talking to Cavalier owners

[jacies]

Hi, where I walk my dogs is a very popular lakeside circuit and we get to meet lots of other dogs every day, quite a number of them being Cavaliers. We always stop and talk and particularly as Chaos is usually in her stroller she attracts a lot of attention.
Yesterday we met a lady with a 12 week old black and tan puppy and I asked her where she had got her. She said she had seen an advert in the pet shop and got him from a local person. I told her about Chaos having SM and she had never heard of it although she said she had had Cavaliers before with heart problems. I explained the symptoms so that she would be aware of them because if I had known about SM I would have realised years before that Chaos did not have fleas or hated her coat etc.
Today, I met another lady who had two 2 year old Cavaliers and she had not heard of SM either.
My question is, do you think I am doing the right thing discussing SM with Cavalier owners? After that TV programme quite a number of people with other breeds of dogs that I meet have heard of it.
Judy

[Love my Cavaliers]

If I had known about SM, Riley would probably have been diagnosed years before she was. So, I would have liked to know about it. I don't think it hurts to give somebody the info that they can tuck away in their brain, hopefully to never use again. But, if their dog does starts showing symptoms later on down the road, maybe they will recall the conversation and get help sooner.

[Cathy T]

You are absolutely right in telling people you meet about SM. So many Cavaliers go undiagnosed and suffer for so long when owners and vets are baffled as to their behavior. I'm amazed at how many people I meet with Cavaliers who don't know what MVD is.....much less SM. So I try to enlighten owners whenever I can. I think it is our responsibility as responsible pet owners to educate people about the breed.

[jasperpaw]

I would agree that it is important to talk to other cavalier owners about both SM and MVD as cavaliers are very much drawn to recognizing there own breed we have met lots of people over the years and all have spoken about MVD, we have met a number of owners over the summer months on holiday and while out and about, and have had general chats about health, I was quite shocked in recent months to talk to owners that had young cavaliers and did`nt know what SM was, I found this very worrying.

[Karlin]

I think information is always helpful. Your information may save some other owner years of confusion and anguish and their dog, months or years of pain. But I think it is all in how it is discussed -- eg not as a way of scaring but informing owners. I always go through MVD and SM along with other breed-related issues with homes taking my rescue cavaliers. I have never yet had anyone say they had changed their mind or obsess over their dog getting it. I think responsible breeders and rescues should go through all such issues with new owners and discussing breed concerns is a natural enough conversation between cavalier owners, if you meet someone with a cavalier.

[Bet]

I agree with everything that's been said in the Previous Posts.

I would also say when talking to others about the SM Problem in Cavaliers, emphasis how important it is when getting a Cavalier ,to see a Certificate showing that the Cavalier Breeder has MRI Scanned her Breeding Stock.

I really do think it's up to us Pet Owner Lovers of Cavaliers to get this message across to the Public ,that when wanting to buy a Cavalier always ask to see a Certificate from the Cavalier Breeder to prove that Health Tests are being carried by the Breeder .

With the Membership at 4,000 on this List now, what a great chance we have got.

[Tania]

I too agree with everything above, I thought I had researched the breed before I got Molly and Dougall, I was very aware of the heart and eye problems but had never heard of sm until I saw it on Pedigree Dogs Exposed! When I saw this tv programme I thought we could never be this unlucky. We were unlucky with both Molly and Dougall. If I had know about sm sooner both dogs would have been diagnosed earlier. I always talk to Cavalier Owners when I meet them and gently discuss this disease without appearing to be a woman obsessed . So yes I think people should be made aware.

[Cathy and Winston]

Even though Winston isn't a Cavailer, he's a Pug, talk away. ANY small skulled dog can have SM. I researched Pugs almost to death, and *nothing in my research came up with SM. PDE, eye problems, breathing problems, luxating patellas, hip dysplasia, overcrowded jaws, non stop shedding, all those, but nothing about SM. It wasn't until Winston was diagnosed with SM that I'd ever heard about the disease. I wish someone had told me that any small skulled dog can get it. Talk away, the more educated an owner of any dog is, the better.

[Margaret C]

If I had known about SM, Riley would probably have been diagnosed years before she was. So, I would have liked to know about it. I don't think it hurts to give somebody the info that they can tuck away in their brain, hopefully to never use again. But, if their dog does starts showing symptoms later on down the road, maybe they will recall the conversation and get help sooner.

It does sometimes seem unkind to worry owners about their pets, but there are so many dogs that suffer because people think that SM symptoms are just their pet's "funny quirky little ways"

There were many SM dogs diagnosed & given pain relief because of the PDE film.
For the sake of the dogs, owners do need to know about the problems in the breed

[Bet]

Could I just mention that the UK Parliamentary Enquiry will be Published on November 2.

It has already announced that it has found serious problems in Pedigree Dogs.

We Pet Cavalier Owners who have been Broken Hearted because of the suffering of our Cherished Cavaliers,do hope that particular notice will have been paid by the Parliamentary Committee to the Two serious Health Problems afflicting Cavaliers, SM and MVD.