King Charles Spaniel

Not to be confused with the Cavalier, the King Charles Spaniel has a much shorter, upturned face and falls in the Cambridge study's moderate-risk group for breathing. It shares the Cavalier's skull-related problem: Chiari-like malformation with syringomyelia, where fluid-filled cavities form in the spinal cord and can cause neck pain and scratching, is suspected to be inherited in the breed and is screened by MRI. Ask whether the parents have been heart-checked for valve disease and MRI-scanned, alongside an eye certificate and, since August 2026, a recognised breathing grade.