Reason why vet says you shouldn't own a King Charles Spaniel

It's never been more popular to have a pet pooch as a companion, but one vet has issued an important warning on specific breeds.

We are all used to hearing the risks of flat-faced dogs such as pugs or bulldogs due to breathing problems and risk of overheating, but this time a vet has spoken out about a breed you might not have expected.

UK based vet surgeon, known as Ben the Vet across social media, shared the four breeds dog-lovers should reconsider owning.

Ben took to TikTok to share his insights on which breeds are at high risk of heart problems.

Dobermans

"It's a shocking statistic that over 58 percent of Dobermans over seven have dilated cardiomyopathy.

"This is a disease where the muscle in the wall of the heart starts to weaken, leading eventually to heart failure.

"Also a high risk of arrhythmias and sudden death."

He then explains there are often no signs of an issue and your dog can just 'drop dead' in the park.

Early screening is key and medications are available.

Boxer dogs

“One is a congenital problem called aortic or subaortic stenosis where a narrowing develops when blood exits the heart to the rest of the body," Ben begins.

“Most cases are mild and there are no clinical signs, we might just hear a murmur on examination at the vets. But in severe cases, it can lead to collapse when exercising and even sudden death.

“Fortunately it’s something that breeders are well aware of and in some countries, including France, the prevalence has been shown to be decreasing significantly because the breeding dogs have been screened.”

He said the breed also has a three percent prevalence of pulmonic stenosis, which is a narrowing of the exit from the heart to the lungs.

“They are also at a higher risk of dilated cardiomyopathy, the same condition affecting the Dobermans.”

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

“Cavalier King Charles spaniels are awesome little dogs, but they have terrible hearts,” Ben explained in his video.

“By the age of 10, up to 90 percent of cavaliers have mitral valve disease, which is a condition where one of the valves in the heart starts to degenerate and become leaky.

“This is usually detected initially with a heart murmur but eventually can lead on to the dog going into heart failure, developing a cough and breathing abnormalities and unfortunately it is a cause of death for a lot of cavaliers.”

Medications can slow down issues.

Ben adds: "If you have a cavalier with a murmur, definitely worth a chat with your vet if you haven’t had one already."

Golden Retrievers

"Not because they're at massively high risk of any particular heart problem," Ben begins.

But one in three dogs that have the condition of pericardial effusion are golden retrievers.

“It’s a condition where fluid builds up in the sac around the heart, often it builds up slowly, gradually leading to a point where the heart can’t pump blood very effectively,” Ben explains.

“This can manifest as the dog becomes weaker and weaker and eventually collapse.”