American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Charitable Trust

06/05/2026

Celebrating the Breakthroughs Shaping the Future of Canine Health. Meet the 2025 Canine Health Discovery Award Finalists.

04/25/2026

So excited to see CHF promoting aging studies! Stay tuned for an exciting announcement from the Charitable Trust about our own sponsored study to help better understand aging specifically in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. ❤️🧠

CHF is excited to announce its newest research program area: Aging!

With new, game-changing guidelines to better diagnose and monitor dogs with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, we’re launching our Aging program to deepen scientific understanding and improve the lives of dogs as they grow older.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4u5OqEO

04/08/2026

https://www.akcchf.org/educational-resources/library/articles/uncovering-genetic-clues-behind-a**l-sac-adenocarcinoma-in-english-cocker-spaniels/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=this%20link&utm_campaign=CSS%20Genetics%20April%20-%20Email%201

A Rare but Aggressive Cancer with Breed-Specific Impact A**l sacs (sometimes called a**l glands) are small structures located just beneath the skin that store a strong-smelling fluid. In most dogs, they empty naturally during defecation. In some, they don’t empty as they should, leading to discomf...

02/11/2026

❤️MMVD is not new, but our understanding of the disease continues to evolve. That is why it’s so important to continue to fund scientific research.

For years, MMVD was considered a degenerative disease, not an inflammatory one. Now, CHF-funded researcher 𝗗𝗿. 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘆 𝗬𝗮𝗻𝗴, Associate Professor at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, is challenging that assumption.

Her new findings reveal increased macrophages—immune cells involved in inflammation and scarring—in severely diseased heart valves. Closer investigation using advanced techniques like 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲-𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 are helping deepen our understanding of what’s happening inside the diseased valve. Determining whether these cells contribute to worsening disease could be key to finding new ways to slow its progression. To find out more, read this week’s article: https://bit.ly/4arBMYO.

Science advances when we question what we think we know.

What questions do you have about canine heart health? Drop us a note in the comments below.

02/03/2026

Heart disease is one of the most common health challenges facing dogs as they age, and myxomatous mitral valve disease is the leading cause of heart failure in dogs. ❤️

Join us for an upcoming webinar exploring research comparing standard two-dimensional echocardiography with advanced cardiac imaging to improve the assessment of mitral valve disease in dogs. More accurate diagnostic tools could help support clearer clinical guidance and may lead to improved care and longer lives for dogs living with heart disease.

📅 Tuesday, February 24 @ 7PM EST
🔗 Register here: https://akc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_s8HrBbf_QJmYGcLdk_-gVg #/registration

01/14/2026

🧠 In August 2025, a team of 12 top veterinary and scientific specialists convened in Raleigh, North Carolina, under the leadership of Dr. Natasha Olby, a veterinary neurologist at North Carolina State University. With support from the AKC Canine Health Foundation, these experts came together to issue the first-ever medical consensus statement that defines how CCDS is diagnosed, and it gives the entire field a shared framework to advance care and research.

How do you determine when a dog has Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CCDS), sometimes called “doggy dementia”? For families with an aging dog, the question is deeply personal. Subtle changes, such as disorientation, disrupted sleep, house soiling, and clinging more to you, can be heartbrea...

01/01/2026

12/20/2025

❤️Something many Cavalier owners already know, but now it’s got the FDA stamp of approval.

Vetmedin is also the first drug to have an indication fully approved following an expanded conditional approval

12/11/2025

This weekend, AVMA will be at the AKC National Championship Dog Show to raise awareness to the dog show and dog breeder community about Antimicrobial Resistance and how to advocate for good Antimicrobial Stewardship.

On Friday, join us at the Royal Canin Learning Lounge at 1:15 pm and 4 pm EST as we will be hosting "An 'Unfurtunate' Truth: Why all dog lovers need to know about antimicrobial resistance."

We are extremely grateful to be collaborating with the American Kennel Club at the National Championship Dog Show to promote good antimicrobial stewardship. By working together with dog breeders, handlers, and fanciers we can all take steps to better preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobials for generations of dogs to come.

To learn more about preserving antimicrobial effectiveness for generations of dogs, visit our resource page at https://bit.ly/48MG649