BVA/KC Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Syringomyelia Project

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 health@thekennelclub.org.uk.

Invitations to participate in the project will be sent by The Kennel Club to Cavalier King Charles Spaniels owner 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.

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
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 by our expert scrutineers and graded appropriately.

Centre: Chestergates Veterinary Specialists
Location: Telford Court, Gates Lane, Chester CH1 6LT
Booking – Telephone: 01244 853823
Booking – Email: info@chestergates.org.uk
Contact(s): Hayley Garner

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

Centre: The Downs Veterinary Practice
Location: 59 Great Brockeridge, Bristol, BS9 3UA
Booking – Telephone: 01179 622828
Booking – Email: info@downsvets.co.uk
Contact(s): Holly or Alison

Centre: Bath Vet Referrals, Rosemary Lodge
Location: Wellsway, Bath BA2 5RL
Booking – Telephone: 01225 982777
Booking – Email: contact@bathvetreferrals.co.uk
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 LeonieL@bva.co.uk and we can invite them to apply to be a participating centre.

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 LeonieL@bva.co.uk for more information.

The following breeding guidelines aim to remove dogs with early onset Syringomyelia (SM) from the breeding programme and to reduce the risk of future puppies developing the condition. The table below provides recommendations for mating two graded dogs.

For further assistance in determining the breeding advice for a particular pairing, you can use our online calculator, available [here].

The cost of an MRI typically ranges from £1,100 to £4,500. However, thanks to a generous subsidy from The Kennel Club Charitable Trust, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Rescue & Welfare, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, and the participating centres offering a reduced fixed rate, owners participating in this project will only need to pay £200.

This total includes:

• £150 to be paid directly to the scanning centre, which covers the cost of the MRI. (£850 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 £850 screening subsidy to be transferred to the chosen scanning centre in advance of the appointment. This leaves a balance of £150 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. Dr. Paul Mandigers will also be consulted during any appeal.

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

• Primary Secretory Otitis Media (PSOM): This is when fluid builds up in the middle part of the ear, which can cause discomfort or affect hearing.
• Atlanto-Occipital Overlap (AOO): This happens when the bones at the top of the neck overlap with the skull. The pressure from this overlap can block the normal flow of brain fluid, which can affect spinal cord function.
• Medullary Kinking: This is when the part of the brain that connects to the spinal cord gets bent or compressed. The pressure from the skull area forces this area to kink, which disrupts the flow of brain fluid.
• Ventricular Dilation: This is when the spaces inside the brain that hold fluid become larger than normal. The abnormal pressure causes these spaces to stretch, increasing pressure on the brain.
• Cerebellum Shape and Herniation: The cerebellum is the part of the brain that controls movement. This checks if the cerebellum is being distorted or pushed down into the spinal area.

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.

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.

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.

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.