Caring For Your Cavalier

Cavaliers need regular checks and grooming. If you clip your Cavaliers for the warmer months, their ears and tails are left long and need brushing and detangling.

SKIN

The Cavalier has a beautiful silken fur which allows a lot of dirt to fall out easily with brushing, however it does tangle and knot if not done regularly. Build up a good grooming kit containing scissors, brushes, ear drops, cotton balls, and nail clippers.  As Cavaliers love human contact, this task should normally be pleasurable for both dog and human. If knots and tangles form close to the skin, they can set up skin irritations and infections, so prevention is better than cure. If your Cavalier develops itchy dry skin AND its current food contains no omega 3 or 6 oils, then adding flaxseed oil or fish oil to the diet may help. Better still, put your dog on a healthy diet containing all the necessary additives.

EARS

Because the Cavalier has long ears, it is difficult for air to circulate around the ear canal, therefore they may develop ear infections which range in severity. To prevent ear infections the ears should be cleaned regularly with a commercial ear cleaner using cotton wool balls or makeup remover pads – never use cotton buds. A big indicator of an ear problem is frequent shaking of the head and an unpleasant odour from the ear. You can also tie their ears on top of their heads with a scrunchie. DO NOT USE A RUBBER BAND as it may slip and cut off the dog’s blood circulation in its ear. You only need to leave the scrunchie on for 10-15 minutes to let air circulate in and around the ears.

EYES

If you suspect your Cavalier has an eye problem that is causing discomfort, take it to a Veterinary clinic. Eye problems in a Cavalier should not be ignored. Apart from the obvious symptoms of redness and discharge from the eye, your dog may start rubbing the eye area against the floor, wall or your leg to indicate a problem. A common problem in both humans and dogs as they age is ‘dry eye’ which as the name suggests, indicates that insufficient tears are produced to keep the eye lubricated. As your dog ages, you can get it used to eye drops by buying over-the-counter ‘tears’ eye drops and administering them twice daily to keep their eyes lubricated and hopefully avoiding dry eye.

NAILS

Nails need to be clipped regularly. If left to grow too long, they may curl around and puncture the dog’s skin, causing an infection. The pictures illustrate nails that have not been clipped regularly.

Breeders often remove the dew claw when the puppy is very young, to prevent problems with it catching on things and tearing, later in life. Check to see if your Cavalier still has dew claws and make sure they are clipped also, as groomers sometimes overlook them. They are located on the inside of the dog’s front legs similar to a thumb. The photo of the dew claw shows one that is badly overgrown.

Apart from physical exercise which is covered in ‘Is the Cavalier for You?’ your pet needs mental stimulation which is covered in more depth by following the link.

If you want to buy a puppy, then you should be quite sure that you have the time to both train/toilet train your puppy, exercise and play with it as well as to socialise the puppy to give it the best start in life. Cavalier puppies are very active and people often decide to get an older dog. Older dogs are available from rescue organisations, shelters and sometimes from breeders. If looking to obtain one from a breeder, then contact the Cavalier Club in your State for information.

Rescue Cavaliers need time to adjust to any new environment. You will not necessarily get a loving little cuddle bunny straight away – sometimes you just have to step back and let the Cavalier take its time to adjust. Just be there for it when it makes a positive move towards you. Remember, it may be coming from a background of neglect or abuse and needs to learn to trust again, or it may be coming from a loving background where it is missing that person, who for whatever reason, had to make the hard decision to surrender their Cavalier knowing that it was in the dog’s best interest. Be patient. The end result will be worth it.