Cause for Celebration

Not sure whether this is in the right place - if not, would a mod. please move it:

I have just heard that a UK bred Cavalier owned by a CT member, living in the USA, has been accepted for the SM Genome Research Project. I am not sure if owner Pat Beman is still an active member, but in any case I think well done. Craigowl Joplin who was bred by Norma and Gordon Inglis, has recently been passed as having no evidence of MVD or SM or PSOM. He was born in 2002 so will be 9 years old this year. I am so glad to be able to post some good news for a change.

Well done again to all concerned. :jmp2:

That is excellent news, and so good to hear that another older dog has been MRI'd to help the gene research.

Pat is a mine of information on health matters and always willing to share her knowledge. I have certainly learnt a lot from her.

Pat actually posted about a visit to Simon Platt very recently. I'm so pleased the results were so good.

Flo - you are stealing my thunder! I am preparing a long message about the entire experience to post this weekend. I wanted to be certain to get all of the correct details and have the written report in hand and make all of the correct acknowledgments when I post. I also wanted to communicate with the breeder before posting to make certain that it is okay to give his registered name. I have phoned the wonderful (US) person who placed him with me, but I haven't yet had a moment to communicate with his UK breeder who had no idea that I owned this boy. Planned to do all that this weekend when I have some uninterrupted time.

Yes, I'm an active member here - see my post down below on Sunday asking the question about what to do if PSOM is an incidental finding on a screening MRI. Monday was a very long day and I was pretty stressed - four hours on the highway and seven hours sitting in the waiting room at the University of Georgia. Simon Platt (from the UK) was the neurologist, and I was very impressed with him and liked him very much. (Recall that I attended the AVMA annual convention sessions last summer given by neurologists Dr. Curtis Dewey and Dr. Andy Shores - along with about 25 other sessions including a lot on cardiology.) I've been very busy at work the rest of this week after being away on Monday so I'll have a chance to get organized this weekend - I'm actually still at work late getting caught up.

This MRI was done through Rupert's Fund, and this project has become VERY dear to my heart. Give me a chance to get my ducks in a row and contact my boy's breeder and I'll do a long post about the entire experience this weekend. I am encouraged by the results of scans of older dogs under the Rupert's Fund project, and I'm definitely going to stay involved in this work and in encouraging folks to have their older dogs scanned. It's been very rewarding to be a part of this and to be able to contribute to the work that so many are doing to help this wonderful breed that I've owned and loved for 22 years.

Flo, is this news posted somewhere or how did you learn this? More tomorrow - I promise!

Pat

Pat,

I am very interested in hearing about dr. Platt. I have a friend that heard him talk about the griffon study. Thanks to cavaliers, we would never know what we do now because of scanning.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

Auburn, AL (Dr. Shores) and Athens, GA (Dr. Platt) are about the same distance from Atlanta - each two hours or so away but in opposite directions. And of course we have neurologists in private practice here in Atlanta, but I suspect that they do not have as much experience with CM/SM. And there are many, many Cavaliers in Atlanta and surrounding suburbs.

If I had a Cavalier that was symptomatic for SM, I'd probably want to get a consult with Dr. Platt and with Dr. Shores as I think they have different orientations/philosophies. But that is just conjecture on my part after listening to both of them. Atlanta is a great place to be a pet owner as we have access to a lot of specialists. I've been able to "pick and choose" a very special team over the last 20 years, and I have a great relationship with all of them. I just hope they never retire or I'll have to start over again, and none of us are young! I truly believe that this is one of the "secrets" to my good track record of long-living Cavaliers.

Pat

Pat,

I heard dr. Shores moved and is no longer in auburn. My friend is not a happy camper b/c he treated her cavalier.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

Well, that is very interesting. Just googled and Dr. Shores is at University of Mississippi. Wonder what has happened to that young team of residents that he was training to do decompression surgery with the special swine duroplasty - he talked a good deal about that at AVMA just six months ago. Checked ACVIM site and there is currently no neuro at Auburn. I remember when Todd Axlund left Auburn to go to Ohio after a rather short stay there. I'll have to see if I can learn more.

Guess it's a good thing that I just referred a friend to Dr. Platt instead of Dr. Shores! Too bad; I really liked having choices available within a reasonable distance.

Pat

Yes my friends cavalier had surgery in september and is due for follow up mri but found out he moved...


Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

And she asked Auburn for their follow-up recommendation and plan in the absence of Dr. Shores, and what was their response?

And she contacted Dr. Shores at University of Mississippi and asked him for his follow-up recommendation and plan, and what was his response?

Or are you telling me that she just hung up the phone and did not do anything other than not be a happy camper?

My point is that one must be persistent and proactive in a calm manner in the face of changes and challenges. Auburn has a responsibility for follow up even if their neurologist has departed, and Dr. Shores has an obligation to his patient and client for referral for follow-up even if he moves. This would be especially true if the follow-up MRI was part of the study or the contracted services. All records should be transferred to another clinician and Dr. Shores should consult with that clinician if he cannot arrange for follow-up himself.

No need to respond to my questions - I'm asking them to illustrate my point rather than to get answers. And note that I am not in any way criticizing Auburn or Dr. Shores assuming that the client did not pursue a resolution.

Pat

She is actually a member of CT and honestly I have not talked to her. Maybe she will respond but she is a friend in charlotte and mentioned in an email when asking about ella.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

I am not saying that. It came out wrong but traveling & change is different. I have no idea what was said but I know that he moved

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

I'm so pleased to hear the good news.It's truly a blessing to have such a healthy dog and shows the value of testing older dogs.You just never know what you might have lying at your feet.
This is the second older dog that I've heard of this week who has scanned well from another well know Kennel.It's both encouraging and exciting and I'm delighted for all concerned.
Sins

sins said:

I'm so pleased to hear the good news.It's truly a blessing to have such a healthy dog and shows the value of testing older dogs.You just never know what you might have lying at your feet.
This is the second older dog that I've heard of this week who has scanned well from another well know Kennel.It's both encouraging and exciting and I'm delighted for all concerned.
Sins

Click to expand...

Great!

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

Dr Shores and Residents

Just found out today that Dr. Shores and his 3 residents all went to Mississippi State Univ. and they are starting to do additional research on the CSF flow with the higher strength magnet they have at MSU on the Chiari dogs.

Pat

And she asked Auburn for their follow-up recommendation and plan in the absence of Dr. Shores, and what was their response?

And she contacted Dr. Shores at University of Mississippi and asked him for his follow-up recommendation and plan, and what was his response?

Or are you telling me that she just hung up the phone and did not do anything other than not be a happy camper?

My point is that one must be persistent and proactive in a calm manner in the face of changes and challenges. Auburn has a responsibility for follow up even if their neurologist has departed, and Dr. Shores has an obligation to his patient and client for referral for follow-up even if he moves. This would be especially true if the follow-up MRI was part of the study or the contracted services. All records should be transferred to another clinician and Dr. Shores should consult with that clinician if he cannot arrange for follow-up himself.

No need to respond to my questions - I'm asking them to illustrate my point rather than to get answers. And note that I am not in any way criticizing Auburn or Dr. Shores assuming that the client did not pursue a resolution.

Pat​

Click to expand...

Pat,
Just saw this. I talked to Anne briefly about Dr. Shores that did mri and surgery on Corey 6 months ago. I was contacting Dr. Shores for a follow up and shocked that they said he had moved to Mississippi St. A vet/neuro from Auburn that's currently in place of Dr. Shore contacted us (Sorry I forgot his name and he isn't in the Neurologist Board Certificate list). Being bummed I remember about Dr. Natasha Olby that has worked with Dr. Shores at the NC State and contacted her. She agreed to do an mri follow up and Auburn will transfer Corey's records to her. I emailed and called Dr. Shores about this and hasn't gotten a reply and believe me I'm trying.

Thanks for your concern.

Hi Flo:

While we all enjoy happy stories and good scan results, unless you had permission directly from Pat to post information on a Rupert's Fund personal scan, this post should not have been made. I assume this information was crossposted elsewhere but without Pat's direct permission, it should not have been crossposted here.

Pat did make a post herself on her own results today but the fact that it is several days later underlines that it should have been Pat's news to post directly, or else Pat's choice to give permission to post, especially as the dog is named.

gyoselyn said:

Pat,
I was contacting Dr. Shores for a follow up and shocked that they said he had moved to Mississippi St. A vet/neuro from Auburn that's currently in place of Dr. Shore contacted us (Sorry I forgot his name and he isn't in the Neurologist Board Certificate list). Being bummed I remember about Dr. Natasha Olby that has worked with Dr. Shores at the NC State and contacted her. She agreed to do an mri follow up and Auburn will transfer Corey's records to her. I emailed and called Dr. Shores about this and hasn't gotten a reply and believe me I'm trying.

Thanks for your concern.

Click to expand...

Gemma,

Sorry that my prior post sounded a little "uppity" but I was trying to illustrate that we must be advocates for our dogs in times of adversity, and of course I didn't know the full story.

And you have been just that! I'm disappointed that you were not contacted before said doctor departed so that a plan would have been already in place, but I guess we don't live in a perfect world.

FWIW, I have heard very good things about Dr. Olby. She did decompression surgery about 2006 or 2007 for a Cavalier belonging to a former member on another board who is a human doctor. I think you have a really good plan and I hope you didn't think I was being critical.

Best wishes,

Pat

Gemma,

Sorry that my prior post sounded a little "uppity" but I was trying to illustrate that we must be advocates for our dogs in times of adversity, and of course I didn't know the full story.

And you have been just that! I'm disappointed that you were not contacted before said doctor departed so that a plan would have been already in place, but I guess we don't live in a perfect world.

FWIW, I have heard very good things about Dr. Olby. She did decompression surgery about 2006 or 2007 for a Cavalier belonging to a former member on another board who is a human doctor. I think you have a really good plan and I hope you didn't think I was being critical.

Best wishes,

Pat

Click to expand...

Pat,

No worries. I just wished that Auburn contacted us when Dr. Shores moved to Mississippi instead of leaving us clueless and hanging :bang:. Aside from Dr. Shores' excellent decompression surgery procedure I think they could have done a better job in following up with the dogs' owners after esp. with something major like this. Well no point in getting upset.. I'm glad to that Dr. Olby will be seeing us and thanks for the good heads up about her.