Margaret C

It appears that the long awaited BVA/KC MRI scheme may be delayed.

First proposed in early 2008, and now nearly completed, it appears that many of the regional club health representatives are recommending that it be rejected

It is difficult to know quite what is going on, as it appears that details are being guarded as if the subject is covered by the Official Secret Acts.

It appears that even to ask when a meeting between the KC and Cavalier Clubs Health Liaison Committee will take place is considered an inappropriate subject for open discussion.

The chance of the ordinary membership finding out what problems are causing yet more delays in putting this scheme into operation appear remote.

We are told that the KC are intending to launch it at Crufts ( presumably at the same time it launches the Mate Select scheme ) It will be interesting to see if the alleged 'flaws' are sorted out by then.

I was at the BVA/KC seminar and the main concern mentioned was the increased cost. I did blog about the day, but for the health representative complaining she had no notes to share with her members, there are some comprehensive notes now up on the Cavalier Club website.

The scheme appeared to give Cavalier Breeders everything the people now dragging their feet and recommending it be rejected had demanded over the past few years.

Standardised MRIs, each scan receiving a grading agreed by more than one individual neurologist. An appeals system. Records automatically submitted to the EBV scheme and publication of results.

My informed guess is that it is the last two points that are proving the sticking point with many of the regional Club health representatives although they will try and say it is the necessarily increased cost, or the fact that some of the existing cheap scans do not come up to the standard now required.

The problem for the 'gatekeeping' committee members is that it has been easy to demand these things, and loudly criticise schemes for shortcomings, when the well regulated project is in the far distant future.
Now, however they will be expected to put their money where their mouth is. Other breeders will now know for sure whether they have really had their dogs scanned, at what age they have had their dogs scanned, and just what the results are.

There is a lot of the usual protests and red herrings being put about .........how hard committee members work, how few people want to help etc.

These have no bearing on the core questions.......

Why would health representatives try and delay this scheme?

Why would they object to publication of the results?

Why are they not supporting something that will show exactly how many cavaliers are affected?

Why are they not supporting a scheme that will allow the EBV scheme to be made available to cavalier breeders?

I am tired of reading the excuses, evasions and lies that some of these people put out.
I check on the the list of litters registered every four months. This year the Breed Record Supplement showed that
a regional club health representative and chairman used one of her own dogs at 15 months and another at two years. No, not just to prove a young dog as she will try and suggest, both dogs have been used since, while still too young according to the health protocols.

She is not the only one, another health representative one who frequently talks about the MRI scanning he organises for his regional club, had three litters recorded in the last BRS, all sired by his own underage and frequently used dogs.

And these are the people who decide the future of our cavaliers?