Health & lifespan
Cavapoo health and lifespan: what to actually watch
By Nelson and Kim, AVS licensed pet shop owners · Updated 12 July 2026
How long do Cavapoos live?
Cavapoos typically live 12 to 15 years. The breed benefits from small size and mixed parentage, and the biggest owner-controlled factors are weight, dental care and showing up for the annual booster visit, where the conditions worth catching are caught early.
The Singapore puppy vaccination schedule
| When | What | Where your puppy is |
|---|---|---|
| Week 6 | 1st core vaccination + deworming | with us |
| Week 8 | 2nd core vaccination + deworming | with us |
| ~Week 9 | homecoming | your sofa |
| Week 12 | 3rd core vaccination + deworming | your vet (we remind you) |
| Week 16 | optional 4th dose if vet advises | your vet |
| Year 1 onward | annual booster + checkup | every year, not a one-off |
If we board your puppy after deposit, vaccinations continue on this schedule at our cost. First-time owners also complete theAVS Pet Ownership Coursebefore licensing.
The inherited watchlist, in plain language
Every breed has a list; here is the Cavapoo's, without the scare music. From the Cavalier side: mitral valve disease, a heart condition of middle age that announces itself as a murmur at a routine checkup. From the Poodle side: patella luxation (a kneecap that slips, look for a skip-hop step) and, less commonly, progressive retinal atrophy.
The everyday one is none of those: it is ear infections, because drop ears plus Singapore humidity trap moisture. The weekly ear wipe in ourgrooming routine prevents most of them. Keep weight in the healthy band and half this list gets easier; fat is the tax collector of small-breed health.
Signs worth a vet visit
- New murmur or breathlessness: heart check
- Skip-hop on a back leg: patella check
- Night-vision hesitance: eye check
- Head shaking or smelly ears: infection
- None of these today: annual booster anyway
Our health process, before and after handover
By homecoming at week 9, your puppy has had two vaccinations, deworming at each visit, and a vet check. The paperwork you receive shows exactly what was given and when, so your own vet continues the schedule without guesswork at week 12.
Afterwards, two backstops: the 5-day bring-back, where a puppy that falls sick in its first days home comes back to us for nursing, and open-ended WhatsApp aftercare, because most week-one worries need reassurance, not a clinic bill.
What you receive at handover
- Vaccination record: weeks 6 and 8 done
- Deworming log from every visit
- Microchip and licensing completed
- 5-day bring-back care promise
- Aftercare WhatsApp: ask us anything
Why the cheap listing is the expensive puppy
One health topic belongs on every Singapore puppy page: unlicensed sellers. Puppies moved outside licensed channels commonly arrive smuggled, unvaccinated and incubating parvovirus, and treatment runs $5,000 to $10,000 with no promised ending. One buyer was fined $7,000 by NParks on top of the heartbreak.
The boring defence works: buy from a shop you can verify on theAVS public registry, ours is licence AS24J00046, and expect vaccination records at weeks 6 and 8 as a minimum.
Health red flags when buying
- No week-6 and week-8 vaccine records
- Meet-anywhere-but-a-shop arrangements
- Price far below the licensed market
- No licence number you can look up
Frequently asked questions
How long do Cavapoos live?
Typically 12 to 15 years, which most vet-reviewed sources cite; some sellers advertise up to 18, which describes the lucky tail end, not the average. Small size, hybrid parentage and sensible weight all pull toward the long side of the range.
What vaccinations does a Cavapoo puppy need in Singapore?
Core vaccinations at weeks 6, 8 and 12, with deworming at every visit and an optional fourth dose at week 16 if the vet advises it. The puppy goes home about a week after the second dose, around week 9, and boosters are annual from Year 1.
What is the most serious health issue in Cavapoos?
Mitral valve disease, inherited from the Cavalier side, is the one to know about long-term: it typically appears in middle age as a heart murmur. Annual checkups catch it early, and modern management gives affected dogs good years. Day to day, ear infections are the more common nuisance.
When should a Cavapoo be sterilised?
Vets in Singapore generally advise from about 7 months. Puppies go home from us unsterilised at around week 9, so the decision and timing sit with you and your vet, and the first licence is at the unsterilised rate.
What happens if my puppy gets sick right after coming home?
Bring it back. If your puppy falls sick within the first 5 days of going home, you can return it to the shop and we nurse it. That policy exists so a new family never has to choose between panic and a vet bill in week one.
Meet your Cavapoo
Come say hello at Balestier
2 Balestier Road #01-701, Singapore 320002 · Weekdays 12pm–6pm · Weekends 10am–6pm. Or message us first: tell us about your home and routine, and we'll tell you honestly if a Cavapoo fits.
Feeding questions next?
What and how much to feed a growing Cavapoo puppy, including the picky-eater fix.
Grooming guide