1. Preparation
2. Feeding
3. Grooming
4. Training
5. Health
3. Grooming
COAT
You will need six items to successfully keep your Cavalier's
coat in tip-top shape. (1) A fine or medium-toothed comb, (2)
a flea comb,
(3)
a flat, natural bristle brush,
(4)
a slicker brush,
(5) scissors, and (6)
shampoo and conditioner. Cavaliers
do shed, but less than most working breeds who have a tremendous
amount of undercoat. To keep tangles and shedding to a minimum,
you should brush your Cavalier at least once a week--more often
during the spring and fall shedding time. Start with the
medium-toothed comb and comb your Cavalier all over. Then
do the same with the flea comb--its very narrow teeth really
pull out the extra dead hair. The slicker is good for feathering
and the ears. Last, I use a bristle brush and go over all the
smooth parts of the coat until it shines. This is the part my
dogs like best. If you come across a tangle, try to carefully
comb it out first, working with your fingers at the same
time. If the tangle is too large or too close to the skin, take
your scissors and cut the tangle in half--cutting in the
direction of the hair. Many times a single cut down the middle
of the tangle will be all that is needed and the tangle will
comb out easily. Another trick that works is to take the slicker
brush and push the pins right through the tangle, then move the
slicker in a circular motion for a couple of seconds. Often this
will loosen up the tangle enough for it to be worked out. If the
tangle is larger and not caused by a burr or gook from the
previous meal (those ears get quite long and often end up in the
food), it may be a good idea to brush your Cavalier more
often--or use a snood. Please note that during shedding season (spring and
fall), Cavaliers tend to tangle more. I groom all my Cavaliers
once a week, usually the same day every week and very seldom
find any tangles at all. If I do, I usually look for a cause. If
the tangles always end up behind the ears, please have your vet
check the ears (see Ear care). If they end up in the chest it
may be because your Cavalier drools when anxious or excited and
you may need to comb that area more often. If they end up in the
abdomen, you may want to trim some of the hair from that area as
your Cavalier may be peeing on the hair and tangling it--or it
may be licking it to clean it. There is almost always a reason
for excessive tangling. For those dogs with a truly fly-away
coat that tangles easily--try spraying it once or twice a week
with a diluted conditioner. This may be all that is needed to
prevent tangles. As far as bathing goes, bath your dog whenever
necessary--whenever you feel he/she smells bad or
whatever. Bathe as often as you feel necessary. It is hard to
dry out the coat if the dog is fed properly. If your Cavalier's
coat is dry, you may need to change foods or add a little oil to
its food (or keep him/her from sleeping on or in front of the
heat register!). As for fleas, you may follow any routine your
vet advises, but please remember "less is best". Use the
simplest flea preventative possible that does the
trick. Remember that heartworm preventative, flea preventatives,
tick control, worm medicine--even though deemed safe--are still
poisons! If your Cavalier truly needs something that controls
all of these, go ahead and use something. But if your
Cavalier doesn't---please don't. I feel certain your Cavalier
will be healthier for it--however tiny the difference. Note: I
do not suggest using any of the latest pill forms such as
Credelio, Trifexis, Comfortis, Simparica, and Bravecto. Stick to
Capstar, Advantus, Nexgard or some of the older forms with more
history or that are very short-acting.
FEET/NAILS
You should trim your puppy's nails about twice a month until 1
year of age and about once a month thereafter with a
nail cutter. Cavaliers
are a very easy breed to trim nails on. They stand quite still
without fear as compared to most other breeds. On the white
nails, you can see the pink "quick" that you need to avoid. Just
cut the nail back to slightly before the pick quick begins. On
black nails, look at the underside of the tip of the nail, you
can usually see where the quick starts as the nail doesn't go
completely around the quick at the tip unless you have waited
much too long. Again cut to slightly below where the quick
starts. If for any reason your Cavalier does not want to let you
cut its nails; try cutting their nails in an area where you can
smear a bit of peanut butter nearby. This should keep your
Cavalier busy while you are doing the deed. Although the hair on
your Cavalier's paws is supposed to be left untrimmed, you are
supposed to trim the hair between the pads on the bottom of the
feet. Twice a year is probably plenty. If you are not going to
show your Cavalier, go ahead and keep the rest of the hair on
the foot quite short also. When kept long they have a tendency
to "collect" snow balls, burrs, leaves, mud, etc.!
EARS
Breeds with long, floppy ears do have a tendency to develop ear
infections. Will your Cavalier be prone? It is hard to say for
sure. Few puppies have problems--usually because the ear
"leather" (the actual cartilage of the ear) tends to be thinner,
and because the feathering/hair is short and thin. As the puppy
matures, its hair gets longer, and the actual ear cartilage
thickens somewhat. Some adults still have fairly thin leathers,
carry their ears high, and do not have profuse feathering. These
Cavaliers rarely have ear problems no matter how little
attention you pay to their ears. Others seem to carry their ears
lower, have profuse feathering, and very thick ear
cartilage--these are the ones you have to be careful with. Every
time you groom your Cavalier look carefully inside the ears. If
you see some dirt/ear wax, clean the ear lightly with the
cleaner I tell you about below. If the ears always appear
clean--do NOT clean them! I have had dogs whose ears have never
been cleaned--not even once! Sometimes cleaning them will leave
a bit of moisture in them setting them up for production of
yeast so it is best to leave them alone unless they get dirty.
The best ear medicine/cleaner I have seen to date follows. In
all these years I've found nothing--not even the best medicine
from my vet--that works nearly as well. It is easy and
inexpensive to make enough of this solution to last a lifetime.
Buy the following items:
One (1) sixteen
ounce bottle of isopropyl alcohol
One (1) small bottle of Boric Acid Powder
One (1) small bottle of Genetian Violet Solution 1% which can be
ordered at almost any pharmacy for a small fee.
Put 4 tablespoons of the Boric Acid Powder directly into
the bottle of Alcohol. Put 16 drops of the Genetian Violet
Solution 1% also into the bottle.
Shake VERY well before every single use because the Boric
Acid will settle.
If your Cavalier develops an ear infection, squirt a small
amount of this solution into each ear and massage it well for 10
seconds, then leave it. Do this twice a day for 2 days. Do not
clean the ears afterwards. After that do it once a day and clean
the ears BEFORE putting the solution in, then leave it in. Do
this for 5 more days--the infection should be gone.
TEETH
Toy breeds in general, seem to be prone to excess buildup of
plaque which leads to tooth decay. I suggest teaching your puppy
to tolerate a tooth brush and at about 1 year of age begin
brushing once a month or more (look at the teeth and judge for
yourself how often). As the dog ages you are likely to need to
brush more often, eventually doing it every day if
necessary. Keeping the teeth clean is very important to prevent
gum disease and eventual loss of teeth. Letting your dog chew on
raw marrow bones daily will help a lot as well.
ANAL SACS
Leave them alone; don't let your vet touch them in a puppy less
than one year of age--unless they are truly
uncomfortable. Nearly ALL anal sac problems are caused by vets
expressing them too often starting at a young age. Once they
start, they can never stop. Dogs in the wild do not need their
anal sacs expressed, why should yours?Your puppy may scoot
occasionally. It could be because of filled anal sacs, but it
could also be because they have an itch or are trying to put
their scent on the floor (after all that is what they are
for!) or just to clean off their bottoms a bit more. Anal sacs can also develop problems whenever a dog has
loose stools, so try to avoid this. If your puppy has loose
stools/diarrhea, look for a cause. The wrong food is often the
culprit--so try changing foods. Look at the ingredients--if the
food has chicken, try one with lamb. See if a different food
will cause the stool to harden up. Check for worms--they can
cause occasional diarrhea as well. Unfortunately, vaccinations
often cause loose stools as well which is why so many puppies
end up having their anal sacs expressed so often and end up with
a problem. I suggest attempting to leave them alone while they
are getting their vaccinations unless the puppy gets truly
uncomfortable. If you can make it through the first 6 months
without the vet expressing the anal sacs, you will be well on
your way to having a dog that may only rarely or never need them
expressed. Dogs fed a whole foods diet have VERY tiny, hard
poops that naturally express the dog's anal sacs. I have only
done one or two of my dogs ever--always after a bout of
diarrhea. The rest of them have never been done--not even once.
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