MRI scanning day - 10th DEC 2009

[MARK MARSHALL]

I have another day planned for the above date at CHESTERGATES in Cheshire and ALL OWNERS are welcome. We need 20 dogs at £115 each plus other small travelling expenses. I do believe that we already have about 8 on board the bus.

Dogs with pedigrees are most welcome as the data can then be linked to mouth swabs and blood etc - for the benefit of research.

This will then, most importantly, help to make the EBV breeding system more accurate and help us all to breed more healthy CKCS specimens and not necessarily good lookers for the Show Scene.

You can either ring me on 07832352491 or email oxen.combe@btinternet.com or via PM.

We are in this years CKCS Year Book - full details found under OXENCOMBE.

Regards Mark Marshall.

[MARK MARSHALL]

There are still a few places left and we do need to take 20 dogs to make the costs reasonable for everyone.

So please make contact if you wish your dog(s) to be MRI scanned cheaply.

Regards Mark.

[Karen and Ruby]

Is it open to anyone as I have a new rescue of 9 months and I would quite like either the peace of mind/ or know early on if he has problems.
My feeling is that he has been badly bred so there is a fairly good chance he will have the disease?
He has no papers at all.

Karen

[MARK MARSHALL]

As per my PM to you. Mark.

[Karlin]

There's no greater risk because the dog is from an unknown background -- small numbers of breeders are only just beginning to follow some of the emerging breeding recommendations and relatively small (though growing!) numbers are scanning. So dogs of unknown background or puppy farms etc are likely to be at the same risk as any other dog unless the breeder has already been working towards addressing SM. They can be at higher risk of many other issues but all the neurologists I've talked to say that there's no difference in risk at this time and that dogs that come in with SM fall about equally into the show breeder/KC registered/backyard bred camps.

This is a great opportunity to get an MRI at rates made available only to the club groups. It is very generous for Mark to offer to include interested board members.

However, Karen I would not put your new fellow through an MRI and sedation unless you have seen a cardiologist and get a definite OK (or an Ok from your vet but given that you have an unusual murmur I'd want the cardiologist's input, not a vet's opinion). Dogs with heart problems can be at far higher risk of problems under sedation or GA so this is very important to do. Also he is very young to MRI -- SM is progressive and it would make more sense to wait until he is a lot older unless you are seeing symptoms. If you are only going to be able to MRI him once I'd do it at 2 or older unless you see symptoms -- just to get a more meaningful result.

[Karen and Ruby]

Thanks Karlin- we have an appointment for the Cardiologist in 2 weeks. I know that at his age its quite unusual to detect SM but at the same time, when I look back at what we went through with Ruby I just wish I had got her done sooner as that way she wouldnt have suffered for 2 years. I have to listen to my gut and when he sits and scratches for up to a minute and flinches when his collar gets put on it makes me wonder. However I will definatly ask the opinion of not only the Cardiologist but the vet also about his safety and weight. He weighs 6.9 kg at the momment which is 0.3 better that the day he arrived, we will get there eventually!
Thanks for the advice and we will have a long hard think about it all- I just wish i had got Ruby scanned at the time that I had a feeling it was SM and not over a year later. I dont want to get 2 years further down the line and have the same regret with little Charlie!

Karen, Ruby and Charlie x

I also said to Mark that I certainly dont want to take up the place of someone that would be more benifical to the AHT and breeding programs as that is too important to me and alot of people