Karlin,
Iv'e been away most of to-day and have just read your Post and hope you will put my reply on your List.
I have contacted the Kennel Club on Friday , ,you will maybe see a couple of my Comments on 2 Dog World Forums.
I have said to the KC and have said for about 20 years ,why will they not Register Cavalier Puppies from Sires and Dams who have not been Heart Tested .
I have always felt this would be such a simple way to help the Cavalier Heart Problem .
I have even ,about a couple of months ago suggested to the KC ,that before a Cavalier is given his Title ,a Cardiologist should check his or her Heart .particularly a Cavalier Dog ,to make sure it's OK..
Now to SM ,as we say in Scotland I, Hae My Doots about it, that is why I am querying so much about it .
The only thing that's making sense for me is what Dr Marino has recently told me ,that SM could be linked to Trauma ,because of ARACHNOIDITIS,if you look it up on the Internet you'll see how the symptoms could be being similar to SM .
This could maybe be the reason why the other Breeds of Dogs have SM
Also what I cant follow through ,is if some of the Cavalier Pedigrees are flawed ,and I'll say again this was nobody's fault ,even back in the 1950's ,in a big Cavalier Kennel Cavalier Dogs and Bitches ran to-gether ,and it was just pot -luck if it was known who was mated to who ,how can the faulty Genes be found for SM if the Cavalier Pedigrees are not accurate ,especially for Dr Blott's Research .I am trying to find out more about this.
For the Heart Problem in the Breed it's a different kettel fish ,I know of Cavaliers in the 40's and 50's dying young with Heart Trouble ,but with SM ,now that it's in otherSmall Breeds ,what is going on ,is it some Dogs are low in Magnesium ,is it the junk food some Dogs are being fed ,,so you can see I just dont believe all Iam being told about SM.
As far as I am aware Iam still a Breed Advisor for DogsToday ,if I get a phone call from some-body looking for a Cavalier Puppy ,I always tell them to ask if the Puppies Parents have been checked for a Heart Problem
Bet