." They concluded:
"Both techniques are useful for detecting CH and measuring CHL. Because CHL does not have a known direct impact on the clinical presentation of CM, CT can be used as a diagnostic tool in a routine clinical practice for CM in CKCS when MRI is not available. We emphasize that MRI is the standard screening technique in CKCS for breeding purposes to detect the presence of CM and SM and, at the current time, CT cannot replace MRI."
In an August 2015 report, a team of Belgium researchers compared computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) scans of 32 dogs, including 12 cavalier King Charles spaniels. They found that low-field MR and multislice CT imaging provided comparable information regarding the presence of SM, and that CT can be used as a diagnostic tool for SM when MRI is not available. They conclude, however, that "CT cannot replace MRI as the standard screening technique for the detection of SM in Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for breeding purposes."
However, CT reportedly cannot replace MRI for breeders' screening purposes, because CT cannot detect presyrinx.
-- thermography (medical infrared imaging -- MII)
In a June 2011 study of 105 cavalier King Charles spaniels, Drs. Marino and Catherine Loughin found that MII was up to 97.3% accurate in identifying dogs with CLM. They concluded, "Based on these preliminary findings, MII may be a viable screening tool to detect CLM in dogs."
Beginning in October 2012, a UK clinic, Veterinary Thermal Imaging Limited, has been studying thermal imaging to detect of dogs to detect Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia. The procedure used to explore the use of thermal imaging for the screening of CLM is non-invasive. Thermal images are taken of the dog's head and neck. The images can be taken without the need for sedation, and in the dog's home. The thermographer then examines these images, along with MRI results, to see if a correlation can be seen between skull and neck structures in the affected animals. Veterinary Thermal Imaging Limited is located on Hale House Lane, Churt, Surrey, GU10 2JG. For more information, contact Stephanie Godfrey at Stephanie.godfrey@vtiuk.com, telephone 0844 544 3314, website www.veterinary-thermal-imaging.com
-- ultrasound
In 2005, Drs. Dominik Faissler and John (Jay) McDonnell, board certified veterinary neurologists at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Massachusetts, researched the use of ultrasonography to diagnose syringohydromyelia in dogs. In a 2005 interim report, they stated, "This preliminary study indicates that cervical spinal cord ultrasound can be useful as a diagnostic aid for CM. It cannot rule out a diagnosis of CM, however no false positives were found. To investigate the sensitivity and specificity of this imaging modality blinded U/S examination of large numbers of dogs after MRI evaluation is planned."
In the same 2008 French study reported under computed tomography above, one dog's syrinx was identified by ultrasound. The researchers found that ultrasonography probably has too low a sensitivity for reliable diagnosis of Chiari-like malformation/syringomyelia.
In an August 2008 report by German researchers using ultrasound as a comparative imaging technique to MRIs, they compared 10 normal brachycephalic dogs with 25 cavaliers known to have Chiari-like malformation. They found that "Cerebellar displacement into the foramen magnum was clearly identified sonographically; however, syringohydromyelia was not discernable due to bone overlay."
-- brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER)
As of October 2007, Dr. Marino reported that "38 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels had been evaluated thus far. One dog had a normal MRI, BAER, and thermographic evaluation. Twenty-three dogs without clinical signs had abnormal MRI findings with 16 of the 23 dogs (69.6%) also having abnormalities with BAER testing. Fourteen dogs with clinical signs had abnormal MRI findings and 13 of the 14 dogs (92.8%) also had abnormal BAER tests. BAER testing may play a more useful role in screening 'clinical' dogs rather than dogs without clinical signs.
In a 2010 report, a group of Canadian neurologists tested fifty cavaliers to evaluate the validity of BAER as well as transcranial magnetic motor evoked potentials (TMMEP), somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP), and spinal evoked potentials (SEP), compared to MRIs. The researchers found: "TMMEP, SSEP, SEP and BAER do not appear to be valuable tests in detecting functional abnormalities of the motor and sensory pathways throughout the central nervous system of CKCS dogs with and without neurological signs secondary to SM diagnosed by MRI."
-- physical examination
In a 2014 study of 133 cavaliers, researchers (Thomas J. Mitchell, Susan P. Knowler, and Clare Rusbridge, and consultants in the Netherlands and Canada, Henny van den Berg and Jane Sykes) examined their skulls to determine if skull measurements could predict the presence or development of syringomyelia (SM), They found that as the dog's cranium is shortened and broadened, the risk of developing SM increases. They stated:
"The study found two aspects of conformation to be associated with the development of SM in the CKCS: the cephalic index and the distribution of cranium across the length of the head. It was found that a higher cephalic index and, separately, a lower percentage of the cranium distributed caudally were significantly associated with disease development." 
If the dog is suspected to have CM/SM but its symptoms are mild, it may not be necessary to have the dog diagnosed by MRI or any of the electronic alternatives described above. A thorough physical examination by a neurologist may be all that is needed to enable the veterinarian to prescribe medications to manage the suspected CM/SM. This may be the best course if the dog also has mitral valve disease or is elderly and the owner does not want the dog to have to endure the anesthesia necessary to conduct the MRI.
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The following MRI photographs, and their descriptive text, are courtesy of Dr. Clare Rusbridge and Ms. Penny Knowler of Stone Lion Veterinary Centre:
Left: This image shows mild Chiari-like malformation – the cerebellum is very slightly indented, the kinking of the medulla is normal for a toy breed and there is displacement of the cerebellum into and just out of the foramen magnum. The ventricular system is slightly dilated.
Right: Although the cerebellum is not coming through the foramen magnum, this dog has a greater degree of Chiari-like malformation than the first dog. The cerebellum is indented, and the medulla is kinked. The central canal is dilated above the first disc space – this is the first sign of syringomyelia developing. There is also mild ventricular dilatation.
Left: This dog has descent of the cerebellum towards the foramen magnum and the cerebellum is indented. The medulla is normal for a toy breed; there is mild ventricular dilatation and a small syrinx/central canal dilatation in the upper cervical spinal cord.
For more MRI views of cavaliers with syringomyelia or the Chiari-like malformation, see Karen Kennedy's * Understanding Canine Chiari Malformation and Syrningomyelia and Related Links below.
* Karen Kennedy, RTMR, MappSc, is a magnetic resonance imaging specialist with The London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada.
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Reduced Rate MRI Clinics
in United States and Canada *
The names and locations of veterinary neurologists who are board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) are on our Neurologists webpage. Some MRI clinics which are offering reduced rates for partial scans of cavaliers are listed below. Be aware that prices for MRI scans at these clinics are subject to change and may not include other services which are necessary for a complete analysis of the dog's condition. Veterinarians who perform MRIs are advised to follow the MRI Screening Protocol.
( * The UK's cavalier club also offers this list of MRI clinics throughout the world.)
AUBURN, AL: Dr. Jill Narak, board certified veterinary neurologist, is offering MRI scans for $750.00, limited to cavaliers and Brussels griffons at least one year old and asymptomatic (showing no signs of CM/SM). Appointments are available only on Thursdays. Pre-anesthetic testing (blood work and thoracic radiographs) must be performed by a veterinarian elsewhere within two weeks of the CM screening appointment. The CM screening package includes:
• Physical and neurologic examination by the neurology/neurosurgery service
• MRI of the head/neck
• Two CD copies of the MRI images
• Breeding advice based on a previously published grading scheme from the British Veterinary Association.
Bailey Small Animal Teaching Hospital is located at 1220 Wire Rd., Auburn, AL 36849. Contact Dr. Narak (Email: narakjc@auburn.edu) or Dr. John Hathcock (Email: hathcjt@auburn.edu) at 334-844-4690 for more information. Website: www.vetmed.auburn.edu
LOS ANGELES, CA: Dr. Veronique Sammut, board certified veterinary neurologist, offers mini-scans for $750.00, which include the anesthesia, a copy of the MRI on CD and interpretation. The scan is from the inter-thalamic adhesion to C5 or lower. It also covers axials of the tympanic bullae to evaluate for PSOM ("glue ear"). Recent blood work (no older than one month) is required or can be performed at the hospital. Contact Dr. Sammut at VCA-West Los Angeles, at 1818 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90025, Tel: 310-473-2951, Email: veronique.sammut@vcahospitals.com, website: www.vcaspecialtyvets.com/west-los-angeles
REDWOOD CITY, CA: AnimalScan at 410 Brewster Avenue, Redwood City, CA 94063, telephone 650-480-2001, email info@animalscan.org website animalscan.org
WEST HARTFORD, CT: Companion MRI, located at 993 North Main St., West Hartford, CT 06117. They offer a mini-MRI scan for $750.00 and a full-MRI scan for $1,250.00, which includes a pre-anesthesia exam, anesthesia and monitoring during the MRI scan, a "high-field" MRI scan, MRI interpretation by a board certified radiologist, and a CD of the scan images. They offer reduced fees for groups of dogs. A veterinarian must refer the patient for these scans. Some financial assistance is available. Contact Alycia Pronesti, telephone 860-586-8610, E-mail: cmricne@companionmri.com, Website: companionmri.com
MIAMI, FL: Board certified veterinary neurologists Drs. Michael Wong, Nicholas De Pompa, and Simon Kornberg at Southeast Veterinary Neurology (SEVN) have announced they are offering reduced cost screenings ($900.00) of cavalier King Charles spaniels to diagnose Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia. The package includes a full physical and neurological exam, MRI scan using a high-field 1.5 Tesla MRI unit, anesthesia, a computer disc of the MRI images, and a detailed report reviewing the results in line with the BVA breeding guidelines. All screenings will take place at SEVN's Miami office. Call 305-274-2777 to schedule an appointment. Details are at this Internet link.
NAPLES, FL: Dr. Michelle Carnes, board certified veterinary neurologist at Animal Specialty Hospital of Florida, offers an MRI package for asymptomatic (non-clinical) patients at $900.00 (for three or more dogs), $1,000.00 (for two dogs), and $1,100.00 for one dog. The MRI scan is a mini-scan from interthalamic adhesion to C5. The price includes a neurologic exam/physical prior to the scan and a consultation following the scan for review of study, anesthesia, a written interpretation of the scan, and a copy of the MRI on a CD. Bloodwork is required and is not included in the price. Bloodwork should be no older than two weeks. A report from a board certified veterinary radiologist can be obtained for an additional fee. For more information, contact Eric Carnes, telephone 239-263-0480, email ecarnes@ashfl.com. Animal Specialty Hospital of Florida is located at 10130 Market Street, Suite 1, Naples, Florida 34112, telephone: 239-263-0480, fax: 239-263-0488, website: www.ashfl.com
FORT WAYNE, IN: Advanced Animal Imaging offers Cavalier breeders a $495.00 mini-scan MRI per dog, which includes a consultation, reading of the scan, and anesthesia. Pre-screening bloodwork is required prior to anesthesia and is available for $75.00 at the Indian Creek Veterinary Hospital in the same building. The clinic follows Dr. Rusbridge's SM MRI screening protocol. Contact the clinic at telephone 260-434-1555 to make appointments. Advanced Animal Imaging is located at 5902 Homestead Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46814, and its website is www.advancedanimalimaging.com
AMES, IA: The Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center at Iowa State University offers a mini-scan MRI package at approximately $800.00, consisting of an examination, MRI scan, and anesthesia. To schedule an appointment, call the neurology service at 515-294-4900. It is located at 1600 S. 16th Street, Ames IA 50011, and its website is vetmed.iastate.edu/vmc
OVERLAND PARK, KS: Dr. Brian C. Cellio, board certified veterinary neurologist at Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center in Overland Park, Kansas (near Kansas City) offers Cavalier breeders a $900.00 mini-scan MRI per dog for a minimum of five dogs up to ten dogs per day. Contact Dr. Cellio's technician, Mandi, telephone 913-642-9563 or 800-413-6851 to make appointments. The clinic is located at 11950 West 110th Street, Suite B, Overland Park, KS 66210, and its website is www.vseckc.com
COMMERCE, MI: Drs. Michael Wolf, Jared B. Galle, and Andrew Isaacs, board certified veterinary neurologists at Animal Neurology & MRI Center in Commerce, Michigan, offer Cavalier breeders reduced rates as low as $975.00 for an MRI scan. Rate includes a neurological examination, anesthesia, MRI scan and consultation/review of the MRI study with the neurologists, for a minimum of three dogs. Review and MRI imaging report from their board certified radiologist can be requested for an additional fee. Contact Dr. Wolf at the Animal Neurology & MRI Center, 1120 Welch Road., Commerce, MI 48390, Tel: 248-960-7200, email DrWolf@animalneurology.com, website www.animalneurology.com
STARKVILLE, MS: Dr. Andy Shores, board certified veterinary neurologist at Mississippi State University (MSU), announces that the Veterinary Specialty Center (VSC), an affiliate of MSU, is offering a breeding MRI screening program for CKCS and Brussels Griffon breeders. Owners may bring or fax copies of blood and urine analyses from their veterinarian (serum chemistries, electrolytes, CBC, urinalysis) or these tests can be performed on-site (cost: up to $35.00). A complete physical and neurologic examination will be provided at no additional cost. A metal Screening CT scan – required before all MRI exams will be performed for $55.00. Sedation/anesthesia, including an IV catheter and full and constant monitoring will be provided for $100.00. An MRI screening (3T magnet: Sagittal T2, Transverse T1 and T2) will be performed at a cost of $445.00. This also also screens for primary secretory otitis media (PSOM). The approximate total cost for a single patient is $600.00; however, if VSC screens 3 patients in one day, the cost will be approximately $550.00 each. The multiple patients screening is designed to accommodate owners with several dogs being considered as part of a breeding program. For the pricing break, VSC needs to screen at least 2 patients at each setting. Contact Dr. Shores' office at 662-325-7339.
COLUMBIA, MO: University of Missouri's College of Veterinary Medicine (Drs. Joan R. Coats, Dennis P. O'Brien, and Fred A. Wininger) offers CM/SM scans for $500.00, which includes "iso" anaesthesia. Blood work is additional and may be obtained ahead of time at your veterinarian's office. Contact Stephanie Gilliam, Neurology/Neurosurgery Technician, University of Missouri Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, 900 E. Campus Drive, Columbia, MO 65211, telephone 573-882-7821.
RALEIGH, NC: AnimalScan, at North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine's Department of Clinical Sciences, 4700 Hillsborough Street, Building 3, Raleigh, NC 27606, telephone 919-838-5209, email raleigh@animalscan.org website animalscan.org
AKRON, OH: Pets Dx Veterinary Imaging, Inc. in Akron, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, offers a partial MRI, at reduced group rates for Cavaliers, focusing on the head and neck, and includes a compact disc with an imaging program. Their MRIs may be reviewed, for an additional fee, by Dr. Patrick R. Gavin, Diplomate ACVR, Professor of Radiology, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, in consultation with the dog's veterinarian. Pets Dx Veterinary Imaging, Inc. is located at 1321 Centerview Circle, Akron, Ohio 44321, telephone 330-576-6275, and at 807 Camp Horne Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237, telephone 412-486-4800 and 412-348-2577. Its website is www.petsdx.com
LONDON, ON: Thames Valley Veterinary Services in London, Ontario offers reduced cost MRIs for Cavalier breeders, through the efforts of the CKCS Club of Canada. Current prices (as of June 2014): $475.00 CDN for a mini scan (not including blood work); $575.00 CDN for a full scan (not including blood work). Participants will also receive an MRI that meets all current scanning protocols, a CD copy of their MRI screening, and a report issued by a specialist. Contact Mary Beth Squirrell of the CKCS Canada club for more information, email mesquirrell@gmail.com
PITTSBURGH, PA: Pets Dx Veterinary Imaging, Inc., 807 Camp Horne Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237, telephone 412-486-4800 and 412-348-2577. See Akron, Ohio entry above for details.
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE: Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island offers full MRI scans for $1,40000 CDN (includes HST), blood work not included. Included are a pre-admission neurology exam and full night recovery, radiology and neurology reports. Website avc.upei.ca The CKCS Canada Club contact is susan@wayfinderconsulting.ca
MT PLEASANT, SC: Dr. Peter J. Brofman, (ACVIM Neurology & Internal Medicine) and Veterinary Specialty Care offer a reduced rate for MRIs for breeding screening protocols only. The fee of $1000 includes the MRI and anesthesia but pre-anesthetic blood work is not included. The MRI unit is a 1.5T magnet and is available for screenings Monday through Friday. Veterinary Specialty Care is located at 930 Pine Hollow Rd, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. You may contact Dr. Brofman at 843-884-2441, peterbrofman@gmail.com , or www.facebook.com/drpeterbrofman
PURCELLVILLE, VA: Pet MRI & Imaging Services, at Blue Ridge Veterinary Associates, 120 East Cornwell Lane, Purcellville, VA 20132, offers CM/SM mini-scans for $775.00. The clinic has three independent board certified veterinary Neurologists available to read and report the results to referring DVM within 24 hours. The price includes: IV cathater, anesthesia (typically Propofol induction and inhalant isoflourane), IV contrast, neuro-cranium MRI (multiple views to include sagittal, transverse, dorsal weighted at T1/ T2, etc.), scan review and report by the radiologist, and complete 1-on-1 patient monitoring thru recovery. The owners should be prepared to leave their pets for 3 to 5 hours for preparation, study, and recovery. A report will be emailed to the owner and referring veterinarian. Pre-anesthetic bloodwork (CBC CHEM) should be performed within 2 weeks of the scan, and may be done by the owner's regular veterinarian. If a patient needs a pre-anesthetic bloodwork panel, the clinic can do so for an additional $98.00. If a patient needs radiographs of the cervical region, those can be done for an additional $95.00. Microchips may be deactivated by the magnet used in the scan. Contact Christy Bell, CPC, LVT, at telephone 540-338-7387 (x104) or 703-606-8516 (work cell), email contact@petmrimaging.com or Blueridgevets@aol.com, website www.PetMRimaging.com
TACOMA, WA: Puget Sound Veterinary Referral Center, 5608 South Durango St, Tacoma, WA 98409, offers an MRI scan, including a CD of images and a written report, for $850.00 (blood work included). Contact them at 253-474-0791, website www.theaec.com
UNITED KINGDOM: See the list of MRI clinics on the website of The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club at www.thecavalierclub.co.uk/health/syringo/mriscan.html
NOTE: If you know of other MRI clinics offering reduced rate scans or mini-scans for SM or CM, please let us know by emailing us at Editor@CavalierHealth.org
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DNA Testing
Dr. Rusbridge reported in May 2010 that genetic researchers Quoc-Huy Trinh, Penny Knowler, Alexandra Thibault, Marie-Pierre Dubé, Guy A. Rouleau, Clare Rusbridge, and Zoha Kibar may have found the site for SM on the cavalier's genome. In a May 20, 2010 update on her website, Dr. Rusbridge publishes an interim report in highly technical wording, which states that they have located a haplotype which contains mutations in SM-affected dogs and does not contain such mutations in unaffected cavaliers. Gene sequencing and additional mapping of the locus are under way.
A team of Montreal researchers, including LeMay P, Trinh QH, Dubé MP, Rusbridge C, Rouleau GA, and Kibar Z, reported in June 2011 that they had identified a chromosome 2 region associated with Chiari-like malformation in the Brussels Griffon breed. See summary here.
In April 2014, the research team of Philippe Lemay, Susan P. Knowler, Samir Bouasker, Yohann Nédélec, Simon Platt, Courtenay Freeman, Georgina Child, Luis B. Barreiro, Guy A. Rouleau, Clare Rusbridge, and Zoha Kibar reported finding in the Brussels Griffon a potential "candidate" gene, SALL-1 in the Canis Familiaris Autosomes (CFAs) region CFA2 quantitative trait locus (QTL) . In other mammals, SALL-1 is known to be important in the development of the hind brain. They also identified CFA14 as another possible locus of a gene involved in the development of CM. As of 2014, similar research is underway with CKCSs.
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Progression
SM is a progressive disease * , but its progression can be is extremely variable. Some cavaliers initially may exhibit no scratching or pain; others tend to scratch with only mild pain and no other neurological signs. For some dogs, the initial mild symptoms may never worsen. Other CKCSs can be severely disabled by pain and neurological signs within twelve months of the first signs developing. As the SM syrinx enlarges, it may compress, and in some cases destroy, the surrounding spinal cord tissue.
* Chiari-like malformation (CM) also has been found to be progressive in some cavaliers.
Dr. Rusbridge stated in 2010, "In our experience, many cases of syringomyelia are not progressive, especially if the syrinx is small." In a 2011 study of 49 cavaliers, the UK researchers found that "the severity of SM was positively correlated with patient age. This is consistent with previous studies indicating that CKCS with SM were significantly older than dogs without SM (Couturier et al., 2008). It seems likely therefore, that SM is a progressive disease in dogs."
Clinical statistics show that about 45% of affected cavaliers develop signs of SM before their first birthday; another 40% will show symptoms between ages one and four years; the 15% balance develop signs later, with the oldest reported case of first developing symptoms at nearly seven years of age.
In a June 2011 study of 555 cavaliers without any symptoms of syringomyelia, 25% of the one year old dogs had SM and 70% of the dogs aged 6 years and older had SM.
In an October 2012 study by UK researchers of 48 cavaliers, nine of which had only CM and the rest had both CM and SM, neuropathic pain progressed in 75% of the dogs over a mean average period of 39 months. The researchers noted that it is not fully understood how CM/SM causes neuropathic pain, and they did not make any such finding.
In a November 2012 UK study by a team of veteran CM/SM researchers of 12 cavalier King Charles spaniels with Chiari-like malformation, they found that all of these conditions increased over time: syrinx width, height of the foramen magnum, length of cerebellar herniation, and caudal cranial fossa volume. The increase in the volume of the cranial fossa is believed to be due to resorption of the supraoccipital bone as syringomyelia progresses. They conclude: "We hypothesise that active resorption of the supraoccipital bone occurs due to pressure from the cerebellum. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the pathogenesis and variable natural clinical progression of CM and syringomyelia in CKCS."
This study confirms a finding in an October 2006 report by Dr. Clare Rusbridge and Penny Knowler that "on post-mortem examination, the supraoccipital bone overlying the cerebellar vermis is remarkably thin and sometimes eroded so that the foramen magnum is enlarged dorsally."
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The primary goal of treatment is to obtain relief from pain. Treatment options consist of drugs and surgery, as are examined in detail below. Dr. Rusbridge has prepared a diagram of treatment options, which she calls a treatment algorithm, which is downloadable here in pdf format.
. Dr. Rusbridge stated in 2010:
"In our experience, many cases of syringomyelia are not progressive, especially if the syrinx is small, i.e. not every case with this disease needs be managed surgically and many do well on medical management, with drugs that reduce cerebrospinal fluid pressure (e.g. antacids such as cimetidine and omeprazole), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and adjuvant analgesics such as gabapentin (see Drugs, below). When the surgery for this disease has questionable long-term success it may be more appropriate to treat mild cases medically. As a rule I rarely use corticosteroids when treating spinal cord disease."
--- anticonvulsants & their alternatives, for neuropathic pain
Anticonvulsants, such as gabapentin (Neurontin, Gabarone), have been successful in relieving neuropathic pain, which is evidenced by behaviors such as sensitivity to touch or phantom scratching. Gabapentin works through a receptor on the membranes of brain and peripheral nerve cells. It binds to 
In human studies, gabapentin has caused side effects, including sleepiness, dizziness, and leg edema, which were minimized by increasing the dose gradually and by taking the drug with food. WARNING: Beware of liquid formulations of gabapentin, which may include the sweetener xylitol, which is known to cause profound hypoglycemia and hepatic necrosis in dogs.
Gabapentin also may be given in combination with NSAIDs. It has been recommended that gabapentin be dosed once every 8 hours, as it lasts in the systems of most cavaliers that long. Gabapentin is commercially manufactured in no less than a 100 mg. capsule. If the dog is prescribed a lower dose than 100 mg and the capsule cannot be split or halved, the drug may have to be specially prepared by a compounding pharmacy.
A newer anticonvulsant, pregabalin (Lyrica, Accord, Alzain, Lecaent, Milpharm, Prekind, Rewisca, Sandoz, Zentiva), is being prescribed by some neurologists in treating SM. It is closely related to gabapentin and was developed by Pfizer, which also developed gabapentin. Pfizer reports that pregabalin is more potent than gabapentin and achieves its effect at lower doses. Doses of pregabalin also reportedly have a longer lasting effect than gabapentin. In a May 2016 study of six brands of pregabalin, the researchers found that "all brands are pharmaceutically equivalent in their quality aspects." They concluded that the lower cost brands of pregabalin could be used to treat epilepsy. The rearchers do not identify the names of the six brands of pregabalin.
Amitriptyline (Elavil, Tryptizol, Laroxyl, Sarotex) is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) by Merck which may be prescribed as an alternative to either gabapentin or pregabalin.
Zonisamide (Zonegram) is an anticonvulsant which in clinical trials appears to be effective for generalized seizures in dogs. It’s anti-seizure effect is believed to work through sodium and calcium channels. Dr. Curtis Dewey has conducted studies of this drug.
Levetiracetam (Keppra) is an anticonvulsant which can also be used in conjunction with phenobarbital and/or potassium bromide. it appears to be relatively safe for dogs, and reportedly rarely has any adverse side effects and does not appear to affect the liver or liver enzymes.
Oral opioids (pethidine, methadone, tramadol) are alternatives to anticonvulsants. Methylsulfonyl-methane (MSM) is recommended by some veterinary neurologists as a dietary supplement.
In an August 2015 study, researchers found that no significant quality-of-life difference was observed when cavaliers were treated with either gabapentin or topiramate (Topamax). They also found that their data suggested that the addition of either of these two drugs to dosing of the NSAID carprofen (Rimadyl, Quellin) may be more effective than carprofen alone.
--- NSAIDs, for non-neuropathic pain from Chiari-like malformation
The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as carprofen * (Rimadyl, Quellin), meloxicam (Metacam), firocoxib (Previcox), mavacoxib (Trocoxil), and aspirin, may relieve the symptoms of non-neuropathic pain, such as is caused by the Chiari-like malformation rather than from the syringomyelia, as evidenced by yelping when either being picked up of changing posture. These drugs do not retard deterioration due to progression of the SM.
* Carprofen (Rimadyl, Quellin) may have serious side effects and should not be given without a veterinarian's close guidance and monitoring.
It has been reported that SM-affected cavaliers have been found to have a high level of inflammatory proteins in their bodies, and that for that reason, NSAIDs often provide some initial relief from pain. Also, doxycycline, a tetracycline antibiotic designed to treat bacterial infections, has been prescribed to CM/SM patients as an anti-inflammatory similar to NSAIDs. An alternative to doxycycline is minocycline, which also is an antibiotic in the tetracycline family.
NSAIDs and other conventional analgesic medications have not been found to be effective by themselves to relieve neuropathic pain. Two 2007 studies (1) (2) show that the type of pain behavior suggests that the dogs experience neuropathic pain, probably due to disordered neural processing in the damaged dorsal horn, and that, "as such it is likely that conventional analgesic medication may be ineffective."
NSAIDs should not be administered without supervision by a veterinarian. The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) warns about the dangers of using NSAIDs here on its website.
In an April 2011 article, a Dutch researcher reported some successful results with the enodcannabinoid palmitoylethanolamide (Normast, Peapure), an analgesic compound.
--- proton pump inhibitors
Drugs which reduce the production of cerebrospinal fluid, including proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole (Prilosec, Losec, Omesec, Zegerid), and Pantoprazole (Protonix) are reported to be useful to reduce intracranial pressure. (See this April 1997 article: "We conclude that in the canine model, physiological doses of omeprazole decrease CSF production by about 26.") However, in a March 2016 article, researchers reported that, "There was no evidence of an effect of omeprazole on CSF production in healthy dogs."
Long term use of omeprazole is not recommended by some neurologists, as its long term use reportedly has increased the risk of stomach cancer in lab rats. Short term use reportedly can cause a "profound and sustained increase in serum gastrin concentration in dogs." See June 2011 report. As a proton-pump inhibitor, omeprazole inhibits some cytochrome P450 enzymes in humans (primarily CYP2C19) and may inhibit the clearance of some drugs, including diazepam, midazolam, warfarin, and carbamazepine. Omeprazole also reportedly impairs conversion of clopidogrel, an antiplatelet agent, to its active metabolite in humans, leading to decreased antiplatelet efficacy and increased risk for ischemic cardiac events. Omeprazole may also lead to digoxin toxicosis, possibly via inhibition of P-glycoprotein efflux of digoxin. See this June 2013 report.
As a potent inhibitor of gastric acid secretion, all proton pump blockers can decrease the absorption of compounds that require an acidic pH for optimal absorption, including iron supplements, oral zinc, ketoconazole, and itraconazole. This same interaction also applies to H2-blockers (e.g., Pepcid AC [famotidine]). Discontinuing antacids when ketoconazole or itraconazole is being given may be advisable. Alternatively, if antacids cannot be discontinued, fluconazole can be considered if indicated, as fluconazole absorption is not affected by changes in gastric pH. See this June 2013 report.
--- antihistamines
Neurologists have been prescribing cimetidine (Tagamet, Zitac), which is a histamine H2-receptor antagonist -- an antihistamine. Histamine contributes to inflammation and causes smooth muscles to constrict. Cimetidine is diffused into the cerebrospinal fluid and reportedly may contribute to reducing the flow of CSF. When taken with gabapentin, cimetidine also reportedly may increase the amount of gabapentin in the blood by decreasing its elimination. Therefore, when taken together, the dosages may require adjustment.
Cimetidine is a potent inhibitor of several families of cytochrome P450 enzymes and can also inhibit transporter pumps and decrease the renal excretion of some drugs, including clearance of many drugs, such as theophylline, lidocaine, midazolam, and propranolol. See this June 2013 report.
Another H2-blocker occasionally prescribed is Pepcid AC (famotidine).
Diuretics furosemide (Lasix, Diuride, Frudix, Frusemide) and spironolactone (Aldactone), also reduce the production of cerebrospinal fluid and are reported to be useful to reduce intracranial pressure. Diuretics are being used infrequently, due to side effects and the success of other CSF pressure reducers.
In an April 2016 article, a UK veterinary neurologist reported studying the effect of furosemide therapy upon the progression of syrinx growth in seven cavalier King Charles spaniels. He stated:
"In all seven dogs, syrinx width and length increased at the follow-up MRI and in four cases a new syrinx had developed (Table 1). Furosemide did not prevent further syrinx expansion nor reduce the size of the syrinx but it remains unknown whether the medical treatment may have delayed the inevitable expansion of the syrinx. Studies of a larger population and prospective, randomised, blinded comparisons between different treatments (medical, surgical, medical vs surgical) are needed to ascertain which will produce the best clinical results."
--- carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, such as acetazolamide (Diamox) also serve to decrease the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, but their adverse side effects of abdominal pain, lethargy, weakness, and bone marrow suppression limit long term use. Methazolamide (Glauctabs, MZM, Neptazane), also is a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. Carbonic anhydrase is a protein which can affect fluid production in various parts of the body. Methazolamide reduces the activity of this protein. It's initial use was to treat glaucoma by reducing the amount of fluid produced in the eyes and therefore also reducing pressure in the eye.
--- other drugs
Some neurologists are prescribing amantadine (Endantadine, Symmetrel), an N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonist, which is used for control of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease in humans, together with gabapentin or pregabalin. Amantadine is believed to release brain dopamine from nerve endings making it more available to activate dopaminergic receptors.
In a June 2017 article, a German internal medicine specialist treated two cavalier King Charles spaniels with the main symptom of "nonspecific itching", both diagnosed by MRI to have Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia, with oclacitinib (Apoquel), a selective inhibitor of janus kinase (JAK1 and JAK3) enzymes, which are proteins involved in signaling a pathway that results in itching and inflammation. She stated that, in the case of allergic dermatitis, oclacitinib inhibits itching in the neurological range. She reported:
"In the two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels presented, a therapy with oclacitinib was initiated in the standard dose, which is recommended for atopic dermatitis (0.4-0.6 mg / kg 2 × daily for 14 days, then 1 × daily administration). . Result and conclusion: After only 2 days the itching is clearly reduced, no scratching behavior can be observed after 1 week and the owners report a generally improved general condition. Both patients are taking the drug for a year now and are clinically inconspicuous, side effects have not occurred."
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain. Melatonin supplement has been prescribed by veterinarians to ease anxiety and restlessness in dogs. Some vets also have prescribed it for dogs with SM symptoms. Since melatonin is a hormone, it should not be given to dogs without the advice of a veterinarian. Melatonin can have adverse side effects, and in particular, it is contraindicated for dogs that are pregnant or lactating.
--- corticosteroids
Before the disease progresses to its severe form, the use of anti-inflammatory corticosteroids, such as prednisolone (Prelone, Prednidale), methyl-prednisolone (Medrol, Medrone), and dexamethasone (Decadron, Dexamethasone Intensol, Dexone, Hexadrol), may relieve the symptoms but not the deterioration. As a general rule, corticosteroids should be reserved for a last resort, although some neurologists will start initial treatment of symptomatic dogs with a combination of an anticonvulsants, such as gabapentin, and a none-inflammatory corticosteroid. However, dogs should never be treated with both a cortisteroid and an NSAID at the same time. See this March 2011 report.
Corticosteroids have serious side effects, such as weight, gait, and skin changes, and harmful suppression of the immune system. Long term use of these drugs is not advised.
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-- alternative care
Holistic supplements should be taken only if prescribed by a licensed veterinarian who also is holistically trained. Search webpages for finding holistic veterinarians in the United States are located here and here.
In a September 2016 article, a UK veterinarian reported on the successful use of acupuncture (photo at right) to control the signs of pain in a cavalier King Charles spaniel suffering from Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia (CM/SM). The acupuncture was in addition to conventional medical treatment. He noted:
"This patient exhibited signs which suggested it was also suffering from headaches. It often presented with a frowning expression and during these times intensely disliked being touched, rubbed or patted on the head. Acupuncture had a definite positive effect on this patient with reductions in all the signs including the signs of phantom scratching and vocalisation."
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Surgery usually is successful in significantly reducing the pain and improving the neurological deficits. Neurologists experienced with CM and SM in cavaliers have found that early surgical treatment is more successful than waiting and considering it as a last resort, and that the longer the dog has been in pain, the less likely it will recover. Dr. Andy Shores of Mississippi State University has stated that, "Severely affected patients with syrinxes <3mm in diameter that respond poorly to medical management might also benefit from surgery."
The earliest reported surgeries to relieve CM was a series of suboccipital craniectomies and cranial dorsal laminectomies by a team of Belgium neurosurgeons in 2003. They had little success. Read their report here.
One form of surgery is called foramen magnum decompression (FMD), or suboccipital decompression, surgery. The surgeon removes the supraoccipital bone and the cranial dorsal laminae of the atlas. (See the decompression site over the occipital bone and foramen magnum, outlined in diagram at right.) Decompression surgery may include incising through the dura sac, a tough membrane which contains the brain inside of the skull, and installing a dural graft or shunt, to allow more space for the cerebellum and to reduce the pressure of the flow of CSF. In some surgeries, the entire occipital bone also is removed. A less frequent surgical procedure is subarachnoid shunting, which essentially is a salvage operation when the surgeon has no other surgical options. All FMD surgeries are technically difficult and should be performed only by experienced neurological surgeons.
Although this form of surgery often is successful, it may be expensive, and many dogs may either have a recurrence of the disease or still show signs of pain and scratching. Some post-operative pain is only temporary, due to leakage of CSF through the incision in the dura until that incision heals, or because the syrinx is still present after the surgery. The most frequent reason for recurrence reportedly is the development of post-operative scar tissue which compresses the cervicomedullary junction. Scar tissue has required additional surgery to remove it in about 25% of all FMD surgical cases. To avoid the development of scar tissue, it is important to not allow the dog too much freedom of movement or excitement during the healing process, which may last from three to six months.
In an effort to prevent such scar tissue from re-compressing the junction, modified versions of FMD include 
Decompression surgery is not expected to cure the SM. It is intended to reduce the pressure and stop the progression of the syrinxes. Damage done to the brain and spinal cord before the surgery usually will not be reversed, and most dogs will need to continue on medications afterwards, including gabapentin or pregabalin and cortisteroids, depending upon the severity of that damage before the surgeries. The neurologists also may recommend that the post-surgery patient undergo rehabilitation physical therapy, in part to offset debilitating effects to the muscles, which may result from long term doses of cortisteroids.
--- cranioplasty using titanium
The titanium procedure is called cranioplasty. Dr. Curtis W. Dewey, veterinary neurologist in New York, and Dr. Dominic J. Marino, board certified veterinary neuro-surgeon, also in New York, and Dr. Wayne L. Berry, veterinary neurologist in California inserting the titanium mesh in several surgeries thus far. And now other specialists, including Dr. Graham Oliver in the UK, are performing the cranioplasty procedure.
In a report published in July 2007 in Veterinary Surgery, Drs. Dewey and Marino wrote: "Foramen Magnum Decompression (FMD) with cranioplasty was well tolerated, with no intraoperative complications, and minor postoperative complications. Most dogs improved clinically, and none required further surgery at the original FMD site." Dr. Dewey also has reported that the "re-operation rate" has been reduced to 10% or less of all FMD surgeries with the titanium mesh cranioplasty. See more about Drs. Dewey and Marino under Current Research below.
Dr. Thomas Schubert at the University of Florida applies a calcium-based bone cement over the porous titanium mesh to further prevent scarring.
--- duraplasty using swine or bovine tissue
The alternative of a tent graft of swine or bovine collagen tissue and body fat is called duraplasty.* Dr. Andy Shores, veterinary 
* It is called duraplasty because the tissue is used as a substitute to the portion of the dura which was cut during the surgery.
In a report published in October 2009 at the American College of Veterinary Surgeons' annual symposium, the researchers stated: "Overall, recovery was considered to be good to excellent by owners. To date, none of the patients that have undergone this surgical procedure have required further surgical intervention due to postoperative compressive scar formation that has been reported in the previous literature. Follow-up time ranges from 1 week to 1 year. . The use of the titanium mesh, placement of the screws, and the exothermic reaction of the overlying methyl methacrylate may contribute to tissue trauma. The authors conclude that with the results of this study, this procedure is clinically effective and the use of a titanium mesh, additional hardware and methyl methacrylate offers no advantage in canine COMS patients."
In a December 2017 article, a team of Korean veterinary surgeons report the successful grafting of Lyoplant, a pure collagen implant that is produced from bovine pericardium, as a substitute for the portion of the brain's dura removed during foramen magnum decompression surgery of a Maltese dog diagnosed with Chiari-like malformation, and syringomyelia. They conclude that "surgical decompression with Lyoplant was an effective long-term (12-month) treatment for COMS without the need for any pharmacological treatment."
--- duraplasty using only patient's fat tissue
In a 2015 case study, a team of Korean surgeons report the successful duraplasty procedure on four CM/SM-affected dogs (breeds unidentified) using only the patients' own fat tissue.
--- duraplasty using tissue adhesives
Synthetic dural substitutes in duraplasty procedures include inserting a soft foam consisting of a collagen-based matrix (e.g., DuraGen, by Integra LifeSciences Corporation). The collagen matrix supports the ingrowth of local cells while the matrix itself is fully resorbed over time. Dr. Michael Harrington, Animal Neurosurgery and Neurology, Murray, Utah, reportedly uses this technique.
--- cranioplasty using LactoSorb SE mesh
LactoSorb SE mesh is a biodegradable polymer designed to resorb in the human body by hydrolysis within a year. Dr. Thomas Schubert at the University of Florida has tried it instead of titanium mesh in cranioplasty surgeries performed on cavaliers. He since has switched back to using the titanium mesh. The polymer reportedly is equal in strength to titanium at initial placement, retains 70% of its initial strength for the first eight weeks, and then gradually is eliminated from the body. It is manufactured by Biomet Microfixation, LLC of Jacksonville, Florida.
--- syringosubarachnoid shunt
The shunt consists of a small silicone tube. One end is inserted into the subarchnoid space of the spinal cord below the syrinx, and the other end is inserted into the syrinx (see below, left). Thus it is called a syringosubarachnoid shunt (S-S shunt). Shunting drains the syrinx fluid into the subarachnoid space where the usual CSF circulation and absorption mechanisms exist. This should reduce the size of the syrinx and ease pain and other the clinical signs associated with CM/SM.
"S-S shunting is a safe and relatively effective surgical technique that may improve the neurological signs and the quality of life of dogs affected by CM and associated SHM/SM. Postoperative complications or lack of clinical improvement may occur in a small number of cases and a secondary surgery may be needed. This study also suggests that the S-S shunt may lead to a satisfactory outcome in dogs where the FMD [foramen magnum decompression] technique has failed. Comparisons between different surgical techniques are needed to create objective criteria that may suggest which procedure will produce the best surgical results."
Mr. Skerritt and Dr. Motta may be contacted at ChesterGates Animal Referral Hospital, Telford Court, ChesterGates, Chester, UK, CH1 6LT, telephone 01244 853823, email GCSkerritt@aol.com.
--- conclusion about surgeries
Many of these studies have been "case studies", meaning that they were practiced without the controls normally included in clinical trials. In the July 2007 issue of Veterinary Surgery, Dr. Richard A. LeCouteur, board certified veterinary neurologist at the University of California, writes that "Medical history is replete with examples of invasive procedures and pharmacologic interventions that were widely accepted based on results of case studies, only to later be rejected based on results of controlled clinical trials. . It’s time to adopt a more structured scientific approach to the study of the management of neurologic conditions that may benefit from surgical intervention. The randomized (preferably) double-blinded (preferably) placebo-controlled study is the gold standard for evaluating a new treatment intervention."
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-- post-surgery soundwave therapy
The manufacturer of the device represents that AlphaSonic™ is safer and more effective than ultrasound, penetrates deeper into the tissues, reduces inflammation, and softens scar tissue. It can be applied locally and at acupressure points, and is said to increase blood circulation and can allow the body to heal itself, much like the affects of acupuncture, but without the needles.
The device is electrically operated and looks very similar to an ultrasound unit. Dr. Ronald J. Riegel, DVM, who has studied the effects of the AlphaSonic™ since 2001, stated, "The goal of any physical therapy modality is to increase the circulation and increase the elasticity and flexibility of the tissue. the alphasonic absolutely increases circulation and allows the body to heal itself. The metabolism is increased, reducing recovery times".
Adequate hydration is important for optimum bodily function. The dog should be kept hydrated before, during, and after treatment with fresh clean water. Although the manufacturer reports that AlphaSonic™ is totally safe and that no negative side effects are known, any AlphaSonic™ treatments for dogs with veterinary conditions, especially those taking medication, should be performed only under the guidance of a qualified, licensed veterinarian. For more information about AlphaSonic™, contact Susan Stoltz at AlphaSonic, P.O. Box 2727, Valley Center, CA 92082, telephone 760-751-2836, email alphasonics@sbcglobal.net, websites www.alphasonic.com and www.makepaingoaway.com
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Breeders' Responsibilities
SM has a tendency to be more severe in each subsequent generation, and with an earlier onset. Breeders should follow the SM Breeding Protocol. Also, the confirmation indicator research described above is to aid in risk assessment to provide breeders with a tool to use with their breeding stock.
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What You Can Do
• Send MRI scans of cavaliers 5 years old or older and which do not have SM, along with MRIs of those dogs' family members, to Dr. Clare Rusbridge at neurovet@virginmedia.com Read about it here.
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Syringomyelia Seminars
Finningley, Doncaster, UK -- February 1, 2015 -- Northern and Eastern Counties Papillon Club. "Syringomylelia and Chari-like Malformation", featuring Penny Knowler. The seminar will be held at Finningley Village Hall, Finningley, Doncaster, DN9 3DA. The cost of £15-00 includes lunch. The club also will be holding a raffle and donating part of the entry fee to the research programe. Contact Eileen Roberts at 0116 2570277 for reservations or additional information.
International Symposium on Syringomyelia held October 23, 24, 25, 2007 in Rugby UK, sponsored by The Ann Conroy Trust, with the University of Birmingham, the Society of British Neurological Surgeons, and the Spine Society of Europe. Speakers were Clare Rusbridge, Dominic Marino, Graham Flint, Guy Rouleau, and Sarah Blott. Obtain compact discs of all five talks and the hour long Q&A session with leading experts on syringomyelia and the Chiari-like malformation in cavaliers, for a contribution to support CKCS genome research at http://www.cafepress.com/cavaliertalk/4311456
Syringomyelia International Conference held November 11, 2006 at the Royal Veterinary College: Read summaries of presentations by Clare Rusbridge, Paul Mandigers, Laurent Cauzinille, Harvey Carruthers, Nick D. Jeffery, Catherine A. Loughin, Martin Deutschland, Dominic J. Marino, and G. Flint, and view their slide presentations.
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Related Links
Dr. Clare Rusbridge:
Dr. Clare Rusbridge video DVD "Syringomyelia Seminar", contactpenny.knowler@ntlworld.com
A website devoted to syringomyelia in Cavaliers is Karlin Lillington's SM.CavalierTalk.com
Two SM support email groups for owners of dogs with SM are Yahoo! Group: Arnold Chiari Dogs
Two SM email discussion groups are Yahoo! Group: CKCS-SM
A website and a book about a Cavalier diagnosed with syringomyelia is at For the love of Ollie.
Cavalier Owners' Blogs:
Brussels Griffon Owner's Blog:
showing additional MRIs and x-rays of SM-affected or CM Cavaliers:
For answers to frequently asked questions about MRIs and what to expect if your dog is to undergo one, see PetsDx - Pet Owners Frequently Asked Questions
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CM and SM in Other Breeds
Other breeds known to be affected by Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia include the Affenpinscher, Bichon Frisé, Boston terrier, Brussels Griffon (Griffon Bruxellois), bull terrier, Chihuahua, French bulldog, Havanese, King Charles spaniel (the English toy spaniel), Maltese terrier, miniature dachshund, miniature and toy poodles, Papillon, Pomeranian, Pug, Shih Tzu, Staffordshire bull terrier, and the Yorkshire terrier, as well as cross-breed dogs, particularly CKCS crosses. Up to 65% of MRI'd Griffon Bruxellois breed have been found to have Chiari-like malformation (CM). In a September 2017 article, 100% of 53 Chihuahuas had CM and 38% of them had SM. Click on the breeds' hyperlinked names to link to Internet articles about CM and SM in those breeds.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: En liten guide för hundägare
Det är vanligt att personer upptäcker hur givande det är att ha en alternativt fler Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, och det har dessutom blivit väldigt populärt med Cavalier King Charles Spaniel för flera hundägare. Därför är det även naturligt att intresset för att lära sig mer om Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ökar, och att ägare av Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ständigt vill hitta mer kunskap om rasen, dela med sig av sina egna erfarenheter av att vara ägare av Cavalier King Charles Spaniel samt ta del av andra ägares värdefulla kunskaper.
Allt för att samtliga ägare av Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ska få ut det mesta av sin relation.
Denna sajt handlar om just sådan information – smått och gott som är värt att känna till om Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (praktiska detaljer, övergripande information med mera) – och målet med denna sajt är just att såväl ägare som hundar ska kunna funka på ultimata vis i vardagen tack vare den upplysning som återfinns på platsen.
Registrering i kennelklubben är en god början
En bra idé som nybliven ägare av Cavalier King Charles Spaniel är att registrera hunden hos Svenska Kennelklubben, som företräder såväl samtliga hundägare som hundar i Sverige och har många tusentals medlemmar. Då blir det lättare att finna allmänna tips som är relevanta för hundägare i allmänhet samt ägare av Cavalier King Charles Spaniel särskilt, samt att ta kontakt med andra ägare av Cavalier King Charles Spaniel för att ha möjlighet att träffas samt byta erfarenheter och/eller låta hundarna leka alternativt realisera eventuell avel på ett bra vis.
Hundmat för Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Hundmaten är en relevant fråga för Cavalier King Charles Spaniel utveckling. Genom att säkerställa att din hund intar en riktigt bra samt balanserad föda ger du hunden möjligheter till ett långt och trevligt liv ihop med dig. Utöver att hunden mår bättre – vilket självklart har ett egenvärde i sig – och därmed även blir ett mer trivsamt sällskap kan också korrekt hundmat rent av vara en riktigt god ekonomisk investering över tid.
Rätt kosttillskott kan till exempel vara en viktig del. Genom att spendera lite mer alternativt vara mer noggrann i urvalet kan man spara mycket pengar (samt förbättra vardagen för alla parter) genom att med en god kost hålla hunden välmående och därmed förhoppningsvis undvika återkommande och kostsamma besök hos veterinären med din Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Således är det betydelsefullt att ta till sig av expertinformation och hålla sig uppdaterad om nya vetenskapliga råd och rön om hundmat för Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Dressyrträning av Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Så som många andra raser kan dressyrträning av Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vara ett helt utmärkt vis att skapa en god relation med hunden, genom att umgås under långa stunder i form av en aktivitet som både ägare samt hund gillar, samtidigt som hundens motoriska färdigheter utvecklas och både hund samt ägare får välbehövlig motion.
Bra hundartiklar – rejäl hjälp för ägare av Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
En övrig betydande aspekt för att ge Cavalier King Charles Spaniel en god omgivning att utvecklas i är att investera i hundartiklar av bra kvalitet på varje relevant område: allt ifrån koppel till munkorgar, liggunderlag och så vidare. Det bidrar till möjlighet för hunden och dig som ägare att få det lättare i vardagen tack vare att skonsamma material används och hög funktion upprätthålls, och hunden får rätt redskap för att kunna utnyttja sin potential till max.
Bra hundartiklar samt brett urval inom flera områden finns exempelvis på sajter som brahund.se, en sajt som åstadkommer att du enkelt kan hitta det mesta du behöver till din Cavalier King Charles Spaniel utan större ansträngning.
Smaksatt kolsyrat vatten – uppfriskande och nyttigt
Joy de Vie
Hvad kaldes racen
Det er heller ikke ualmindeligt at finde forkortelsen CKCS flere steder.
Der findes en race ved navn King Charles Spaniel; dette er ikke den samme race som Cavalieren! De kan godt ligne hinanden en smule, men der er også store forskelle udseendsmæssigt. Temperaments-mæssigt er de meget forskellige.
The love sponge
Cavalieren suger kontakt, omsorg og fællesskab til sig.
De har BRUG for at være sammen med mennesker en stor del af tiden, de har LYST til at være sammen med menensker hele tiden.
Udseendet i detaljer
Denne standard er grundlaget for dommernes bedømemlse ved udstillinger samt opdrætternes pejlemærke for hvordan vi skal avle for at avle racetypiske Cavalierer. Du kan læse den FCI standarden for Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ved at klikke på linket her på siden.
Om Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, i daglig tale: Cavalieren.
De fire anerkendte farver for Cavalieren:
Black and Tan : Ravnsort med tan-farvede aftegninger over øjnene, på kinderne, indersiden af ørerne, på bryst og ben og på halens underside. Tan-farven skal være ren og klar. Hvide aftegninger er uønskede.
Ruby: Ensfarvet varmt rГёd. Hvide aftegninger er uГёnskede.
Blenheim : Varmt kastaniebrune aftegninger på perlehvid bund, jævnt fordelt og klart adskilt fra hinanden. Aftegningerne på hovedet skal være symmetriske og give plads mellem ørerne til den meget værdsatte, ruderformede plet eller "spot" (et træk, der er helt specielt for racen).
Tricolour: Sort og hvidt godt fordelt og klart adskilt, med tan-farvede aftegninger over Гёjnene, pГҐ kinderne, pГҐ indersiden af Гёrer og ben og pГҐ halens underside.
Enhver anden farve eller farvekombination er hГёjst uГёnsket.
Pelsplejen ved Cavalieren
Racen har en meget blød og fin pels, kombineret med de lange faner ved særligt øre, hale og bagparti, kan pelsen nemt filtre til. Det er dog nemt at vedligeholde sin Cavalier, da den ikke kræver hverken trimning eller klipning, men med regelmæssig børstning får man en flot pels.
Jeg anbefaler at man minimum en gang i ugen sætter sig ned med en børste og en hundekam med runde tænder i forskellig længde, og børster sin hund godt igennem. På denne måde er pelsen fint vedligeholdt og man minimerer fældningen.
Derudover et bad efter behov og dertilhørende tørring af pels og kæmning.
Som enhver anden hund skal Cavalieren også have renset ører, klippet negle og gerne børstet tænder for at fjerne tandsten.
Skal Cavalieren bruges til udstilling, er vedligeholdelsen af pelsen dog en helt anden.
Cavalierens egenskaber og temperement
Cavalieren vil også meget gerne træne og er lærenemme. Man finder gerne racen repræsenteret ved både almindelig lydighed, jagttræning, agility, rally, dog dancing m.m.
Vær opmærksom på sundheden i dit valg!
Racen har en ufattelig evne til at tilpasse sig, hvilket gГёr at bГҐde store familier, enlige, Г¦ldre, yngre, dem i lejlighed, hus, gГҐrd og mange andre forskelligheder vi mennesker har, alle kan finde Cavalieren interessant til netop deres hundehold.
MEN, man skal være meget opmærksom på de racerelaterede sygdomme Cavalieren døjer med.
Herunder: hjerte, knæ, øjne og sygdommene CCS og EFS, som alle er sygdomme der kan være arvelige.
Hvorfor vælge en Cavalier? Her er 10 gode grunde.
- - Гёnsker du/I den ideelle familiehund, som de lidt stГёrre bГёrn eller bГёrnebГёrnene selv kan lufte?
- ønsker du/I en lille og hurtig hund, som kan bruges til lydighedstræning eller agility?
- Гёnsker du/I en hund, der uden problemer kan lege med andre hunde?
- Гёnsker du/I en engageret hund til at tage med pГҐ fuglejagt?
- ønsker du/I en nem udstillingshund, som ikke kræver alt for megen skønhedspleje?
- Гёnsker du/I en fredelig hund, som er nem at have i en lejlighed?
- Гёnsker du/I en hund, der elsker at ligge i sofaen?
- Гёnsker du/I en hund, der vil elske dig/jer betingelseslГёst?
- Гёnsker du/I en hund, der er nem at tage med pГҐ besГёg til familie og venner?
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CavalierTalk: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Board & Forum
Welcome to the CavalierTalk: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Board & Forum.
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Prenisone side effects
18th July 2016, 04:47 AM
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Hello
3rd November 2016, 06:30 PM
Rupert's Fund BIG fundraising AUCTION!
Come bid on these fantastic fundraiser items! Closes 9 pm GMT on 29th April
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Christmas Auction for.
30th November 2014, 12:40 PM
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Petplan US - Ridiculous.
2nd February 2018, 09:22 PM
Training & showing; and puppy questions & issues
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Inexplicable marking.
3rd March 2017, 09:05 PM
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Products Designed by Award.
6th February 2018, 05:09 PM
Cavalier breed rescue
Rescue CKCS anywhere needing homes, foster, transport. Rescue dogs ONLY: no sales/personal rehomings
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Two Found Cavaliers
27th January 2015, 09:22 PM
In Memoriam
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Farewell Pippin
31st December 2017, 12:58 AM
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Chocolate (and coffee).
10th July 2012, 03:19 PM
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Considering Starting Raw Diet
14th November 2017, 01:25 PM
SM and MVD cavaliers forum
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- MRIs: one breeder's personal journey
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Tufts researchers locate.
18th July 2017, 05:18 PM
Rupert's Fund
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I'm thinking of adding.
22nd April 2009, 11:47 PM
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Choosing a dog food: what to.
28th December 2009, 12:37 PM
The puppy farm industry, mass breeders & brokers
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Cavalier mass breeders, and.
26th October 2008, 12:18 PM
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29th April 2015, 01:52 AM
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Mmm
11th August 2013, 02:46 AM
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My three girls
24th October 2015, 04:45 PM
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8th February 2015, 09:49 AM
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Nova Growling on command
12th March 2016, 06:10 PM
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Cavaliers At Work " New.
12th August 2013, 03:15 AM
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CavalierTalk: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Board & Forum Statistics
Welcome to our newest member, rerrof44
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RUPERT'S FUND is our project to raise funds for MRI scans for researchers working on syringomyelia, and help other cavalier health issues too. Learn more: www.rupertsfund.com
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Just posted this design available on many products. This one is a duvet cover.
Products Designed by Award Winning.
Holly P has an inherited defect so is not eligible for health insurance. 2 weeks ago she caught a claw on the double paw on something in the.
Petplan US - Ridiculous premium.
Unfortunately, I have a rather over-adventurous Cavalier. All I need is for her to put her foot down a rabbit hole and break her leg and that would.
Petplan US - Ridiculous premium.
Wow, thank you for the comparisons. At least the increases are not as harsh (11%, 13%, 15%) but it's interesting that the amount of reimbursement.
Petplan US - Ridiculous premium.
Here's an update: 2018: $968 ($10k vet fees, $500 ded., 70% reimbursement) = 15% increase 2017: $842 ($10k vet fees, $500 ded., 70%.
Petplan US - Ridiculous premium.
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