Not The Greatest News

[Nela]

Point taken. I will be leaving the forum effective immediately. I cannot ask anyone to understand. You are not me, you don't even know me, and you have no idea how difficult a situation I was and am in. I will not be seeking any additional help from anyone since it is obviously too painful to ask such a thing of anyone.

I wish you all the best with your dogs.

[Nicki]

I hadn't read your other thread until today,

http://www.cavaliertalk.com/forums/s...-See-a-Breeder


and I must admit I am truly shocked and devastated after everything you posted on there, and the support you received for making the correct decision ***AT THAT TIME***, that you went back to the SAME people and bought a puppy

You have not denied that when questioned outright, and the timing fits...


I have seen and heard of too many of this wonderful breed suffer in dreadful pain, have had years of stress with trying to help my own dogs, constant medication schedules which limit your own activity, spending hours researching the conditions and helping vets to learn more so that we can manage things together. It has all had a very negative impact on both my own health and that of my husband.

If you ever have the misfortune to hear a dog screaming with pain due to Syringomyelia you will finally understand why is it SO IMPORTANT TO ONLY PURCHASE FROM HEALTH TESTING BREEDERS. That noise goes right through you, you will never ever forget it. Of course not all of them scream, some scratch or rub themselves raw, they can't enjoy walks and the normal quality of life any dog has the right to expect. I lost my precious Ruby boy at the age of 6 as we could not longer manage his pain, in his earlier years he was the cuddliest dog you could ever meet - in his last year it was too painful for him to be cuddled, the only way he could receive affection was to lie across my lap, so we had the closeness without too much pain. I can't tell you how much that broke my heart


So many responsible breeders are giving up because puppy buyers are not supporting them - which is very sad, we need these people. It's not just up to the breeders, the puppy buyers are the most effective force for change.



Ok the health tests do not guarantee a healthy dog, but you must have seen the statistics posted by Sins on one of your other threads and hopefully shown them to your boyfriend. http://www.cavaliertalk.com/forums/s...onest-Question

it's true that breeders may have affected offspring from A to A matings.
Clare Rusbridge gave a presentation last October and the slides from it are available on the UK cavalier Club site.
http://www.thecavalierclub.co.uk/hea...out_images.pdf
From the study done(see slide 23)

With A to A matings 15.4% were affected
A* to A* matings (A* being dogs clear of SM over 5) 7.7% were affected.
The figure of affected dogs from A to D dogs drops in around the 50% mark.
The study claims that where two affected dogs are mated all offspring were affected,although there are breeders who say that they are aware A's from two affected parents.
What many scanning breeders are trying to do is to mate an A to A where central canal dilation is not recorded on one or both parent's scans and /or to use the oldest or clearest parents available.
At this stage,people who have been scanning for a few years are only beginning to see if their own A to A matings have worked and if so, what's the difference between their scans and the A to A's who have produced affected offspring.
Mri scans are becoming so much more detailed and there's still a lot to learn and a long way to go before breeders can say what's worked and what hasn't.
But it certainly appears that an A to A can stack the odds in your favour of an unaffected puppy.

If you have researched the breed and are informed about their dreadful health problems then there is absolutely NO EXCUSE for still going out and buying a puppy from untested parents and breeders not following the protocol - even if you have to wait months for a puppy - it's not like going to the shops to buy something. They are even more special for waiting, for knowing that you have done the right thing by your puppy and most importantly, by the breed.


It's sad that your reason for coming back was the following

I figured I just wouldn't show my face here again but then I realized that I will really need the help and support because I do expect that I will be faced with heartbreak down the line

that makes those of us who give so much time to trying to help and support people feel totally used

Many people miss the symptoms of Syringomyelia and dogs suffer needlessly, or things are dismissed as quirky behaviours, so it is our responsibility as guardians for these wee ones to be aware of any changes in behaviour etc. Dogs DO NOT cry out for no reason - one of the may excuses given to explain why things are not investigated.



I do hope that your puppy will have a long and healthy life, sadly less and less Cavaliers are given that opportunity.

[Nela]

Huh? I did not return to the same people. Yes the timing fits, because it happened quickly. We got him on Tuesday, we saw the others on Saturday. I spent all weekend crying because when my boyfriend saw that those weren't good, we called the testing breeders Saturday evening and Sunday as well. When he heard how much they were, he categorically said 'no'. I can even give you a list of breeders we called. On Monday I had a major meltdown with everything else going on in my life and that's how we ended up going to see puppies on Tuesday. (And yes, we took him home from there as we had the house ready already and just needed to get a few things which we got with him) There are a few days in between. If I didn't answer, it is because I haven't answered everyone directly and I thought I had explained it in my first post. I just didn't feel like getting into details because I didn't find it worth it.

In the end, it really doesn't matter. There's just no point to me defending myself. I shouldn't even have to. We could have done everything perfectly and ended up with a sick dog. That is the reason why so many breeders are pulling out. MRI-scanning, doppler-scanning breeders are pulling out because A to A crossings are still producing SM puppies. This is what several breeders have told me themselves. Because it is such a devastating illness, those breeders have decided that they cannot continue breeding them until the true genetic hereditary cause is understood. Blast me as much as you want, but you are wrong to treat me like I am a bad person. The only thing I am guilty of is having anxiety so bad that I needed and wanted a dog so badly that I panicked when my boyfriend refused to pay for a proper tested dog. The thing I am guilty of is wanted a cavalier so badly despite not being able to get a properly bred dog and gettign one instead of looking into another breed.

When I got my boy, I knew what would come down the road and knew that I would face it with him every step of the way. Selfish, yeah I was selfish. You know what though? Puck won't ever complain about it. He won't ever disapprove of me having taken him in and loving him. That's all that matters to me at this point..

[Nela]

Trying to close my account but can't figure out how. Where do I go?

[anniemac]

The post topic says it all, "not the greatest news". When I get a puppy, I hope it will be THE GREATEST NEWS!!

[Blondiemonster]

This forum is not the most forgiving when it comes to this kind of stuff. But pleAse dont run off now. There are thousands of people who do what you did and not ever admit it. I dont think its fair to make you feel badly. And its not fair for your dog to not hAve support.

[anniemac]

It is very sad because I don't have a lot of money but I will travel wherever to purchase a puppy and support a breeder that is health testing. Sure, I might still have some health condition develop, but I know in my heart I did what is best for my future puppy and the breed. This is not an easy task and if I find it unattainable then I will get a rescue. Do you know how hard it is to be alone at night? Someone on Facebook offered to buy me a puppy. The breeder contacted me and told me how much she was in tears at this genuine gift. This person just wanted to help me with my pain. I of course said no thank several times, but she emailed me again. I found the breeders website. The mother gave birth a little over a year. Makes me sick. I could have a FREE puppy, or I could spend my time making sure I am supporting those that care about the future of the breed.

I know what I choose to do. If I get a puppy from a breeder who followed protocols and something happened, I would hope people would still support me and I know they would because I was doing my part.

[anniemac]

This forum is not the most forgiving when it comes to this kind of stuff. But pleAse dont run off now. There are thousands of people who do what you did and not ever admit it. I dont think its fair to make you feel badly. And its not fair for your dog to not hAve support.

That is very true Lynn .

[StillPooh]

This forum is not the most forgiving when it comes to this kind of stuff. But pleAse dont run off now. There are thousands of people who do what you did and not ever admit it. I dont think its fair to make you feel badly. And its not fair for your dog to not hAve support.

As a relative newcomer, I must admit I find the public floggings to be rather off-putting.

[Karlin]

I understand that people feel upset. But the board and most here on it have always had a specific health (and rescue) related focus. The board provides support for many, many owners of affected dogs. People who have told their stories throughoutthis thread, very powerfully, and elsewhere. The board is full of people who work many hours of their own time every week to improve the situation for a breed that is in very serious trouble. People who have endured public attacks in many places online and in the real world for their refusing to back down on health issues in this breed that so many of us love.

If Nela had not posted so many threads in which she asked for so much guidance and support to buy a puppy from a good breeder, if she had not received a wide range of positive support and detailed information, if she had not then posted in detail about how awful one breeder was in handing her faked health certs and how strongly she condemned this and had walked away, and had she not then taken in much support and praise from all for her strength of character and support for the breed, I think there would be less exasperation and disgust at the situation.

I am not going to pretend that this isn't a nauseating outcome for many of us. I will not just then say we all could make this mistake: we all have a conscience and can either use it or not and I don't have any time for those who knowingly don't use it -- especially after taking up so much time from many here who gave tons of support initially for finding a great breeder. If someone could go through all the steps that are there for anyone to read in several earlier threads and still turn away from supporting a decent breeder, helping this breed survive, and hand over money to a breeder whose actions state she cares little for the breed, then there truly is little hope to change the looming fate of cavaliers.

I know others may want to just ignore this and see puppy pictures. If so, then this is the wrong board to be on and I say that absolutely without apology.