Cedar in Kansas

[Moviedust]

About a month ago, I purchased my first Cavalier. I'm new to the breed, and so I'm learning about our tri-color female (Cedar) as she grows. I am very happy to have discovered a forum on the breed; I hope I can find all sorts of info and advice from the more experienced owners.

[Jen]

Welcome! I also have a tri, 3-yr old Abbey. You'll learn a lot on this board, it's a great resource!

Love the name Cedar!

[Moviedust]

Thanks! It seems like I hear more bad news about health problems that the breed suffers, and I have been in a constant state of fear that Cedar is doomed. A little reassurance would go a long way, so I'm hoping to find some hope here!

[Jen]

Oh no, don't feel that way! The breed isn't doomed, but they do require a diligent, proactive owner. The Health and Diet section and the SM forum of this site are very good areas to start reading up on. I don't feel they have more issues than any other breed, but the ones they do have are a bit more rare. Again, nothing that can't be managed by staying on top of things and informing your vet. A good way to do so is to print out the information here, especially on SM, and make a file for your vet. This is what I've done, as well as a lot of other members.
You're doing the right thing already, you've joined this board and will now be informed on anything and everything related to Cavaliers!

[Moviedust]

Thanks for the reassurance. I'm also suffering from guilt. You see, I *thought* I was working with a reputable breeder, but I discovered after the fact that Cedar's breeder was anything but. :S So now I'm concerned that Cedar's health is questionable.

Cedar's temperament is wonderful, and we are all head over heals in love with her. So as you can imagine, I'm wracked with worry that she'll suffer and we will lose her. And she's only 3 months old!!

I'm a worry-wart.

[Jen]

Don't worry, enjoy her and just stay on top of things. If you're stressed and worried she'll pick up on it and you'll end up with a very nervous dog. Just have fun with her and love her! Post pictures of her, too!

[Maxxs_Mummy]

Welcome to the board and welcome to little Cedar too - love the name btw

Try not to worry about the health problems in the breed, as Jen, says they just need a diligent proactive owner & you very obviously adore the little angel.

Now this is going to sound really silly but some of the strongest healthiest dogs come from the worst breeders believe it or not. I know that plenty don't but if you've had Cedar a while and you've taken her to be checked over then hopefully you will be lucky

My friend has two puppy farm bitches that she rescued and the one of them is so healthy it's unreal. She is a real darling too and adores to be picked up and cuddled just like most other Cavaliers do She is quite old and has had lots of litters and obviously a terrible life before she was whisked away to her heaven on earth, now she is just like any other cavalier

I even had to pick her up and physically move her out of the way so I could vacuum where she was laying - she just gave me this 'get lost, I was here first' look

[Karlin]

and we're happy to have you here. Don;t feel guilty -- a lot of cavalier owners think they are being careful when getting a dog and find that unscrupulous people, who are getting very good at the tricks that make them SOUND like they are decent breeders, are actually the source of their puppy. It doesn't mean she will give you any less pleasure but does mean you should keep on top of the various *possible* health issues as purebred dogs that are bred indiscriminately do tend to have a higher rate of problems. But not always, and many will never have any major issues at all.

The main one to watch out for is MVD but also increasingly, SM.

Cavaliers actually have very few breed-related ailments compared to most purebreds; unfortunately some of the ones they do have are quite serious. How you care for your cavalier can make a big diifference with the onset of MVD though -- keeping her slim, and keeping teeth clean (as gingivitis is actually linked directly to heart disease!) for example, and feeding a good quality diet. With SM, only a tiny fraction of dogs have serious symptoms though it appears most cavaliers do get some form of the condition (it isn't a disease but a condition caused by a skull malformation).

There's lots of information here, and expertise among the board members, so stick around and fee free to ask questions! Also, we will want some pics of Cedar in the puppy gallery so we can enjoy her too!

[Cathy T]

Welcome and don't worry!! Yes, there are serious health issues but like everyone is saying...if you stay on top of their health you have a much better chance of having a long lived pup. We've been through patella surgery, cancer (a total fluke!) and now a soft murmur. But, we've gotten through it all and I wouldn't trade my two babies for anything in the world. There are so many encouraging stories about cavaliers living very long lives so I try not to worry and just enjoy the heck out of them! They are such a special breed.

[Moviedust]

Thank you all for the encouraging and warm welcome. We were gone for the weekend visiting my parents, so I havent been able to post sooner. (Cedar loves going to visit them. They call her their grandpup, and my 16 yr old brother cant get enough of her!)

I will try to figure out how to post photos here. It may take some tinkering.

I took Cedar to the vet when we first got her. This is when the major concerns about the breeder developed. She had a nasty case of mites in one ear, hernias, and weak knees! We treated the mites immediately, and our vet said that the hernias, if they do not fix themselves as she grows, can be repaired when she is fixed. The knees, I'm afraid, are what we will have to watch. Our vet says it is hard to say at this point if they will be a problem; so we will just watch. Our vet encouraged us to communicate these problems with the breeder, and so we did. However, the breeder turned into a crazed woman, threatening lawyers and demanding the return of the puppy. We werent about the return the dog to her. So now I just hope Cedar has suffered the worst. I know she's better off with us at least!

I'm so glad to have found a place to communicate with other cavalier owners; I have never known anyone else with a cav, so having someone to talk to releases a great deal of stress. Thank you!!