• If you're a past member of the board, but can't recall your password any more, you don't need to set up a new account (unless you wish to). As long as you recall your old login name, you can log in with that user name then select 'forgot password' and the board will email you at your registration email, to let you reset your password.

SM in Chihuahuas........Leading by Example.

Every chihuahua breeder -- and every breeder of other toy breeds that thinks SM is not a potential minefield for their breed -- should read this, from the breeder's email noted in the column:

The fact is that of the 29 Chihuahuas so far scanned under the BVA/SM scheme, 18 scanned positive i.e. 62%, so there is a very great chance that some of their unscanned dogs are affected.

My reason for being so open with the situation with my own dogs is because I am very concerned that many other breeders are not recognising the extent of this problem, as I have done, and seem to be taking the view that it is all right to carry on breeding. It is obvious from the evidence that I have discovered that this is not simply a problem in my Chihuahuas, but is wide spread in both this country and abroad

Yours sincerely
Graham Foote

Definitely a breeder to be praised for his approach to finding SM in his line and extensive efforts to follow up on every dog. (y)

I do think the issue of showing dogs with a confirmed, potentially serious genetic disease, that should/would prevent the dog from being bred, is more difficult.

I cannot see how it can be reconciled with the current effort by the KC to have some breeds undergo visual checks for what -- in comparison to SM -- are minor defects (on the pain scale/in terms of health) compared to syringomyelia. An inturned eyelash or heavy skin fold seems so trivial compared to a compressed brain and spinal syrinxes. The issue of whether a dog is symptomatic is also so opaque. It's one thing if a neurologist has confirmed a dog is clinically asymptomatic (and the breeder doesn't say if this is his judgement or that of a neurologist with any of the 'asymptomatic' chihuahuas), but neurologists have seen so many times that dogs which owners genuinely believe are asymptomatic actually are symptomatic. Show dogs also get pulled around, and have their heads jerked upwards, with those show leads, which I find really alarming for any dog with any form of SM, whether symptomatic or not.

So while I definitely applaud the breeder's actions on behalf of his breed :D (though someone needs to tell him he cannot assume SM came from one side or another just on the basis of a couple of MRIs; the likelihood is that there are many carriers in the breed regardless of whether a dog is symptomatic or has SM itself [yet?]) -- I find it hard to reconcile Crufts' and the Kennel Club's insistence that showing is -- and must be -- about healthy dogs (which I question anyway in practice...), and allowing a dog known to have SM, to be shown. Or supporting this chihuahua breeder's decision to do so.

Interested how others see this issue, which is difficult!
 
Back
Top