What is your definition of a breeder of "Quality Dogs"?

[Pat]

Advances in medicine are amazing and I get my Charlie put under GA every year to get his heart scanned and his Xrays done

I find this quite surprising - is it common in the UK to only do echocardiograms and x-rays while dogs are under general anesthesia? I cannot think of one GP vet or cardiologist in the US that uses anesthesia for echos or radiographs. My present and past dogs that are seniors up through their mid-teens have had annual dentals using anesthesia (isoflurane gas) but I've never had a dog need GA for radiographs, echocardiograms or ultrasounds. That is the beauty of those diagnostic tests - they are not invasive and don't require anesthesia. (I am allowed to be present during dentals and during echocardiograms and ultrasounds. I must stand outside of the room during x-rays because of the associated radiation but I watch my dogs go into and come back from the x-ray room. Technician of course wears a lead apron.)

Pat

[sunshinekisses]

"What is your definition of a breeder of "Quality Dogs"?" For me would be years of producing healthy, happy, and pretty dogs.
But breeding quality dogs and being a quality breeder is two different things. Someone can get lucky for years, their first breeding stock being nice tempered and healthy but unless they understand true dog genetics it can't go on forever without the aid of health testing.

Personally I believe temperament is number one importance, who cares if a dog can live to 15 if he is shy or aggressive. Dog ownership should be fun and enjoyable. Health is also extremely important. If my dog is fun to be with, I should have the pleasure of having years and years to enjoy his ownership. Looks is last on my list, however conformation should not be mistaken for just pretty. A dog that has good structure will not fall apart in old age.

A poor breeder would be someone that ignores any of these three. And anyone breeding before the age of two really needs to be slapped. Health testing is a wonderful tool that should be used for every breeding dog. There is no way a breeder can know his lines are free of certain health problems unless tested. And every untested litter could add to the many already affected dogs. It doesn't make any sense not to use every tool we have to make quality dogs.

[Bet]

Probably C) but because of the secrecy that has surrounded health issues in the breed it is difficult to know for certain.

MVD was beginning to be recognised as a problem, although there was a lot of denial about the extent of the cavalier heart issues at the time. It may have been as bad then as it is now.

This was before MRIs became available and SM was not a recognised problem, although it has become clear that cavaliers that scratch obsessively and/or would not walk on a lead had been around for years.

This was before the spread of the Internet, so it was much easier for breeders to tell buyers with sick dogs there were no problems in their line and ignore reports of ill health in the dogs they bred, but I still find it hard to think that there could have been so many young SM affected cavaliers with extreme symptoms that remained unnoticed and unreported.

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINATION OF A BREEDER OF (QUALITY DOGS)?


To me the Word Quality means HEALTHY .....so that you can enjoy Life.


How can Cavaliers be enjoying Life ,if they are not Healthy ,and can I mention here that this seems to be forgotten that the Researchers have said that about 90% of Cavaliers are Suffering from CM ,which is Chacterized by the Brains being Too Big for the Skulls. This can stop the Flow of the Cerebro Spinal Fluid ,and Syrinxes Forming leading to SM.

Is this not a more serious Condititon than SM.?

To me it is. What do you other folk think ?

A Report from the FOETAL TISSUE RESEARCH mentioned 85 WHELPS Researched ALL HAD CM.

I think I'am right in saying this that of 29 Cavaliers MRI Scanned under the over 6 age Group 26 had CM.

I will go back to what I said at the beginning of my Post, and have always believed this since we we got SWEEP our first Cavalier in 1973 ,who died from Heart Trouble at 4,that what I would think most Cavalier Pet Owners want is a Healthy Cavalier ,not one with the Quality to Win in the Show Ring.

This is why I feel so strongly that a Cavalier should not be given his or her Title of Champion unless a Certificate can be shown to Prove that they are Clear of MVD and SM,and that the Breeding Guidelines have been followed ,to try and delay the Early On-Set of both those Diseases ,and not been Bred before 2.5 years of Age ,and the Health Status of the Parents is known at 5.

Bet

[Margaret C]

Personally I believe temperament is number one importance, who cares if a dog can live to 15 if he is shy or aggressive. Dog ownership should be fun and enjoyable. Health is also extremely important. If my dog is fun to be with, I should have the pleasure of having years and years to enjoy his ownership. Looks is last on my list, however conformation should not be mistaken for just pretty. A dog that has good structure will not fall apart in old age.

A poor breeder would be someone that ignores any of these three.

I couldn't agree more

And anyone breeding before the age of two really needs to be slapped. .

What a satisfying picture that conjures up

Health testing is a wonderful tool that should be used for every breeding dog. There is no way a breeder can know his lines are free of certain health problems unless tested. And every untested litter could add to the many already affected dogs. It doesn't make any sense not to use every tool we have to make quality dogs.

Thank you for this. I have never seen the argument for health testing put so succinctly.

[Karen and Ruby]

I find this quite surprising - is it common in the UK to only do echocardiograms and x-rays while dogs are under general anesthesia? I cannot think of one GP vet or cardiologist in the US that uses anesthesia for echos or radiographs. My present and past dogs that are seniors up through their mid-teens have had annual dentals using anesthesia (isoflurane gas) but I've never had a dog need GA for radiographs, echocardiograms or ultrasounds. That is the beauty of those diagnostic tests - they are not invasive and don't require anesthesia. (I am allowed to be present during dentals and during echocardiograms and ultrasounds. I must stand outside of the room during x-rays because of the associated radiation but I watch my dogs go into and come back from the x-ray room. Technician of course wears a lead apron.)

Pat

He is absolutely terrified of the Vets and it is far too stressful for him to be held down awake during his tests. He woudnt be able to have them done awake thats for sure. I may be wrong in the anaesthtetic that they use but I do have to sign a consent form to say it can be done- like I did when he was castrated. And he isn't allowed to eat the night before?

The first time he went they tried with out- like they do with my Ruby- but he went balisticand they had to sedate him.
Is sedation different to anaesthetic then? or am I being really thick?!

[Karlin]

They are different but they both need the dog to be fasted beforehand.