Could I say that I do feel if it had not been for Jemima Harrison and her TV Film Pedigree Dogs Exposd ,would the Kennel Club have taken any notice of the Health of Pedigree Dogs,I think not, would there now be 2 different Committees looking into the Pedigree Dogs Health Problems,it sure has focusd minds. ?
For our Cavalier Breed , Prospective Cavalier Puppy Buyers ,have now been made aware of the SM and MVD Problems in the Breed,and know to ask to see a Certificate showing that both the Sire and Dam of the Puppy have been MRI Scanned and MVD Heart Tested. I know that there are some ruffled feathers among some Cavalier Breeders about the Program, but so what!, if the Health of Future Cavaliers is going to benefit.
We all know that the Heart Problem in Cavaliers is giving great concern, that 50% of Cavaliers have a Heart Murmur at 5 years of age, this means that of the 11,000 Cavaliers Registered last year by the Kennel Club,in 5 years time ,about 6,000 of them could have a Heart Murmur. At the recent UK CKCS Club AGM the Cardiologist mentioned that the Heart Problem is no better than it was 20 years ago.
I do believe if the SM Cavalier problem is not being really tackled ,then it could go the same way as happened with the MVD Problem in our Breed.
I have only ever been a Cavalier Pet Owner who has had the Tears of having some of our Cherished Cavaliers die at a young age from Heart Trouble, none that we know of SM,they were never MRI,Scanned, but I would just like to say again, thank-you Jemima Harrison for bringing all the Heart Ache that many of us have suffered to the fore about the Health of Pedigree Dogs, and hope-fully now some-thing wlii be being done about it.
Bet Hargreave