We do have a small number of breeders here. Those that are here are people I have okayed. Margaret, for example; as well as two breeders currently involved in health organisations and with the Companion Cavalier Club. We have also had several breeders in the past who have discussed their litters. Generally that was in the past; and I would discourage this but there are always some grey areas. Many in the past have discussed the original poster's health results with him directly on threads here and I don't have an issue with that sort of discussion. Most of what my own board rules apply to is not allowing dogs owners to come and ask about (backyard) breeding their dogs. I do think good, professional breeders discussing limited breeding issues -- as those here do from time to time -- is useful and informative from a health and welfare perspective. It is hard to make a strict definition about the latter type of post and I make the judgement call as it's me running the board.
I removed the thread because:
1) I was asked to by the original poster, and respect this request as it was 'their' thread (Nicki was not aware of this; and therefore didn't know that the thread will not be returned as a closed thread)
2) I was not aware there was an age issue in this case and wouldn't have allowed the discussion in the first place had I realised this.
3) And finally, I do not read every single post on the board nor follow every thread from beginning to end. I simply do not have the ability or time to do so. Therefore sometimes things slip through that I would have addressed at an earlier point OR if someone had flagged it to me. No one raised any issues directly with me. I address things as I see fit when I do come across any issues.
Anyone following research and reflecting on real world experience would know how a dog can scan clear at an early age and then be affected with SM still before the breeding protocol age but at a time when many breeders would have bred such a dog without rescanning.
There is ample research that shows
the critical period at which the majority of dogs likely to get SM (especially more severe SM) will scan with a syrinx, is BY AGE 2.5 TO 3, yet HALF those dogs would have scanned clear by age 1. That is why so many neurologists came together and agreed on this age range of 2.5-3 years as the point at which a cavalier must be scanned to give meaningful SM guidance to the breeder. And that is why 2.5 years is considered the minimum age for breeding, and ONLY within protocols. I would hope a few breeders that I know were reading and discussing the thread would reflect on that, their personal experience and their own practice. Too many still say one thing publicly, yet do, and have deliberately done, another. :x
It is especially, that sort of personal experience and reflection that I hope will encourage ever more breeders to avoid using dogs under the protocol ages of 2.5 years, and to always scan at 2.5+ before breeding, and NOT EVER rely on earlier scans that may have changed considerably since a dog was a year or 18 months old.
Finally: if anyone has questions they want to put to a person, they can always PM another board member directly (and politely).
And now I will close this discussion.