
Originally Posted by
skylarkuk
My name is Gail and I have a reason for joining this forum. In 2009 a programme called pedigree Dogs Exposed was aired on the BBC. I only found out about this tonight after doing some searching on google. My dog Harry was sired by the dog Beauella Radzinski owned by Beverly Costello. I have spent a few hours reading about everything that went on and am horrified.
My dog was born in May 2005, I believe after the first MRI had been done. He seemed OK initially but there was a bit of a delay in getting his kennel club membership.
Harry suffers from very bad itching and yelping pain. I remember seeing a bit of the uproar on the news about this last year but never got round to watching the programme and I just found it on youtube, I remember seeing on the news a dog displaying the same behaviours as harry.
Well harry acts exactly like those dogs on the programme, whimpering, scratching, walking Harry is an absolute nightmare, we have to stop every few hundred yards while he yelps and scratches. Our vet told us it was hayfever or skin allergies and prescribed steroids which did not help one bit.
Something was nagging at the back of my head, probably about beverly being difficult at the time, so tonight just on intuition I decided to google harry's sire as well as the itching symptoms, didn't take long to come up with pages of stuff but most of it was from just after the programme was broadcast.
I am just wondering if anyone else has dogs from this lineif they have SM, whether beverly ever published the results of the scan to prove herself (a long shot maybe?), and well I dont know really know what I want to know, I guess maybe I am just after a sympathetic ear.
I am not a breeder or a knowledgeable dog person, I did not choose harry for his looks, I bought harry for the family, we were adopting a young child and I read all about different breeds before deciding on ckcs for their lovely temperament. Harry is my rock, when we are having difficult days harry is there for me and I am devastated that he may have this condition passed on to him.
Hello Gail,
Welcome to this very supportive forum. This is the right place for a sympathetic ear. There are a lot of us here with SM dogs.
I should probably introduce myself. I am the person who can best answer some of your queries as I was the health representative who appeared on 'Pedigree Dogs Exposed' and confirmed that Radzinski's owner had shown me the scan that proved he had SM.
I see you left a kind comment about me on the Dogs Today blog, so thank you for that.
No, although Beverley Costello said a lot of contradictory things she never produced the scan.
At various times she denied Radzinski had SM, she denied there had been any scan or certificate issued when he was MRI'd, and on occasions she denied that the scan had ever left her house.
The truth is there are witnesses to her handing round the certificate and scan at dog shows and she talked openly about the result until warned to be quiet by others closely associated with Radzinski's breeding.
Beverley would have become the Kennel Club and the Cavalier Club's star witness if she could have produced evidence to show the film had made allegations that were not true, but she was not able to do so. In fact she failed to answer any of the KC & Cavalier Club letters and eventually she was refused registration rights by the KC & was encouraged to resign from the Cavalier Club.
I am so sorry that Harry is showing SM symptoms. There are other conditions that cause scratching and yelping, but as SM is showing up in so many cavaliers of all lines and all colours, it would be wise to ask for a referral to a neurologist experienced in SM.
SM can often be well controlled by drugs, so please don't despair too much. The important thing is to find the right combination of drugs to keep him more comfortable, and to give you back the dog you should own.
If Harry is insured he could have a diagnostic MRI scan. If not you could still get a diagnosis and advice on medication from someone experienced in treating this painful condition.
You are very welcome to PM me for my phone number if you want to have more information.
If Harry was born in March 2005, then Radzinski was mated to Harry's mother after the MRI scan in February 2005, when an eye witness heard his owner being told that he should never be used for breeding.
Of course Harry's breeder may not have known about his MRI results or that advice but whatever the circumstances, it would help raise awareness of SM if you would write to Harry's breeder ( registered letter is best ) and ask her if she is now scanning her cavaliers & breeding according to the guidelines shown on the Cavalier Club website.
Please stay in touch and let us know how Harry is doing
Margaret C
Cavaliers......Faith, The Ginger Tank and Woody.
Japanese Chins.... Dandy, Benny, Bridgette and Hana.
Remembered with love......... Tommy Tuppence and Fonzi
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