Air scratching

Hi there, I'm looking for a bit of reasurrance please:xfngr:. My one year old boy always air scratches when I take him out for a walk. In my innocence, I put that down to his harness annoying him. Last week I decided to see what would happen if I walked him without a harness, and he does it even more. I know this is one of the symptoms of SM, but could it be a symptom of anything else do you think?

It does sound like a syptom of SM...there are videos somewhere on this site that show how SM dogs air scratch...I know Pauline posted one with Dylan a few months ago, maybe she can send you the link. Do you have pet insurance for him? I think he would need an MRI to confirm anything, but I'm sure others on this site who know more about SM will chime in. Good luck, I hope he's okay! :xfngr::xfngr:

Air scratching is a common symptom of SM, but it can also be a symptom of PSOM, which is an ear problem. There are details on Karlin's site http://sm.cavaliertalk.com/

I'm not sure where you live, but I am always happy to talk to any UK board member if they think it will help. Just PM me for my telephone number.

I think insurance is a must for any Cavalier owner these days.

Margaret C

Thanks Carrie, yes I've seen the video of Dylan and it looks scarily similar.

Margaret, I live in Dublin, but thank you for the offer. I have pet insurance, thank goodness, to be fair, my breeder insisted on it, but I would have taken it out anyway.

I will have a look at the post on PSOM, hopefully thats all it will turn out to be. I will get him checked by the vet now to get this sorted out.