BarbMazz
Well-known member
Well OF COURSE they can! I'm simply asking the question... do you all have money in the bank to PAY outright for every possible health problem that might maybe could happen to your cav????
Seriously???
And if we couldn't... we aren't worthy owners?
I don't think anyone is saying you're not worthy. Cavaliers have a high incidence of genetic/hereditary problems because the gene pool is extremely small. I personally decided to go to a responsible breeder after reading about Cavs for a LONG time, including all the health issues involved. I learned about just how a good breeder goes about deciding which dogs to breed together; the traits they are trying to breed into and away from. I knew I had to find a breeder that did all the recommended health testing. This testing has nothing to do with "vet checks"... like routine physicals. This testing is done by specialist like cardiologists, orthopods, opthamologists, neurologists.
I don't know if it's "most" of us here, but we purchase health insurance which covers hereditary problems. I have two Cavaliers, and the insurance for them is approximately $70USD per month. I guess that's my way of banking the money needed if a serious problem like Mitral Valve Disease (MVD) or Syringromyelia (SM) or deafness or luxating patellas happens. There are many stories in the SM and MVD area about dogs suffering from these terrible problems.
With MVD, a MAJORITY of Cavaliers will eventually have some Mitral Valve Disease. Dogs who are bred without regard to genetic issues cause this problem to increase in both frequency and severity. Most, if not all, reputable breeders study the genetics of their breeding stock to lessen the likelihood of MVD. It's a difficult thing to do. If your breeder got these dogs older and without lineage proof it will be impossible to tell if these pups will have heart problems... how early they will start, etc. My breeder provided to me documents that proved that she health tests her breeding dogs for MVD with CERF/OFA, which is a dog health testing organization that keeps a data bank on heart health, as well as a data bank on hip dysplasia and other genetic disorders in different pure bred dogs. These documents are available on the internet.... they include registration numbers that I can look up anytime to check on how my dog's parents heart health is doing. She has cardiology heart checks on her breeding dogs every year, and has them re-certified.
With SM (a neurological skull malformation.... the skull case is not large enough to hold the brain, which herniates out the back of the dog's skull, causing mild to severe neurological symptoms including nerve pain, screaming, obsessive scratching/biting) it is estimated that a majority of Cavaliers... up to, what?, 70-80% have some degree of the malformation. The treatments for this include a variety of medicines, and/or surgery that can extremely expensive... like up to $20,000 or more for lifetime care. Unfortunately, the only way to tell if a dog has SM at this point is an MRI, which in the USA costs a bundle... depending on area $1,200 - $2,500 usd.
So, serious and prevalent health issues in this breed is what the issue is in the opinions voiced here. Indiscriminate and callous breeding hurts this breed terribly because it undoes and reverses any progress that is made by the passionate people who are trying to scientifically breed to reduce these sorts of problems.
I suggest you read the areas that Karlin has set up about the health issues Cavaliers have.
If I were in your shoes, I would ask for my deposit back. Depending on the amount paid, I might even be willing to forfeit the deposit and NOT take the puppy.
I would read this site thoroughly, including the SM and MVD information. I would check the American CKCS site and get the contact list for breeders in your area, and contact them by phone. Go visit them. Learn to ask questions about health checks on their breeding stock. Some breeders will put you on a waiting list, some won't, but you will begin to feel better about the puppy choice you make. Some people here have waited a year for a puppy... that's plenty of time to save the money needed for the outright puppy purchase. Then when you do pick up your puppy (at 10 or 12 wks of age ) you will know in your heart that you did all your homework and have a puppy that will have the best odds of being healthy, happy and easy to train. If you want to especially make sure your bank isn't broken in case a health problem DOES arise, purchase health insurance that covers genetic/hereditary conditions as soon as you bring the puppy home.
Good luck on your decision! Feel free to email or PM me if you'd like!