Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Syringomyelia Project

Health screening project for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels to eliminate syringomyelia, run in partnership with the British Veterinary Association and the Kennel Club.

What is the aim of the project?

The aim of the British Veterinary Association/Kennel Club Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Syringomyelia Project is to better understand syringomyelia within the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel population. The project seeks to screen 500 dogs over a five-year period to collect valuable data on the condition. These data will assist in advising owners on informed breeding decisions and contribute to the development of estimated breeding values (EBVs) for syringomyelia, ultimately benefiting the overall health of the breed.

What is syringomyelia?

Syringomyelia (SM) is a neurological condition where fluid-filled cavities develop within the spinal cord (the bundle of nerves that run inside the spine). The most common reason for the fluid build-up is that there is an abnormality where the skull joins onto the vertebrae (the bones of the spine) in the neck, causing fluid in the brain (called cerebrospinal fluid or CSF) to be forced down the centre of the spinal cord, where it causes the tissues to become distended and cavities to form.

The symptoms are as follows:

  • The most common symptom that develops is intermittent neck pain, although back pain is also possible.

  • Affected dogs may yelp and are often reluctant to jump and climb.

  • They may feel sensations like ‘pins and needles’ (referred to as hyperaesthesia).

  • Another common sign is scratching of the neck and shoulder region called ‘phantom scratching’, as there is generally no contact of the foot with the skin of the neck.

  • Occasionally dogs become weak or wobbly if there is significant damage to nerves within the spinal cord.

Frequently asked questions

This project is independent of the BVA/KC Chiari-Malformation/Syringomyelia (CM/SM) Scheme, which remains active and is available for all dog breeds. This project is specifically for invited Cavalier King Charles Spaniels only, whereas anyone can use the CM/SM Scheme. Please find further information about our CM/SM Scheme here.

Dogs are selected for the project based on their age and their contribution to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Kennel Club registered population. Specifically, the project will initially focus on dogs born between 2013 and 2018 to avoid younger dogs that may be in pre-clinical stages. Within this age range, the selection process prioritises breeding dogs that have produced at least three litters. From this pool, dogs with the highest genetic relationship to the most recent generation (i.e. litters born in 2022 and 2023) will be selected. For more details on the selection process, please contact [email protected]

Invitations to participate in the project will be sent by The Kennel Club to Cavalier King Charles Spaniel owners that meet the criteria. While the goal is to screen 500 dogs over the five-year project, invitations will be issued in batches. The first batch is scheduled to be sent out in January 2025, with additional invitations sent periodically throughout the project based on uptake and availability.

Getting your dog assessed

To have your dog assessed as part of the project you will need to:

  1. Have received an invitation from The Kennel Club to participate

  2. Contact a participating centre from the list below and arrange for your dog to be MRI scanned as part of The British Veterinary Association/Kennel Club CKCS Syringomyelia Project

  3. Once you have booked your MRI appointment, complete and submit the registration form included in your invitation. Make sure to submit this form at least 14 days before your MRI appointment to ensure timely processing and releasing of funds

  4. Attend and pay for your MRI appointment. This can be made through your vet

  5. Your dog’s scans will be submitted by the participating centre to be reviewed by our expert scrutineers and graded appropriately

  6. The result will be returned to the participating centre. To assist breeders, detailed breeding advice will be provided, and an online breeding advice tool will be available. This tool can be found on The Kennel Club website at [LINK] and offers guidance on potential mating pairings

Find a participating centre

A list of participating centres can be found below by region, or at this map:

Centre: Chestergates Veterinary Specialists
Location: Telford Court, Gates Lane, Chester CH1 6LT
Booking – Telephone: 01244 853823
Booking – Email: [email protected]
Contact(s): Hayley Garner

Centre: Abbey Veterinary Centre
Location: 2 Augusta Street, Grimsby DN34 4TA
Booking – Telephone: 01472 347054
Booking – Email:
Contact(s):

Centre: University of Cambridge
Location: Queen’s Veterinary School, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES
Booking – Telephone: 01223 337621
Booking – Email:
Contact(s):

Centre: Forest Vets
Location: Hemnall Street, Epping, Essex CM16 4LQ
Booking – Telephone: 01992 575790
Booking – Email: [email protected]
Contact(s):

Centre: The Downs Veterinary Practice
Location: 59 Great Brockeridge, Bristol, BS9 3UA
Booking – Telephone: 01179 622828
Booking – Email: [email protected]
Contact(s): Holly or Alison

Centre: Bath Vet Referrals, Rosemary Lodge
Location: Wellsway, Bath BA2 5RL
Booking – Telephone: 01225 982777
Booking – Email: [email protected]
Contact(s): Lisa Gardbaum or Federica Manna

We’re sorry you’re unable to find a participating centre in your area. We’re currently recruiting additional centres and would love to hear from you. If you have a veterinary practice local to you that has on-site diagnostic imaging facilities, please email their details to us at [email protected] and we can invite them to apply to be a participating centre.

 

Want to become a participating centre for the project?

If you’re interested in participating in the scheme and have on-site diagnostic imaging facilities, we’d love to hear from you. Please email [email protected] for more information.

Information for vets

The role of participating centre is to take the MRI scans in accordance with the current CMSM scheme screening procedures at a reduced rate. The images required can be found here.

The subsidy will be released prior to the appointment. The client should be treated as you would any other, following your standard procedures. This means that any complications or additional treatments necessary would be managed according to your usual protocols.

Information for participants

The cost for an MRI can be anywhere between £1100 - £4500. However, thanks to the generous subsidy from The Kennel Club Charitable Trust and the participating centres agreeing to a reduced fixed rate, the cost to owner’s participating in this project is reduced to £350.

This total includes:

  • £300 to be paid directly to the scanning centre, which covers the cost of the MRI. (£700 subsidy will be transferred to the scanning centre from The Kennel Club.)
  • £50 to be paid to the BVA to cover the reduced screening fee.

The subsidy is automatically applied as part of the project. To benefit from the subsidised cost, owners must complete and submit their registration form at least 14 days prior to your MRI appointment. Once completed, The Kennel Club will arrange for the £700 screening subsidy to be transferred to the chosen scanning centre in advance of the appointment. This leaves a balance of £300 to be paid directly to the centre and £50 to be paid to the BVA to cover the screening fee.

To make the £50 screening payment, please call CHS on 020 7908 6380 and quote 'CKCS SM Project.' Please note that the MRI will not be screened until payment is made to the CHS team at the BVA.

The scrutineers for the project are Professor Michael Herrtage and Dr Ruth Dennis.

The anticipated turnaround time is about four weeks.

Your dog will receive a grade ranging from 0 to 2.

  • Grade 0: Normal (no central canal dilation, no presyrinx, no syrinx)
  • Grade 1: Central canal dilation (CCD) less than 2mm in diameter or a pre-syrinx alone
  • Grade 2: Syringomyelia (central canal dilation which has an internal diameter of 2mm or greater), or separate syrinx, or pre-syrinx with central canal dilation

Making balanced breeding decisions

Results from the screening should be considered alongside other health tests to help make informed breeding decisions. To assist breeders, detailed breeding advice will be provided, and an online breeding advice tool will be available. This tool can be found on The Kennel Club website at [LINK] and offers guidance on potential mating pairings.

DNA samples will be collected from all participating dogs via a cheek swab at the time of their MRI scan. These samples will be stored for research purposes.

Will the results be published?

Results will be used to contribute to data and research on syringomyelia, but individual results will not be published until the end of the 5-year project. Anonymous summaries and insights gained from the project will be shared in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Breed Health and Conservation Plan throughout the project. Additionally, the data collected may be used to calculate estimated breeding values (EBVs) for Syringomyelia, should this become possible in the future.

Will DNA samples be collected?

Yes, at the request of the Breed Clubs, DNA samples will be collected from all participating dogs via a cheek swab at the time of their MRI scan. These samples will be stored for research purposes.