Cavapoo Health Issues: 8 Common Cavapoo Health Problems to Look Out For!
Cavapoo health issues are an important topic to be educated on as a pet parent. Every Cavapoo owner wants their dog to live a long, happy, and most importantly, healthy life. Being informed about common Cavapoo health problems and knowing what preventative measures you can take, can help prolong the health of your beloved dog!
Do Cavapoos Have Health Issues?
Yes, of course, Cavapoo health issues exist. That being said, health issues exist in every dog breed, so this isn’t shocking news. Cavapoos are a crossbreed Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Poodle mix. Because they’re not a purebred, this does decrease their risk of inheriting some common genetic conditions, but that doesn’t mean they’re perfectly healthy either. They do run the risk of developing a genetic health issue from either parent, as well as other Cavapoo health issues due to the unique genetic hand they’re dealt, the environment, and much more!
If you have a Cavapoo or are considering getting one, don’t panic! Cavapoos are generally healthy dogs, it’s just important to be aware and make proactive choices to preserve your dog’s health. As Cavapoo owners, we want the best for our pets, including the best health and the best veterinary care. That’s why I recommend investing in pet insurance. Accidents and illnesses can happen at any time. With pet insurance, you can rest assured knowing your Cavapoo can get the care they need at an affordable price!
For my dog, Chewie, I use Healthy Paws Pet Insurance. I was skeptical at first of investing in pet insurance, but after weighing the pros and cons, I’d never go back to being unprotected. For an affordable monthly rate, I have peace of mind that Chewie will always get the care he needs, without costing me an arm and a leg.
Cavapoo Health Issues from the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Side
Entropion in Cavapoos
Entropion is a common condition in dogs, including both the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle. It’s a particularly painful condition where either eyelid rolls inward.
This is believed to be caused by a genetic inheritance leading to the undesirable and painful condition to exist. The rolling in of the eyelid causes other issues due to the rubbing of eyelashes on the eye itself. This can lead to pain, swelling, corneal ulcers, and more.
Because of the pain and more serious side effects of entropion, it must be treated promptly. Treatment can vary depending on severity, but more often than not, surgery will be required. Depending on whether a general veterinarian, a canine ophthalmologist, or other specialist performs the surgery, it can range significantly from $300-$1,500.
Mitral Valve Disease in Cavapoos
Mitral valve disease is the most common heart defect among dogs. The mitral valve is responsible for preventing backflow of blood through the chambers of the heart. When a dog has mitral valve disease, the mitral valve is not able to correctly do its job, meaning there is backflow of blood through the heart.
Early signs of mitral valve disease include a heart murmur without any other symptoms. As it progresses, the symptoms get worse. This can include loss of consciousness, exercise intolerance, and in rare cases, sudden death. Luckily, there is treatment. Treatment isn’t necessary until the dog begins to exhibit symptoms. The first line of treatment is medications.
Cataracts in Cavapoos
Cataracts are essentially a foggy clouding over the lens of the eye. They can cause partial or complete vision loss if left untreated. Surgical treatment is an option to help preserve the vision.
While the surgery itself is highly successful, dog’s don’t understand what has happened, and can cause self-inflicted damage to their eyes after the surgery by scratching at them, or excessive activity. Cataracts are one of the more expensive Cavapoo health issues to treat, often costing between $1,500-$5,000 per eye!
Hernia in Cavapoos
Most people wouldn’t associate hernias with dogs, but it can happen to them too! Inguinal hernias are more common in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel than other dog breeds, meaning this is one of the Cavapoo health problems with elevated breed-specific risk. Some hernias are worse than others, but all will require surgical treatment as they will not resolve on their own.
In the grand scheme of things, hernias are fairly affordable to repair, costing at maximum around $500 for the surgery, and any lab work necessary. Not all hernias are created equal. Mild hernias may not need immediate treatment, but more severe hernias can be considered an emergency.
Cavapoo Health Problems from the Poodle Side
Epilepsy in Cavapoos
Epilepsy is characterized as the presence of spontaneous seizure activity. This is yet another one of the Cavapoo health issues that are common in both Poodles and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. While seizures can be caused by an abundance of issues, epilepsy is a specific condition because the seizures have no underlying cause.
Mild cases likely won’t require treatment, while more severe cases will require lifelong medications. On the lower end, medication prices run between $200-$500, but can cost much more.
Patellar Luxation in Cavapoos
Patellar luxation is a common joint issue, especially in smaller breeds, such as the Cavapoo. This condition is essentially a dislocated knee. Basically, the knee joint slides around to the outside of the knee, and causes instability in the joint. This can develop due to a genetic predisposition, excessive stress of the knee joints, or other pre-existing Cavapoo health problems.
Luxating patellas can range in severity, but surgery is almost required regardless. Surgery tends to run between $1,500-$3,000. Even with surgery, some patellar luxations may be impossible to correct completely, causing chronic pain and a possible limp for your Cavapoo.
Legg Perthes Disease in Cavapoos
This condition is generally noted before one year of age. Legg Perthes is a primarily genetic condition. The ball and socket joint of the hip don’t fit together quite right, and causes a lack of blood flow to the joint. Blood is essential and without it, the tissue begins to die. This leads to a change in the shape of the bone, pain, and a limp.
Pain relief and surgical correction of the issue is the main line of treatment, but it won’t be cheap. The surgery alone will cost between $1,000-$3,000.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy in Cavapoos
Your Cavapoo’s eyes contain photoreceptor cells, which helps dogs to process images. Progressive retinal atrophy is a group of degenerative diseases that affects these photoreceptor cells. The cells deteriorate over time. When the cells deteriorate, the dog will lose their vision permanently. This is primarily a hereditary condition, that tragically has no known cure.
Are Cavapoo Health Issues Common?
We already established that Cavapoo health issues do exist. That being said, Cavapoo health problems aren’t particularly more common or severe than other, similar breeds. While the Cavapoo is fairly healthy in general, the individual DNA of your puppy plays a big role. One Cavpaoo puppy from a litter may be healthy their whole life, while another may have a chronic condition. Cavapoo health issues can be caused by a ton of things, from DNA, to breeding practices, to age, and so much more.
As a Cavapoo owner, we know we can’t protect our fur babies from everything, but we sure can try. Let’s take a look at some preventative measures to help your Cavapoo live a long, healthy life.
How to Protect Your Pet from Cavapoo Health Problems
Choose a Knowledgeable & Ethical Cavapoo Breeder
The first step to preventing Cavapoo health problems begins when you decide on a breeder. As we said before, all dog breeds have health issues, so if a breeder tries to tell you that Cavapoos are 100% healthy, you may want to find a new breeder. Dogs from puppy mills, pet stores, or backyard breeders have an increased risk of being unhealthy and facing Cavapoo health issues down the road.
Not only do responsible Cavapoo breeders use safe breeding practices, they also ensure proper socialization and do genetic testing on the parents to decrease the risk of passing on genetic health issues. Overall, an ethical breeder is a great starting point for ensuring a healthy Cavapoo.
Make the Decision to Get Pet Insurance
An unexpected accident or illness can cause a huge financial stress, which is why pet insurance is becoming increasingly popular. Pet insurance can cover up to 90% of vet bills, meaning you never have to stress about how to afford both getting your Cavapoo care and paying your bills.
There are plenty of pet insurance companies out there, but my personal favorite is Healthy Paws. After extensive research, I decided that Healthy Paws would be the best fit for my dog, Chewie, and me because it had affordable prices and also offered great coverage. While everyone’s prices may vary depending on breed, age, and location, I only spend about $34 a month for peace of mind knowing Chewie will always have access to top-notch veterinary care.
Screen for Hereditary Disease Risks with a DNA Kit
Embark has the wholesome goal of eliminating preventable diseases in dogs. How can they help your Cavapoo? You send them a sample of your dog’s saliva and they test the DNA for over 190+ genetic health conditions. This allows you to know which health issues your Cavapoo may develop in the future.
For example, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, which we discussed earlier, is an inherited condition. It is also a genetic marker that Embark tests for. Responsible breeders will likely test for this as well, and not breed dogs who have it, but that doesn’t mean that some will breed them anyways. If your Cavapoo does test positive for it, that means that you can recognize the early warning signs and work with your vet to plan ahead.
Healthy Diet & Exercise Routine Can Prevent Cavapoo Health Issues
A healthy diet combined with adequate exercise is the recipe for a healthy, happy dog. Both physical and mental exercise is so important for Cavapoos. It’s been proven time and time again that a well-stimulated dog is better behaved, more calm, focused, and understanding.
Just like their human companions, one of the biggest issues with dogs is obesity. In addition to preventing obesity, regular exercise has been shown to help in the aging process. Why? It allows dogs to be social and explore an environment and reduces the impact of chronic conditions.
And what about diet, why is it so important? A healthy diet improves overall health, and also boosts the immune system! Additionally, healthy options reduce the stress on the organs, such as the kidneys and liver. Highly processed foods, which tend to be unhealthy, contain a lot of preservatives, additives, and chemicals which these organs then have to filter out.
I’ve been obsessed with tracking my own steps with my Fitbit and was ecstatic when I found out about the Fi GPS Smart Collar. It’s basically a Fitbit for my dog! It’s able to track my dog’s steps. Not only that, but it also shares his location directly to my phone, so if he were to ever get lost or dart outside, I’d easily be able to find him in minutes! To find out more, read our Fi collar review and lost dog experiment!
Fi GPS Smart Collar for Dogs
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Don’t Ignore Oral Hygiene to Prevent Cavapoo Health Problems
Us humans are used to brushing our teeth twice a day, but imagine if we had to brush our canine’s teeth every morning and every night as well! We may not have to brush our dog’s teeth twice a day, but most Cavapoo owners aren’t brushing their dog’s teeth as often as they should be.
Oral health directly impacts overall health. Poor oral health can lead to some pretty scary issues, such as endocarditis, which is an infection of the heart. In addition, poor oral health can cause systemic inflammation as well as oral problems such as tartar, plaque, jaw issues, gum issues, infections, and the eventual loss of teeth.
If you don’t already, you should consider adding in an oral care regimen to your Cavapoo’s schedule. A daily brushing would be ideal, but most people don’t have the time, energy, or patience to do so. A minimum of 2-3 times a week should be enough to keep your Cavapoo’s teeth pearly white and in great health.
