Everybody Else's Problem

[goda]

I want to preface this post by saying that this forum is invaluable and with Luka's recent SM diagnosis I have learned a ton of information in a short amount of time. I think people like Karlin and Pat whose wealth of knowledge is just as valuable as that of my neurologist.

What really bothers me though is when I read these posts discouraging prospective Cavalier King Charles Owners from buying a puppy if it the parents haven't been MRI scanned for SM and MVD scanned for heart issues.  I understand that as responsible pet owners we should further and support the cause of responsible breeding. Really I do.

My question is what about the other Cavaliers, ones that are not bred responsibly? If you love the breed, you love them despite the health consequences. I understand that the public and people in general and I am one of those people by the way. I bought my dogs because of their breed's personality, I didn't want to show my dog. I wanted a companion and someone to love and to love me when I came home.

When we got Luka, he had an overbite, he grew out of it but it didn't stop me from falling in love with him and wanting to give him a happy and safe home. Even now that he is sick and costing us dearly I go without frivolous activities like movies and concerts so I can provide him with a happy home.

So here is my question, every time you discourage someone from buying a Luka because he has not been MRI scanned and MVD scanned, you are saying that the dog should be somebody else's problem.

Is that any mindset to have when we think of this breed? Run the other way and let it be somebody else's problem?

In no way am I saying we shouldn't encourage people to scan their dogs and exhibit responsible breeding protocols but what about those that don't or simply can't afford to do it, or just don't know any better?

I know education is key here, it disheartens me to read some of these posts because even if all the Cavaliers I own get SM, I know I will be there to give them the best life I can because somebody has to. If they are going to be "anyone's" problem it is mine. We can't all run from the problems. They need help too.

[Tania]

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what about those that don't or simply can't afford to do it, or just don't know any better?

If the breeder is health testing there is still no guarantee the dog will be disease free. If the dog needs an emergency caesarean, I am sure the breeder will find the money, provision should also be made for health testing.

Ignorance is not an excuse anymore, there is enough information everywhere now for Breeders to know what they are doing. A number of these people don’t care and will breed just for money or status. How many times have we heard,” my puppy is sick and the breeder won’t reply to my calls”? Yet they continue to breed from the same lines.

We can't all run from the problems. They need help too.

We have to discourage people from buying puppies that are not health tested. It seems cruel but we have to let people know what they are letting themselves in for. Owning one of these dogs with a cruel painful devastating disease is life changing, not only for the dog but also for the owner.
Don’t forget a lot of these sick dogs are not as lucky as Luka, some people won’t be bothered and therefore does not give the dog pain relief, some can’t cope or simply cannot afford treatment costs.

We have to try and stop this cruelty. The Cavaliers are in a mess

[Blondiemonster]

I understand what you mean. I too find comfort in the fact i can provide for blondie. Thank god she came to me and not someone else. What would that other person have done??? I also knew from the gecko i wasngoing in taking a risk. I did not know of sm at the time. Only mvd. But its my own fault not doing the research. And i wouldnt trade blondie for the world. Would i buy from non scanned parents again? No. Its too stressf to do it over again. If it happens again despite being caref i guess god thought i could handle another. But id rather not. Eventually if breeders that dont scam get stuck with puppies theycannot sell they will scan coz it brings business back..

[robbieswan]

I started a similar thread...http://www.cavaliertalk.com/forums/s...es-a-bad-thing I feel the same as you

[Soushiruiuma]

It's a good point, and I don't find this forum excludes dogs from any source. But it's important that future cavalier buyers are making breeders do the necessary testing. Every time a puppy of any breed is purchased from a pet store/puppy mill it feeds money into the system that most cruelly produces dogs, and funds the perpetuation of the puppy mill. Every time a careless breeder gets $500 (sometimes much more) for a puppy they think of producing the next litter, and getting more money.

If no one bought puppy mill dogs from today on, the current puppies would end up in rescue, and the mills would shut down, they only produce dogs for the money, if the money dried up they'd disappear.

As advocates for the breed we need to be educating people about buying from responsible breeders who aren't in it to make a quick dollar/pound/euro. Not because the dogs produced by uncaring breeders deserve to suffer, but because if people did stop buying from these sources they'd stop producing puppies irresponsibly.

I would not buy from the breeder I got Guinness from again. He was my first cavalier, and I only had vet heart clearances (not cardiologist) on his parents, and no MRIs. Although at 2 he is healthy, and I hope he is always healthy, I should not have funded his breeder. He is my special, wonderful boy, and I would not trade him for a better bred dog.

[goda]

I started a similar thread...http://www.cavaliertalk.com/forums/s...es-a-bad-thing I feel the same as you

I haven't checked older posts because I am in school and cavalier talk is a 20 min indulgence i allow myself here and there.

[Karen and Ruby]

\If breeders can't afford to scan then they shouldn't breed- FULL STOP!


There is too much information out there to play dumb these days


And if the pet owners didn't keep accepting sick dogs then they wouldn't breed them as they would have no where to go- some times you have to be cruel to be kind and this is one of those circumstnaces

[goda]

\If breeders can't afford to scan then they shouldn't breed- FULL STOP!


There is too much information out there to play dumb these days


And if the pet owners didn't keep accepting sick dogs then they wouldn't breed them as they would have no where to go- some times you have to be cruel to be kind and this is one of those circumstnaces

Wow. Seriously, just wow. That's the kind of mentality Hitler had towards Jews, gays, minorities, people with disabilities.

So if I can't afford to send my child to college I shouldn't have children? Should people with AIDS be put down in order to get rid of the disease? It's just us being kind?

And obviously there isn't too much information out there because some of us did not have it and I bought a book on Cavaliers before I bought Luka and no where does it list SM as disease that is predominant in the breed.

[Karen and Ruby]

Wow. Seriously, just wow. That's the kind of mentality Hitler had towards Jews, gays, minorities, people with disabilities.

So if I can't afford to send my child to college I shouldn't have children? Should people with AIDS be put down in order to get rid of the disease? It's just us being kind?

And obviously there isn't too much information out there because some of us did not have it and I bought a book on Cavaliers before I bought Luka and no where does it list SM as disease that is predominant in the breed.

I wont argue with you but to compare my 'opinion' to that of Hitler is pretty rude dont you think!

I bought the books and did the reaserch and yes 5 years ago when I got Ruby there wasn't much available about SM to the average Joe public but right now in 2011 when the Kennel Clucb have come up against all this there is no reason for not following protocol.
They have the information, but most choose not to take any notice.
Getting a Cavalier from a breeder whom isn;t doing everything they can to help this breed is no better than buying a puppy from a pet shop and we all know where pet shop puppies come from!


The only way this breed stands a chance is for everyone to be on the same page and agree with the research and do their very best and take responsiblity because Guess what? the way things are at the momment will result in one thing only and that is ... No Cavaliers left!

[jessie22]

I am all for stopping puppymills and getting our Cavalier friends healthy and hopefully less damaged someday. But, until that happens, I'll continue to only rescue/adopt sickly, old, diseased Cavaliers.
I hope there are homes and hearts out there for our less fortunate.
I have 2 cavvies, Ruby who is 2 and has SM (from a mill) and my newly rescued mill-mama, Hattie. Hattie is 7ish, has a grade 4 murmur, was 32lbs when I got her (she is 25 today!) and also half of her teeth of rotten. She is the best dog I've ever met. What a loving, grateful soul!!! Please, anyone, rescue!!! It's a beautiful thing. I know puppies are great, but there's a lot of great dogs out there...
That's my tangent, sorry. Ok, yes, don't buy from a petstore. Don't suport mills!!! But, love a dog who needs you no matter where they come from. If we want more people to know how bad it really is to support "bad breeding", it looks like we need to do more to educate and stop the problem!!! We can all do our part to save our cavvies.


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