please help im really scared!!

[mummy2millie]

ive posted this in general discussion but dont know if should be here apolagies if not. michelle xx

hi as most of you will know i bring millie home in 2 weeks 6 days, we adore her and love her so much already we chose her when she was 5 days old and visit her every 2 weeks ( although its been every weeks last few). when me my husband & 9 year old son decided to get a pet to be part of our family we discussed breeds etc & because 3 of my work collegues have cavs and told me about there temperment etc they sounded perfect so of we went a bought millie, i must stress how fantastic the breeder is she has properly researched it and knows wjat she is doing & the pups are loved & cared for her her hubby and there kids. anyway acouple weeks ago i turned the tv on and that dogs exposed program was on i was upset as i didnt realise cavs had so many health issues, i spoke to gemma who was fantastic & reassured me both sets parents etc are both sound and the puppys are sound (they have been vet checked) and i was content again. but since browsing on the health forum ive read some really upsetting things about othere peoples babies and now im really scared for millie infact i become paronoid thinking its so common shes gonna become ill. im so sorry i didnt research the breed more i was so naive but we love millie so much i carnt even contemplaint not having her. i suppose what im asking is is this as common as im reading!! should i stop reading abouth health issuses!! im so hurting and worried i dont wanna be looking for symptoms all the time but obviosly wanna spot them.
very sad michelle

[Carolina]

It is good to be informed but dont its like with babies, a thousand things can go wrong but one cant think of that. Enjoy your new puppy and think positive. Good luck!

[binnie]

I too had the same sheer panick when i watched the programme.
After years of research & patiently waiting for a pup to become available from our chosen breeder, i finally brought our pup home.
My heart sank when i watched the programme & further, when i went back over her pedigree & researched as far back as i could go.

I was told time & time again to ring her breeder & send her back, but couldn't. We'd fallen in love with her from the moment we went to see her at around 5 weeks old & love her more than ever now.

I'm sorry i'm not much use, but here are my personal thought's about our situation:

It's hard knowing there's a risk, but like humans, there are no guarantees. Though we may be healthy now, things may not be the same in a few years time.

I'm arming myself with as much info as possible so that i'd be able to spot a potential problem, but i refuse to drive myself mad with worry.

Whatever happens in the future, we love her to bits & should anything ever happen, i'll do everything i can for her.
I don't regret getting her at all. She's given us so much joy in the short time we've had her & i wouldn't hand her back for all the money in the world.


Try to stay positive Michelle.
I'd keep up to date with health issues & i'd gather as much info as possible, so that you're well informed.
A good breeder will always be happy to provide information & answer any questions, no matter how many you have!

Good luck with whatever you decide x

[Jan Bell]

This is really hard. Once you have seen a pup, and start to think of them as "yours", it is very hard to let go - I am not sure I could do it.

I have a one year old Rufus who I got from a breeder who had all the right heart certificates, but I didn't check about SM so like yourself I just have to keep my fingers crossed. But having met him, could I have then changed my mind? I don't think so, and I love him (and my 11 year old Toby) to bits, and it started from the moment I thought of them as "mine".

I know the correct advice is to go back to the breeder and check, and walk away if you are not happy with the answers and when I buy another Cavalier I will do this before I meet a potential puppy. But when you have already met your little one and are emotionally attached it's not so easy.

So I can't be much help here, as it's a hard decision. I can only second Binnie's advice, which is rather how I would feel in the situtation, but add, make sure you immediately get a good insurance policy so should the need arise, you can get the help you need without worrying financially.

In time, I hope that the health issues of Cavaliers will be well publicised and we will all ask the right questions early on and support the good breeders. Better still, breeding regulations that ensure good breeders. In the meantime, we just have to make the best decisions we can in the circumstances we have.

Good luck with whatever decision you make Michelle.

[Lisa_T]

One thing that might help allay your fears if you haven't actually seen cardiologist (not vet) heart clearances/ MRI scans from the breeder is to ask them about the longevity of their lines. At least if they can tell you that parents, grandparents, great grandparents are either making it to 5 plus without a murmur or surviving to 12 plus .... basically, they're doing well.

I don't have official clearances either, which I now regret, but I did research my younger dog's pedigree thoroughly and there's a high number of recent ancestors on the heart clearance list AND her paternal grandparents at least lived well past ten years.

But do, do get the best insurance you can, and make sure it does offer cover for hereditary conditions. If you're in the UK M&S is pretty good, although the seem to have put their premiums up lately. Basically, DON'T stop reading about SM/MVD - you do need to know something about both. Most of us will have to face MVD at some point. On the other hand, don't borrow trouble either. You know that they say : hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Don't let it spoil your pleasure in your new baby. I've had my girls for five and two years and in all that time the only non-vaccination thing I've had either to the vet for is for a tummy bug when Holly was a pup, but I feel better in myself knowing that I'm informed.