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Intro & some questions...

T

Timski

Member
Hey all,

Firstly I'll just introduce myself, my name is Tim (if you hadn't gathered from my user name), and I will soon have a new baby Cav which I shall be collecting on the 7th of April! I figured it was better to wait due to the fact we know the breeder and trust her, even if we do have a 3hr drive to collect her.

Mainly the reason I am posting is because is it really worth spending the devoted time, money and love for a breed that is renown for there poor heath and heart problems. One of my friends is a vet and tells me every second dog that comes in with heart murmurs is a little Cavvy, I have read up on most of your site and we are prepared to cook it's meals ourselves with the nutrients and supplements, plus we are very devoted to our pets and will give it the attention she deserves. Anyway the breeder we are getting the dog from is quite picky about the Cavs that she will breed and tries to narrow down the chance of breeding a Cav that is in poor health. But only so much can be done, not to mention SM can strike any Cav regardless.

I guess I'm just worrying it was just the amount of reading I did about there health and I guess I am just focusing on the negatives of dog ownership. Either way I look forward to posting up pic's of the new baby and letting you guys know any questions I have.

Cheers,
Tim
 
Hi Tim and welcome. We know the risks with cavaliers and as you said you have done research and gone to a reputable breeder who you trust. I have to beautiful girls and before my girls we had a boy who was 13 when he went to the bridge and yes he did have MVD but we enjoyed his 13 years. You could get a Boxer...my vet told me that Boxers are on the list for practically any condition that dogs get so I guess you just take your chances. I love my girls :D
Julie and the girls
 
i agree with Julie we know the risks in this breed and yes its worth the time and the money :)

as you are getting your puppy from a reputable breeder i would assume both parents hold clear heart and eye certificates although nothing is for sure at least you know this way that both both parents have been health tested your breeder should give you a copy of these as part of your puppy pack
 
Breeeders who heart test and know their lines generally produce cavaliers far more likely to be longlived. Many things owners can do will also greatly help ensure a longer life -- especially keeping their cavalier slim, as extra weight puts a lot of extra work onto the heart and a weak valve will wear out that much sooner.

If you fall in love with this breed as so many of us do, you both are willing to take a cavalier despite the chance of heart problems, but also, you become passionate about supporting good breeders and good health in the breed.

BTW both boxers and westies have more insurance claims in the UK/Ireland according to the main pet insurer here.
 
thats soooo true Karlin .....i would never breed without my girls holding clear certs and any stud i use must have the same ....i also look back into a dogs pedigree to ensure long living lines no matter how much i may like the dog i won't use him unless he ticks all these box's
 
Welcome Tim. I had a yorkie for 14 yrs before Maddy.
Before that I had one or two mutts.
I have never ever bonded to any of them like I have to Maddy.
What a special special girl she is.
Right now my husband has the flu and she will not leave his lap.
She is comforting him and not caring about walks, playing or anything else.
You won't regret it.
Pam
 
Welcome to the board, Tim. You've obviously done some homework.

I have a very sick Cavalier on my hands right now. She's in the Senior Dogs division. And even with the heartache I'm having right now, I wouldn't change a thing for the joy that she has given me.

IMO, you are making a decision using Man logic and talking to primarily a bunch of Women who use more emotional thinking. (My husband and I talk about this a lot - he's 98% logic, I'm 98% emotion. :D ) I'm not saying that as a put down; it is just the case when it comes to women and men.

That said, I think that something you need to ask yourself is if you are ready and willing to have an animal knowing that there is the potential for health issues (now or in the future) and love that animal with all you've got (because it will return that love ten-fold), OR do you choose the path to not love the animal because you don't want to face the risk of being hurt somewhere along the line?

Any dog you get is not going to come with a paper that says it will live to be "x" number of years old. Things happen that are beyond our control. But the special ways of a Cavalier are something that I've never seen with any other animal. We have two Cavs and a shihtzu. We love them all, but the oldest Cavalier has always had just that something special about her. She came from an excellent breeder, born with a birth defect (micro-opthalmia), but there is just something different about her. Our other Cav was a rescue from a puppy mill so she isn't quite the same.

I'm not trying to come on as harsh and hateful. I think it's great that you've studied a breed that you are interested in. I also think that there are pitfalls that you can find with just about any breed you look into.

Are you looking for a family pet or for a dog to breed?

You're a logical man - just trying to give you a bit more to think about.

Good luck and let us know what happens - and pictures if/when you get the Cav!!
 
Hey all,

Firstly thanks to all for replying, we have definatly settled on getting a Cav, not to mention I don't think a boxer would really go in my house and small yard... Besides Cavvy's are too cute. I've wanted one for years but I was just the recent reading about there conditions that seemed to scare me a little bit. either way basically all I needed to hear was.

we know the risks in this breed and yes its worth the time and the money
Click to expand...

I just didnt want to invest so much emotion into a pet that will upset me if it gets sick, then again life is about the journey not the destination.

I have heard stories like your's before PamH and there one of the reasons I love Cavaliers so much.

Either way thank you all for replying, I will keep you all posted with the details.

Cheers,
Timski
 
icon_welcome

Our Charley lived for many years with a heart murmur, was "managed" with medication for about 6 years and he passed away at age 14 yrs 4 months, from heart failure.

Those 14+ years with our beloved Charley were wonderful.

Now we have our little princess, Mary Alice and shall take life as it comes but with joy and happiness.

However much time you have with your Cavalier will be wonderful, like nothing you've ever experienced.

We cannot imagine life without a Cavvie.....truly. :flwr: :flwr:
 
Timski - I'm glad that all the input helped you to make a decision. I'm old so I'm allowed to come down a little harder than some people do. (I also have a sense of humor heavy with sarcasm :D ) I didn't want to offend you, but sometimes it's good if someone plays Devil's advocate to make us think things through thoroughly and ask all the questions.

If you have any questions about where my heart and mind are coming from right now, look under any of the posts about Wallis and her updates. I have a 12 year old Cavalier that I had been taking to a useless vet for several years and have just found out in the past few weeks that she is living right now with not 1, not 2, but 3 different things that could each be fatal. But at this point she's still having a good quality of life, isn't in pain, so we're going to keep on keeping on.

Did you say what color your Cav is? (I told you, I'm old and have no memory!!) So exciting! I get so envious of the new babies that come on board. I look forward to seeing yours and seeing pictures of the happy family.
 
Good work Zippy, 14 years from a Cav sounds like it's quite a good innings but it would still be horrible to lose such a good friend.

Anyway Critter that sucks about Wallis but I guess you cannot really ask for much more than for her to not be in pain, she is lucky to have a loving mum.

As for my new baby it will be a blenheim female... front runners for names currently are Audrey, Wendy and Kashi (sweet in japanese)
 
Tim, I believe that she will let you know her name when you get to know her. The majority of the pets I've had have done that. I have started out calling them one thing then suddenly I would be calling them something else that just seem to fit them better and they would respond to the new name. (My family gave me a hard time when I changed a bird's name several times; the next bird we got they told me that the first name I gave her was going to be the only name they would call her! Wallis went through 3 or 4 names before she became Wallis.)
 
Tim,

If it's any consolation to you, my hubby had always grown up with big dogs and our 1st dog together was a GSD who unfortunately we lost at the tender age of 5.

I had wanted a Cavalier since I was a small child and was determined to have my own way and get one. Like you, I researched the breed and was still worried. Now however, my eldest Cav is almost 8 & not 100% well. I took on a rescue Cav knowing he was poorly and my home is always open to a Cav in need of a loving home. My hubby, though he's a man - ;) :lol: - agrees with me and has even told his mates that he would never have any other breed of dog. I am keeping on at him about a 3rd and whereas before he would have said a definite NO! It is now just a :roll: that I get - then a resigned sigh that I am determined to replace him with Cavaliers at night time. Probably because Maxx gets right in between us and cuddles into me :lotsaluv:
 
All cavaliers aren't ill. Monty, 11 years 4 months, has a murmur, but it's never bothered him. Izzy, who's 9years 9 months, , on the other hand, has had a very bad murmur,needing lots of medication, for over two years. He's had upsets, but between , has a real jest for life.

His photo, in my avatar, shows the mischief is still there.
 
Tim, welcome and so glad you have been doing your homework! I only found this site after having my first 2 cavs. I knew that they were prone to heart problems when I fell in love with this breed, and it is only now after joining this site do I know the full extent of their health issues.

That said, every time Spencer gives me the "Your the best mommy in the world" look, every time Izzy gives me the "Can you keep a secret? I might act all tough, but I really do love you and you can kiss on me when no one is looking" look, and every time Tilly gives me the "I love you so much and I am just so happy to be yours" look, I know that even if they all fell ill tomorrow, every single second and penny devoted to them would have been absolutely worth it. :flwr:

Good luck with your new little baby :)
 
Heh! Now HOW are you going to resist that face? They are the most wonderful breed and the puppies are so, so sweet! :)
 
I stumbled upon this site because one of my boys had diahrrea of all things :lol: I had always thought it was just my boys who were this affectionate, this endearing and this passionate about giving back every ounce of love I give to them ten-fold. But it turns out, that is just a breed trait!! :lotsaluv:

I have been very fortunate that we haven't had any health issues as of yet, and I hope that this continues. With my third cavalier, I did my homework as you have done. Every second that they are with me, makes them worth any heartache that may come years down the line. I don't think I will ever own another breed, and I used to be a German Shepherd / border collie person! :D
 
Monica - you might want to cut and save your comment to read again in a few years. :(

Yeah, they are worth the love. But oh the heart does hurt.

Tim, I posted with the pictures - but will say again that you have 2 beautiful girls in your life.
 
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