I have created a new subforum for our board member and breeder, Cathryn. She will be MRI screening two of her dogs for syringomyelia soon, as part of a breeder effort to know more about the SM status of their own dogs and to make more informed choices when breeding.
When Cathryn asked me if she could have some way of documenting and sharing this experience in order to both raise awareness about SM and also to help people understand the dilemmas and challenges faced by breeders, I jumped at the chance. This is a very personal and can be a very emotional experience for anyone but especially so for a breeder who has worked hard to establish a line by making the best possible breeding decisions. SM can be invisible and silent and MRIing is the only way a breeder can truly know the status of his or her own dogs, and all that those results may imply. But it is a huge decision in every possible way and to be allowed to accompany someone on that journey is very special. I know I will gain new insights and learn a lot form this experience and I hope everyone else will, too. The forum is here:
http://board.cavaliertalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=66
and is set up as subforum in the health section. Cathryn will post into closed threads just as Bruce did in his breeding forum. This allows the posts to stay focused so that Cathryn can share what she wishes to share. People are very welcome to then start threads or join into existing threads to talk to Cathryn or with other board members. Cathryn will be in charge of the forum and will be checking in regularly to add to it and interact with all of us.
Her first post is there!
For anyone looking for background information on SM as well as the latest research, I have that information on the SM InfoSite:
www.smcavalier.com
Please come along and read about Cathryn's experience and ask any questions you'd like. The forum is there for everyone to comment, ask, and learn more.
When Cathryn asked me if she could have some way of documenting and sharing this experience in order to both raise awareness about SM and also to help people understand the dilemmas and challenges faced by breeders, I jumped at the chance. This is a very personal and can be a very emotional experience for anyone but especially so for a breeder who has worked hard to establish a line by making the best possible breeding decisions. SM can be invisible and silent and MRIing is the only way a breeder can truly know the status of his or her own dogs, and all that those results may imply. But it is a huge decision in every possible way and to be allowed to accompany someone on that journey is very special. I know I will gain new insights and learn a lot form this experience and I hope everyone else will, too. The forum is here:
http://board.cavaliertalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=66
and is set up as subforum in the health section. Cathryn will post into closed threads just as Bruce did in his breeding forum. This allows the posts to stay focused so that Cathryn can share what she wishes to share. People are very welcome to then start threads or join into existing threads to talk to Cathryn or with other board members. Cathryn will be in charge of the forum and will be checking in regularly to add to it and interact with all of us.
Her first post is there!
For anyone looking for background information on SM as well as the latest research, I have that information on the SM InfoSite:
www.smcavalier.com
Please come along and read about Cathryn's experience and ask any questions you'd like. The forum is there for everyone to comment, ask, and learn more.