Dear Kim and List: First of all Kim; your post was very well laid out and thought provoking. I've been slow to respond to most posts, but can't resist this one :)
You mentioned that one of your favourite sayings was "if it ain't broke - don't fix it". For me, this is an irksome saying because I honestly believe that, in most cases, the sayer doesn't even realize that "it" is broke (or about to break). You also mentioned that you have not had personal experience with this disorder (in dogs, that is). I would wager that your view would be quite different if this disorder were to blind side you as it has many of us who have experienced it. I lost a 6 3/4 year old b/t and her 5 unborn puppies to this disorder and am not over it yet. Repeatedly, it is cited that over 30% (31%) of Cavaliers are affected with this order (this refers to the Swedish study that was published in 1994). I feel it is important we all realize that this study only included 102 dogs in a small geographical area. Seven years have passed since that small study was done and this disorder has never really been studied, save for the Canadian study of only 11 cases - published in 1997. We really have no idea if this 31% is a reasonable indication of the general population. It could easily be more serious than that! Conducting a survey/testings would qualify that figure. I had understood that a study was to be undertaken by the CKCSC-USA Club. Did that study ever get off the ground? In the AVAR's list of congenital/inheritable defects of various breeds; Cavaliers are listed with 13 noteable disorders. There are two I consider to be life "threatening". MVD is the first and Thrombocytopenia is second. While I do realize that Thrombocytopenia affected animals can be assymptomatic, the question one should ask one's self is "for how long". This disorder can change to something more serious due to a variety of possible stresses to the system. Thrombocytopenia can also be either a primary or a secondary condition, easily compounded to include IMHA (immune-mediated hemolytic anemis), or DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation) to name a few. Lethargy, black stools or petechial spots on gums, groin or eyes are symptoms. Before one can really address how to treat this disorder, they must first get a clear understanding of it - and that "they" don't have yet. So, from my personal experience, and opinion, I fully support the concerns that Cynthia expressed. I would also add here that I concur with others in that I would not treat assymptomatic dogs and I am even hesitant to "treat" symptomatic ones either because we don't know what the base problem is. For my girl, blood transfusions proved devastating because her autoimmune system reacted violently (twice) to the introduction of blood (a foreign protein). I think that Cavalier owners, be they breeders or pet owners, are wonderfully open to talking about the issues that face our breed. Those that risk sharing their health findings do the breed a great service. One or two incidences of a particular problem are not considered a worry to the breed in general; but several people have posted their personal experiences with this disorder within this small forum. IMO, this should be considered a "heads up - wake up call" and address it, face on, the way I know we are all capable of doing. Again IMO, assuming that the study figure of 31% affected is correct, and saying this condition doesn't warrant the relative health checks, cannot be a good attitude for the future of our breed. BTW, I understand that Thyroid testing at the right time, can also provide valuable information about screening for candidates who may develop Thrombocytopenia. Pat Barrington - Barrington Cavaliers (Southern Ontario-Canada) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ========================================================= "Magic Commands": to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL to start it up gain click here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author.
