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Pedigree Dogs Exposed: part four

I looked through the entire site.While reading through the "health stuff", I felt a remarkable sensation of deja vu:rolleyes:
However I thoroughly enjoyed the article on the history of Toy spaniels and was a genuine delight to read.(y)
Sins
 
sins said:
I looked through the entire site.While reading through the "health stuff", I felt a remarkable sensation of deja vu:rolleyes:
However I thoroughly enjoyed the article on the history of Toy spaniels and was a genuine delight to read.(y)
Sins
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The old book they mention ( lytons toy dogs & their ancestors ) is available online & interestingly mentions dogs getting into a habit of scratching for no reason . this book was published around 1900
 
RodRussell said:
Yes, Eddy, aboutcavalierhealth.com is Rasmussen's, and the other one is cavalierhealth.info by Johnson-Snyder. They sprung up in September 2004 as some breeders' reaction to cavalierhealth.org. These breeders immediately added either or both of these sites to their own websites' "Links" pages, presumably in hopes that cavalierhealth.org would get forgotten about for lack of attention.
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I thought you'd remember more than me, meanwhile your site is still there and providing excellent information. Must add, Karlin's SM site is also providing excellent information. :)
.
 
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Ihope I am in the right place with this post
Ref to Driffield Champ show 19th September 08

The cavalier results make interesting reading
Search carefully

Ross
 
Well Bless it's little feathery slippers, that puppy bitch must have got itself all done up and made it's way all the way to the show all by it's ickle self cos we've all read that her owner/ breeder wasn't doing this thing no more!!
:dogwlk:
 
Guess she feels she still has more to contribute to the breed...? icon_nwunsure [checked: apparently shown by someone else so probably sold a while back]

Meanwhile in the Daily Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...el-Club-is-in-denial-over--deformed-dogs.html


Ms Jeffers set up the Albany Bassets after she was expelled from the Kennel Club's Working Branch of the Basset Hound Club in 2002 for criticising the inbreeding that, she claimed, meant Kennel-club registered bassets could no longer work in the field.

"The Kennel Club-registered basset hound had developed into a ponderous mutant incapable of hunting so we had to outcross," she said.
"The Club took umbrage at this and expelled us, an easier option than admitting to the fact they had ruined the breed."

The Government warned that it was planning to force commercial breeders to begin "programmes aimed at the eventual eradication of traits that cause unnecessary suffering in dogs".

Ministers are holding talks with the Kennel Club, dog welfare groups and veterinarians on the issue but want breeders to take the initiative in the meantime and start breeding out those traits, said a spokesman for the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
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and:

The Dogs Trust, Britain's largest dog charity, has also withdrawn support for Crufts over the breeding techniques.

Clarissa Baldwin, the trust's chief executive, said the Kennel Club officials must review breed standards to ensure that the dogs' health was the priority rather than appearance and artificial breed standards.

Ms Baldwin urged Defra to bring forward laws to regulate dog breeding.
Beverly Cuddy, the editor of Dogs Today, said the Kennel Club was an old-fashioned and out-of-touch organisation governed by arcane rules.

"It has to reform ," she said. "Breeds are under threat. The Kennel Club has to take the criticism on the chin and get on with it. Kennel Club registration should be a mark of a dog's health and quality. We have got to get back to that."
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UK members, keep writing letters to your MPs in particular but also Euro MPs!! The KC has said itself that under the way it is currently organised it cannot require breeders to do anything -- so it has got to rest with government to do something, or the KC to reform.
 
Reply from Defra

Received this reply from Defra - again, sorry for any spelling mistakes but am copy typing it out:

The Animal Welfare Act 2006, which came into force last year, means that we now have the power to make regulations to protect the offspring of vertebrate animals. The various genetic problems suffered by pedigree dogs have long since recongnised by the Veterinary profession and the Government. The Government welcomes the work being done by organisations such as the Kennel Club and the British Veterinary Association to address these problems. It also welcomes the work being done by the Companion Animal Welfare Council (CAWC) to bring together expert opinion on the nature of these problems and how they should be addressed.

Advances have been made by geneticists in developing DNA based tests for some conditions. This provides breeders with the opportunity to breed responsibly and to improve the welfare of future off-spring.

The Government accepts that there are shortcomings in the existing law on the commercial breeding of dogs. While a overhaul of these laws is required to ensure we can stamp out puppy farming, it will also provide an opportunity to put in place measures that include a requirement on commercial breeders to adhere to programmes aimed a the eventual eradication of traits that cause unnecessary suffering in dogs. However, the breeding out of such traits must be seen as a long term goal which breeders themselves must seek first to address. The Government does not see these matters as priorities for new animal welfare legislation - although it does recognise the concerns felt by many regarding breeding standards.

The European Convention has been an important catalyst in raising animal welfare standards. The introduction of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in England and Wales - as well as the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 - means that our laws are now consistent with the principles set out in the Convention. Nevertheless, there are aspirations in the convention, in particular the resolution on breed standards, which may not necessarily be the most effective way of promoting welfare.

Defra is currently working with the devolved administrations to identify those areas that may cause mutual concerns and the implications were the Government to sign the Convention.

I hope this letter addresses your concerns.

Your sincerely
MB, Defra - Customer Contact Unit
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Took me a couple of readings to work out what they are saying, and even now I'm not totally sure: seems to be that they know there is a problem, but aren't planning to do anything about it.

It does seem though, that letters to MP's en mass are going to be necessary to push the issue. I wrote to Peter Ainsworth last week, so will see what he says.
 
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sins said:
Well Bless it's little feathery slippers, that puppy bitch must have got itself all done up and made it's way all the way to the show all by it's ickle self cos we've all read that her owner/ breeder wasn't doing this thing no more!!
:dogwlk:
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Yes I read that too, was on my high horse again until I calmed down and thought about it. Do you think she might have sold the puppy and it was being shown by someone else? :xfngr: I would like to think that was the case (y)
Has anyone heard yet if the SGM is still going ahead?
 
Yes, this one was apparently shown by someone else, probably owned by someone else.
 
I was curious, after reading about the Albany Bassets, how many other breeds have similar changes in breeding. I did run out of patience after a bit but found, under old fashioned dog breeders, some sites regarding taking a specific breed back to when it was functioning and healthy-those sites included labs, GR's and collies. Some breeds are being "retrofitted " by breeders who got frustrated with what was happening to their breed for the sake of "show". The collies I saw were magnificent. The German Shepherds beautiful, along with nice blocky headed GR's and athletic looking Labs.
 
I sent the Defra letter to Beverly Cuddy of Dog's Today. Please see the Cold Wet Nose Blog for her suggestions to publicise this issue:

http://www.coldwetnose.blogspot.com/

If anybody out there has doggy friends who could be persuaded to write to their MP's and/or Defra, please do your best. I think there are lots of people who were distressed about the Pedigree Dogs Programme, but who won't necessarily do anything about it without a bit of persuasion.

What was that quote about all it takes for evil to succeed is for good people to do nothing? I am not suggesting that these breeders are actually evil, but it is true that it takes time and effort to counter an existing and established system. So please have a read of Beverly's blog and think about how we can get more people involved.
 
There's a couple of new pages on the new website. One is a nameless breeder explaining why he/she doesn't scan. Apparently science has not yet given them enough info but now that Sarah Blott's evb research they feel that is better and will start scanning.
Just where do they think the info for Sarah's research has come from ? From all of us that are already scanning of course, so they can sit on their backsides letting someone else spend their money to pave the way for them. They make my blood boil.
The other page is about how long cavaliers live and it's ok because they can live long lives even with heart problems because their owners can keep them going with medication !! They will never make pet owners understand and why should they when they are the ones paying the price.How can they expect the general public to accept these sort of comments they are crazy if they think this is going to improve the breeders image.
Having had many Cavaliers with MVD I know from first hand experience how devastating this condition is, when your beloved dog is diagnosed at 2 and then dies just a few years later. Yes medication has come a long way, my 14year old cassie has been heart pills for number of years at the cost of £75.00 per month.
www.cavalierhealth.co.uk
 
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HollyDolly said:
The other page is about how long cavaliers live and it's ok because they can live long lives even with heart problems because their owners can keep them going with medication !!
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Ok now I'm p*** off, they think it ok?

I have a diabetic/MVD dog that I work my bloody A*** off everyday to make sure she lives a normal life but apparently that's OK.

Side note: a couple of years ago my brother was at a wedding for a friend and at the table he sat at was a Cavalier breeder who after they started talking (he mention SiânE being diabetic) wanted to know info about about diabetes as she was finding more and more people on the show ring had this problem with their dogs.:confused:
 
HollyDolly said:
?
The other page is about how long cavaliers live and it's ok because they can live long lives even with heart problems because their owners can keep them going with medication !!
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Let's all breed dogs with illnesses, because it doesn't matter, they'll live a while, they can all go on medication.
Let's not worry about the dogs suffering, the owners suffering, the cost of medication, etc etc, because you can just shove them on costly pills & all will be ok !!!!!

Discusting :mad:
 
I was speaking to the pet crematorium lady on monday, she said the amount of young cavaliers she cremates is heartbreaking. Her own cavalier made it to 11 but was ill for quite a while.
I forgot to ask if her clients were all mvd or other causes , my mind was on other things to be honest.

I am concerned about the " they have sm on the scans but no symptoms" arguement how do we know dogs have no symptoms , you can't ask them how they feel.
One of my dogs was running around on a broken leg for months while having treatment & never complained
 
AT said:
I am concerned about the " they have sm on the scans but no symptoms" arguement how do we know dogs have no symptoms , you can't ask them how they feel.
One of my dogs was running around on a broken leg for months while having treatment & never complained
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This is so true, they often don't alert you to anything being wrong.

Amber was her normal self, playing, happy, just normal.
Then one evening not so long ago, i went to let her out the garden, when i noticed she'd urinated in the kitchen & it looked slightly pinky, this hadn't happened before, her urine had previously been normal.
I rang the vet, who arranged an appointment for the next day.
She was her normal self, no sign's or symptoms of anything wrong at all except this pinky coloured urine, she wasn't going to the toilet more than usual, nor drinking more than usual.

The vet did a few tests & said her urine looked clear & looked at me as if i was mad, but did a dip stick test to check for blood, just incase.
He came back into the waiting room with his mouth wide open. Her test had apparently shot straight up, showing high levels of blood, dispite looking clear.
She was found to have a servere cystitis infection & was placed on antibiotics for over a month.

Her vet said she must have been in agony as her lab results were very high.

I was completely stunned, as at no time at all did she appear to be in pain or show any signs or symptoms whatsoever. The poor little thing had been in agony for weeks & she'd not once let me know :(
 
HollyDolly said:
There's a couple of new pages on the new website. One is a nameless breeder explaining why he/she doesn't scan. Apparently science has not yet given them enough info but now that Sarah Blott's evb research they feel that is better and will start scanning.
Just where do they think the info for Sarah's research has come from ? From all of us that are already scanning of course, so they can sit on their backsides letting someone else spend their money to pave the way for them. They make my blood boil.
The other page is about how long cavaliers live and it's ok because they can live long lives even with heart problems because their owners can keep them going with medication !! They will never make pet owners understand and why should they when they are the ones paying the price.How can they expect the general public to accept these sort of comments they are crazy if they think this is going to improve the breeders image.
Having had many Cavaliers with MVD I know from first hand experience how devastating this condition is, when your beloved dog is diagnosed at 2 and then dies just a few years later. Yes medication has come a long way, my 14year old cassie has been heart pills for number of years at the cost of £75.00 per month.
www.cavalierhealth.co.uk
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The website is hurting their cause; it appears to be a list of excuses for not properly health testing and following protocols.
 
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