Puppy First, Health First
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The big picture
Cavapoos typically live 12–15 years.
Like any cross, a Cavapoo can inherit health problems from either parent breed, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel or the Toy or Miniature Poodle. This page explains the conditions its parent breeds are known to be prone to, and what you can do about each one.
In a UK owner survey, Cavapoos were just as likely as Cavaliers or Poodles to have about 9 in 10 of the disorders studied.
So crossing the two breeds does not by itself make a healthier dog, and the same everyday care matters.
A few everyday habits help prevent many common problems.
Keep your dog lean, brush its teeth, use tick prevention all year and book a wellness exam every year.
Worth knowing
Heart valve disease, a neck and spine condition, eye problems, knee and hip problems and gum disease are conditions its parent breeds are known to be prone to. Stomach upsets are an everyday problem that is worth knowing about too.
This list is not exhaustive or official. Keep asking your veterinarian as your puppy grows.
Mitral valve disease (MMVD) is a heart valve that slowly wears out, and on the Cavalier side it tends to start early. On the Miniature Poodle side it usually starts late in life and is often mild.
A new murmur your vet hears is often the first sign, and later signs include coughing, faster breathing or tiring sooner.
Ask your vet to listen carefully to the heart at every wellness exam.
Chiari-like malformation is a problem with the shape of the back of the skull (Cavalier side). It can lead to fluid-filled pockets in the spinal cord, called syringomyelia.
Many dogs never show signs, but some scratch at the air near the neck or seem to have neck pain.
Tell your vet about these signs, since a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan under anesthesia can find the cause.
Both parent breeds can pass on cataracts, a clouding of the lens. The Poodle side can also pass on progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), a slow loss of sight. The Cavalier side adds folds in the retina, extra eyelashes and grey-white spots on the front of the eye.
Watch for a cloudy or irritated eye, or changes in how well your dog sees.
Have eye changes checked promptly, and keep up the eye checks your vet suggests.
Both sides of the family can pass on kneecaps that slip out of place (patellar luxation). The Cavalier and Miniature Poodle sides can also pass on hip dysplasia, a hip joint that forms poorly as a puppy grows.
Tell your vet about limping, skipping or a bunny-hopping run.
Your vet feels the knees at checkups, and the hips can be checked once your dog is older. Keeping your dog lean helps its joints too.
Gum disease (periodontal disease) runs on the Toy Poodle side, and it starts with plaque on the teeth. Small Poodle-type puppies can also keep baby teeth or grow crooked teeth.
Check for baby teeth that stay in as the adult teeth come in.
Brush the teeth at home, and book dental cleanings when your vet recommends them.
In UK vet records, Cavapoos had diarrhea more often than other crossbred dogs, and about 15 in 100 had a bout in a year. Diarrhea is common in dogs of every kind, so this shows Cavapoos having it somewhat more often than other crossbreds.
Watch for loose stools or vomiting, and for your dog eating things it shouldn't.
Feed a complete small-breed diet, keep treats small and tell your vet about upsets that keep coming back.
Less common
Bouts of stiff muscles or collapse brought on by exercise or excitement, called episodic falling syndrome (Cavalier side): a DNA test can find it.
Dry eyes and a rough, curly coat from birth, called dry eye curly coat syndrome (Cavalier side): a DNA test can find it.
Fewer but larger blood platelets, called macrothrombocytopenia (Cavalier side): it is usually harmless, but tell your vet, because it can make a blood count look low.
Thick mucus in the middle ear, called primary secretory otitis media or glue ear (Cavalier side): see your vet about head scratching, neck pain or hearing loss.
A problem with how the body uses fat for energy (MCADD, Cavalier side): a DNA test can find it.
A weak windpipe, called tracheal collapse (Toy Poodle side): it usually shows in middle age or later, and extra weight makes it worse.
A hip problem from poor blood flow to the thigh bone, called Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (Toy Poodle side).
A poorly formed blood supply to the liver, called portal vein hypoplasia (Toy Poodle side).
A loose joint between the first two neck bones, called atlantoaxial instability (Toy Poodle side): it is present from birth.
Diabetes (Toy and Miniature Poodle side): the body makes too little insulin.
An optic nerve that did not fully form, called optic nerve hypoplasia (Miniature Poodle side).
A form of dwarfism, called osteochondrodysplasia (Miniature Poodle side): a DNA test can find it.
DNA tests
A cheek-swab DNA test can check a dog for several uncommon inherited diseases from both parent breeds, and it works at any age. Each result comes back as clear, carrier or at risk. A clear dog has no copy of the gene change the test looks for. A carrier has one copy and is healthy. An at-risk result means a higher chance of the disease, not a diagnosis. For some of these diseases, an at-risk dog may never get sick, or may get sick late in life.
Tests from the Cavalier side look for episodic falling syndrome, dry eye curly coat syndrome and MCADD. Tests from the Poodle side look for one form of PRA and a bleeding disorder called von Willebrand disease. A test being available does not mean the condition is common in Cavapoos.
Checkups your dog will get
Care plan by life stage
Planning for Cavapoo vet costs
These are typical published costs for treating what a Cavapoo vet exam looks at and the conditions its parent breeds are known to be prone to. Each range shows where it comes from and when, and your own vet's estimate will differ.
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist's first exam (consultation fee only) | $198–$350 | per visit | at US veterinary teaching hospitals (Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee) | 2023–2026 |
| Eye tests before cataract surgery (ERG and eye ultrasound) | $500–$1,300 | per workup | at US veterinary teaching hospitals (Missouri, Tennessee) | 2025–2026 |
| Cataract surgery, one eye | $3,800–$5,500 | per eye | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023–2025 |
| Cataract surgery, both eyes under one anesthetic | $5,600–$6,700 | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2025 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dental disease care in the first 30 days after diagnosis (80th percentile of insurance claims) | $1,284–$1,420 | per 30 days after diagnosis | US pet insurer claims data (US) | 2024–2025 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist's first exam (consultation fee only) | $198–$350 | per visit | at US veterinary teaching hospitals (Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee) | 2023–2026 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collapsing trachea workup (before a stent) | $2,000–$3,500 | per workup | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023 |
| Tracheal stent placement | $3,200–$3,600 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023 |
| Tracheal stent, workup and placement together | $5,900–$6,500 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liver shunt workup (before any surgery) | $1,622–$3,937 | per workup | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Tennessee) | 2026 |
Planning for pet insurance
When you are ready to compare plans, here is one option for Pawrade buyers.
Only with Pawrade, you receive a pet insurance policy with no waiting period included for immediate accident or illness coverage, 1 month, with every puppy.† You activate it by calling MetLife; instructions arrive with your travel details. Continuing MetLife coverage after the first month is strongly recommended.
View the MetLife 30-day offer →†NH, NY, RI, SC and TN residents excluded. Activated by calling MetLife; coverage begins immediately following policy activation. See the offer for full terms.
Whichever plan you look at, read the policy before you buy. Check the waiting periods, how it defines a pre-existing condition, and its deductible, reimbursement percentage and annual limit.
A waiting period is how long after you buy a pet insurance policy before a claim counts.
| Policy | Accidents | Illness | Joints |
|---|---|---|---|
| MetLife policy included with your Pawrade puppy† | None | None | None |
| MetLife, bought directly | None | 14 days | Not listed |
| Industry standard | 0–14 days | 14–30 days | 6–12 months |
| Nationwide | 14 days | 14 days | Not listed |
| Trupanion | 5 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Embrace | 2 days | 14 days | 6 months |
| Figo | 1 day | 14 days | Not listed |
The breeder's licensed vet checks your puppy before it goes home. The vet follows PetPay's exam standards, and the results go in your puppy's Veterinary Health Report.
Focus
Eyes
Discharge · Vision problems · Eyelash problems · Cherry eye
05
Ears and hearing
Debris or discharge · Ear mites · Signs of infection · Hearing
06 Focus
Mouth and bite
Teeth and jaw alignment · Bite (overbite or underbite)
07
Skin and coat
Fleas and ticks · Hair loss · Signs of infection
08 Focus
Kneecaps
Kneecaps that slip, and how much (grade)
09
Hips
Hip pain
10
Hernias
Belly-button (umbilical) hernia · Groin (inguinal) hernia
11
Soft spot on the skull
An open soft spot, and its size
12
Body condition and weight
Body condition score · Weight
13
Reproductive organs
Both testicles in place (males) · Extra skin folds around the vulva (females)
14
History of vomiting or diarrhea
Any history of vomiting or diarrhea (reported, not examined)
15
Stool test for parasites
Fecal flotation test, with any treatment given
16
Past surgery and notes
Any past surgery · The vet's explanation of anything abnormal
The vet checks both eyes for discharge.
Eye problems run in both parent breeds, so an early look at a Cavapoo puppy's eyes is worthwhile. Your own vet can also look for signs of low tear production as your puppy grows.
The vet looks in the mouth and checks the bite.
Poodle-type puppies can have crooked or retained baby teeth, which sometimes need removing later.
The vet feels both knees for a kneecap that slips out of place (patellar luxation).
Both the small Poodle side and the Cavalier side carry this risk, so the knees get a careful check.
The vet checks both eyes for discharge.
Eye problems run in both parent breeds, so an early look at a Cavapoo puppy's eyes is worthwhile. Your own vet can also look for signs of low tear production as your puppy grows.
The vet looks in the mouth and checks the bite.
Poodle-type puppies can have crooked or retained baby teeth, which sometimes need removing later.
The vet feels both knees for a kneecap that slips out of place (patellar luxation).
Both the small Poodle side and the Cavalier side carry this risk, so the knees get a careful check.
Puppies grow and change quickly, and their immune systems are still developing, so no exam can find everything. The Veterinary Health Report is a strong early look at your puppy and a written starting point that your own vet builds on.
Health guarantee
Every Pawrade puppy comes with a health guarantee administered by PetPay, independent of the seller. The terms are on the health guarantee page.
Customers Love Us!
Monroe · Cavapoo“We love Monroe renamed to Boston so much! He has been such a sweet blessing in our lives! Pawrade did such a great job preparing him for us and caring for him! We would definitely recommend using them to find your next fur baby!”
Cavapoo Puppies for Sale
Frequently asked questions
A Cavapoo can inherit conditions its parent breeds are known to be prone to, from the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Toy or Miniature Poodle. The ones most worth knowing about are heart valve disease, a neck and spine condition called syringomyelia and eye problems such as cataracts. Slipping kneecaps, hip dysplasia and gum disease are on the list too. Less common ones include episodic falling syndrome, glue ear, a weak windpipe, diabetes and a liver blood-vessel problem.
Copy link to this questionNot automatically, since Cavapoos have turned out about as healthy as Cavaliers and Poodles for most disorders. Crossing does not remove inherited risk, so the conditions of both parent breeds still matter for a Cavapoo.
Copy link to this questionThey can, because mitral valve disease is the Cavalier's leading health concern, and it tends to start early in Cavalier lines. Ask your vet to listen for a murmur at every exam, and report coughing or faster breathing.
Copy link to this questionAir-scratching or neck pain can be a sign of syringomyelia, a condition of the Cavalier parent, and it warrants a vet visit. Diagnosis is by a scan (MRI) under anesthesia.
Copy link to this questionCheek-swab DNA tests check for several uncommon inherited diseases from both parent breeds. From the Cavalier side, they include episodic falling syndrome, dry eye curly coat syndrome and a problem with how the body uses fat (MCADD). From the Poodle side, they include one form of progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), a slow loss of sight, and a bleeding disorder called von Willebrand disease. A carrier has one copy of a gene change and is healthy. An at-risk result means a higher chance of the condition, not a diagnosis.
Copy link to this questionHip dysplasia cannot be checked at the go-home exam, and its signs are most common in young adult dogs. Hip X-rays can be taken from 4 months of age, and your vet can tell you whether your dog needs them.
Copy link to this questionCavapoos typically live 12–15 years.
Copy link to this questionA dog is usually considered a senior in the last quarter of its expected lifespan. From then on, exams at least twice a year, joint care and eye checks help keep a Cavapoo comfortable.
Copy link to this questionThey do, because small Poodle-type puppies can keep baby teeth or develop misaligned teeth and gum disease. Brush at home and ask your vet to check the teeth as the adult set comes in.
Copy link to this questionEveryday habits do most of the work: keep your dog lean, brush its teeth, use tick prevention all year and book a wellness exam every year.
Copy link to this question
