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Please Help- Curly Coat or Puppy Fur?!

Kaitlyn

New member
We put our deposit down on the sweetest little pup but I am worried he may have curly coat. His hair was straight when he was first born but now he has become a little fluff ball. I have never seen fur like this on a cavalier-- is this normal for a puppy!?
 
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From what I can see from the pictures you posted, there is not a lot to go on and these days a proper diagnosis is available:

Ask the breeder to show you the results of the bitch's swab test for Dry Eye/Curly Coat Syndrome, which also covers Episodic Falling Syndrome. If she is classed as a carrier then you need to know the results from the stud dog. If there are no results available it might be an idea to demand that swabs be taken from the puppy and sent off for analysis. This would determine without reasonable doubt whether puppy is affected. A refusal to provide this information should tell you to walk away Kaitlyn; this will not be a responsible breeder.

It takes both parents of the litter to pass on the defect, therefore if one or both of them are tested clear they do not have the defective gene to give to their puppies.

This is the definitive test.

Let us know how you get on please.:D
 
There are symptoms in addition to the curly coat itself. One is "dry eye" which is a condition of the eyes whereby tears are not produced. The pup should be examined by a veterinarian who is informed that you are concerned about the possibility of curly coat syndrome. The vet could look for other symptoms, such as skin inflammation and abnormal teeth and gums.
 
a puppy's coat will go through many changes before the adult coat comes in, curly or wavy puppy coat does not tell you how it will look as an adult. If you are worried about the curly coat disease asks if the parents have been dna tested for it.
 
The breeder could (should) have tested at least one parent for the dry eye/curly coat DNA test. If one parent was negative for it, then the pups cannot have DE/CC. The pup itself can also be DNA tested.

If reputable, the breeder will have done this inexpensive test (or the sire's owner should have, and results should be available for you). Of course she should also have been able to show you the cardiologist (never just vet) results for both sire and dam for hearts, done within the year of breeding, and also should have MRI results for sire and dam. Unfortunately a lot of breeders say they are 'health testing' when all this means is they have their vet have a look at their dogs -- if that. In this breed, which has a high degree of potential genetic illness, doing MRIs and cardio exams and also following the breeding protocols for hearts and CM/SM are essential or the breeder is simply not doing any meaningful degree of health testing, or healthful breeding.

If your breeder has gone through heart and MRI results with you, and is therefore indeed taking a health-prioritised approach to breeding, then they will surely have done the DNA test for curly coat and will of course be more than willing to discuss any concerns you may have. :) That's why health-focused breeders are always the ones to go for!

If the breeder checks out on the heart and MRI side of things, then do talk to her and put your mind at ease -- I'd an experienced breeder would know enough about the breed to be able to at least suspect DE/CC, if a puppy is indeed affected (if they felt the coat was abnormal). On the pother hand, if you suspect the breeder hasn't done those tests and followed the breeding protocols -- and supplied you with test info for both sire and dam and ideally, also 4 grandparents -- then I'd back away from taking a puppy from them.
 
Thank you so much for the help everyone! Yes the hearts and eyes were checked and certified by board certified Cardiologists and Opthalmologists one year before she bred them. She also mentioned that they were genetically tested so I am assuming he should be fine. Even if he is negative should I be worried about his coat? Have you guys ever seen a cavalier with such a furry coat.. I mean he is a purebred but he almost looks like a cavachon!
 
Ok, to be honest I'd be a lot more conserned about whether the breeding dogs were both MRI'd. SM is actually a far costlier and painful concern for cavaliers -- almost every one will eventually have heart disease so the goal there is reducing the likelihood that it is early onset. But no responsible breeder would even consider breeding without MRIing at this point, with the knowledge now that the majority of cavaliers eventually do have SM (though not necessarily with high levels of pain, thankfully). Checking hearts and eyes are the easy and cheap options and no decent breeder can claim they are health testing if they are not doing MRIs on breeding dogs, and they know it (that said, if properly heart testing, a puppy buyer also wants to know whether the breeder is breeding following heart protocols -- eg are both parents over 2.5, were they clear within the past 12 months with their respective parents (all four grandparents) heart clear til at least age 5?). If the latter is not the case then parents should not be bred til they themselves are age 5 and only if still heart clear. Lots of breeders test hearts but lots also do not actually use those results to breed in a healthy way. So there is 'health testing', which most breeders will claim to do, and there is real, proper, health testing AND breeding. Very few adequately do one and even fewer do both, so their claims that they health test are most often pretty meaningless. This is what makes it so hard for puppy buyers who actually care about the future of the breed. :(

Did she say the parents were genetically tested for dry eye/curly coat? If so then ask for (to see) the results on parents. Both parents must be positive for puppies to have a chance of inheriting DE/CC. If one or both were negative then the puppy cannot have DE/CC.

Puppies and adults have varied coats. All have some waves or curls; they are not absolutely straight coats. Show dogs are blow dried straight so do not judge what a cavalier can or should normally look like -- huge variation! -- with pictures of show dogs. If a puppy were likely to end up a show dog, breeders generally would not sell it to a pet home. :) Many pet cavaliers are larger or sometimes, smaller than breed standard, have curlier coats, have body shapes that are not quite to show standard, a range of markings (though markings are the least important in a show dog) etc. The show pictures are pretty but not a true representation of the day to day appearance of a cavalier! :lol:
 
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