Cavaliers have the highest serotonin levels of any breed this is why they have such happy personalities and waggy tails - sadly it also means that they are very good at disguising pain.
Also when the adrenaline levels are high, when they are excited, out for walks, running, agility etc, they are not so aware of the pain - my severely affected dog could run and even clear a 5ft fence if he wanted to get to me!! My vet could not believe it..
Originally posted by Karlin:
25% of cavaliers with SM symptoms have CM only, not SM
That's according to a research sample of clinically affected, scanned cavaliers in the new research paper out from Clare Rusbridge et al. This is the same one Rod notes in an earlier thread about 76% of these dogs also had further syrinxes lower than the C5 vertebrae (and thus dogs with syrinxes are likely to be worse than a mini scan will show).
Abstract below, but this excerpt from the paper interested me as it suggests a hitherto unexpectedly large number of dogs with clinical signs of SM (all dogs in the study had clinical signs)-- one in four!!! -- have CM only -- which suggests people with such dogs really need to be treating it AS WITH SM, not attributing the problem to some other likely cause (something vets also need to recognise):
The median age of the dogs included in the study was 5 years (1.2–10.8 years). CM was present in all patients. None of the dogs showed compressive craniocervical pathology other than CM. There was no evidence of SM on MRI in 12/49 (25%) dogs. In all dogs with MRI evidence of SM (37/49; 75%), SM was present within the C1–C4 region (Figs. 2 and 3). Of those dogs with SM within C1– C4 region, 76% (28/37) also had SM within the C5–T1 and/ or T2–L2 regions, but only 49% (18/37) had SM within the L3–L7 region.
Abstract
Chiari-like malformation (CM) and syringomyelia (SM) is an important disease complex in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS) but data about the anatomical distribution of SM along the spinal cord are lacking in veterinary medicine. The objective of this study was to define the anatomic distribution of SM in CKCS clinically affected by CM/SM. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and the entire spinal cord of 49 dogs was performed and different morphological parameters compared.
Syrinx formation was present in the C1–C4 region and in other parts of the spinal cord. The maximal dorsoventral syrinx size can occur in any region of the spinal cord and the total syrinx size was positively correlated with age. Seventy-six per cent of CKCS with a cranial cervical syrinx also have a syrinx affect- ing more caudal spinal cord regions. MRI restricted to the cervical region may underestimate the extent of SM and the severity of the disease
process in the majority of dogs.
from
http://www.cavaliertalk.com/forums/...ms-have-CM-only-not-SM&highlight=asymptomatic
There are several dogs on the forum who have very severe symptoms ***just*** from CM.
Sadly too many people are not aware of what to look for and many dogs suffer needlessly.
Briian, it's great to hear that Rosie is doing so well but can I remind you that you were the one who was so worried about her:
Yesterday Rosie yelped twice then came straight over and sat by me for comfort, then later on she had trouble sitting bending down and scratching with her back foot under her chin and she was very wary of twisting her body when she moved .
You reported she was chewing her feet and scooting excessively, despite her anal glands being clear - this led to her being MRI'd. In the past you have posted about her yelping "for no reason" and the vet not being able to find anything, and her being clingy at those times [many of us who have lived with symptomatic dogs report this with our dogs - they are very clingy when they are not feeling so good]
Karlin and others have commented to you that she may have symptoms as a result of CM
http://www.cavaliertalk.com/forums/...oblem-and-Chestergates&highlight=Chestergates
one of your original threads
http://www.cavaliertalk.com/forums/...-Problem-Advice-Please&highlight=Chestergates
Are you now saying that Rosie shows NO symptoms whatsoever???