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Grrr, so angry...how can this woman be a breeder

BrooklynMom

Well-known member
I wasn't sure who I should tell about this, but my husband is out of town and something just happened that made me SO ANGRY! I have to vent, I have to tell someone, so here I go.

I was just talking to a woman who happens to breed cavaliers (don't worry, I won't mention names or anything about them). At first I was delighted to talk to her, I told her I have Brooklyn, etc. Afterall, all cavvie people get along right? Wrong. It all went wrong when I said "oh, so I assume you MRI your breeding stock right?" and she said (and this are literally quotes) "of course I don't, no one I have heard of does that. I have a professional skilled vet that checks for everything in my dogs, and all of them have always been 100%...besides, I have a return policy if anything goes wrong in their life, they can just bring their dog back and swap it for another" (ummm, yeah, like anyone would go "trade in" their 5 year old dog for starters). Anyway, I didn't want to be confrontational, so I just said, "Oh that is wonderful you have such great dogs. Have you ever heard of syringolyelia though?", she said "Well of course, but it doesn't happen in Australia, my vet told me it only happens and is contained in the US and the UK. The TV show on it put everyone is a exaggerated state. I have never seen a case here and my long time vet has never seen a case either, it is so rare anyways and with quarantine laws, there is no way it would come to Australia anyway." UM YES, she said QUARANTINE!

At this point I had to laugh a little, I was like "you know SM isn't a contagious thing right? Like, it won't come or not come through quarantine...its not small pox!" I then went on to state all of the facts I know, the average number of cavaliers affected, how serious it is (at this point, I just felt it was my duty to say everything I could, if she closed her ears, at least I tried) and she goes "what, have you been searching the internet these days? I don't know where you get your facts, but the internet is not 'fact', my vet is something factual" and I followed up by saying that (might have been slightly steaming at this point) "No, I do not search "facts" from the internet, I get them from professionals and I bet my neurologist is a heck of a lot more factual about SM than your country vet and in fact I know 2 affected cavaiers just down the street from me and Brooklyn is off to the neuro on Tuesday for symptoms and that neuro, the only small animal specialist neurologist in Australia, factually stated that over 50-70% of our cavaliers are affect by SM and how serious it is to take into account breeding standards because it is the only way we will save this breed". She just huffed and I left it saying this "Ignorance does not mean it does not exist", and walked away.

:mad:

I hate confrontation and arguing (I think that is why my husband married me, ha!), so confronting her was so out of character for me. My heart was beating so fast and I was shaking! You can tell I don't normally do this because I almost passed out from adrenaline afterward, whew. I usually remain quite and stir inside, but I am so on edge these days about this. With what everyone on here is going through, with Brooky off to the neuro on Tuesday (and she even came from a scanning breeder, but at least she had a better shot), I just feel like I can't hold it in. I want to scream from the roof tops.
Thanks for letting me vent. Ugh. I hope, later that night, what I said will hit her heart, maybe not now, maybe not in a year, but maybe someday. Just get her thinking. Maybe. Someday.
 
Some people just don't want to know :bang: But well done you. I love the idea of quarantine for SM :sl*p:!!

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
Hi

I think she should breed kangaroos then she might get a good kick up the bum ,just what she
deserves ,Quarantineicon_nwunsure ! silly fool .
 
You did a very brave thing, and I know the feeling. I am also not one to confront, and when you go out of your "norm" the shaking and pounding heart begins. It just goes to show how passionate for our Cavs you are. If anything, at least you put these thoughts in that breeder's head to stir around for a bit. Who knows, maybe she will start to look further into SM?

Well done!
 
I wasn't sure who I should tell about this.

Definitely the right people here.

...besides, I have a return policy if anything goes wrong in their life, they can just bring their dog back and swap it for another" (ummm, yeah, like anyone would go "trade in" their 5 year old dog for starters). .

I wonder what happens to the poor sick dog?

I hate confrontation and arguing (I think that is why my husband married me, ha!), so confronting her was so out of character for me. My heart was beating so fast and I was shaking! .


This was so very brave of you and such the right thing to do. We have to be advocates for our cavaliers however uncomfortable it is for us.

My greatest disappointment is how many really nice breeders have been browbeaten into keeping quiet about the extent of the SM problem in cavaliers.

I hope, later that night, what I said will hit her heart, maybe not now, maybe not in a year, but maybe someday. Just get her thinking. Maybe. Someday.

She may not want to believe but at least you may have planted a small seed of doubt in what her ignorant vet is telling her.
 
Oh Kelsey, how terribly brave of you. Ignorance is not bliss, and I hope something you said will resonate for her and make her look into things further.

Good heavens, to think that you can quarantine it out of a country! Perhaps that is what we need to do with ignorant breeders.....quarantine them.

Have to love the return policy. Yep, my beloved family dog gets very sick or is discovered to have a terrible disorder and I am going to return it to the breeder, NOT!

Some folks really ought to have a big S tattoo'd on their forehead so at least you know what you're getting into having this kind of conversation.

Thinking you might need that Hurricane drink Joyce posted the recipe for, to put out the embers that are still burning......LOL!
 
I both laughed and screamed reading this...

Hi

I think she should breed kangaroos then she might get a good kick up the bum ,just what she
deserves ,Quarantineicon_nwunsure ! silly fool .

Bravo Brian for the laugh! I would like to see this person with a kennel full of rowdy roos!

Kelsey, if I told you some of the USA Cavalier breeders' comments about SM you would know that you are NOT alone, but so thankful I am meeting some wonderful breeders too. The breeders who are ignorant or in denial can say or do things that are just stupid..... No other word for it!!! Sadly, I know a lot more about SM than either breeder involved in producing Gracie....and that is pitiful too. Neither knew where to get surgery nor that local vet school is still offering discounted partial MRIs for breeders. In fact, one said flatly that no discounts had EVER been available there.... And should know better.

I am so proud of you!!!! You did your best and that is what matters.
 
Gee, thanks guys. I was starting to feel a bit bad for confronting her...but I am glad you all feel it was the right thing to do too.
It is hard, because if a breeder is getting her info from a vet she trusts, and follows his advice...who is in the wrong? Would she change her mind if her vet knew about SM and told her to scan? Who knows. Maybe at least now the seed has been planted.

Brian, you crack me up! I am sure I can round up a few Kangaroo's to put in Brooklyn's x-pen ready to go!
 
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