> I've been following the thread on Thrombocytopenia with interest. However, > I am confused. Is a Cavalier that has large platelets that have to be hand > counted considered affected with Thrombocytopenia?
Cavaliers are dogs and descended from the same original ancestors as other dogs therefore there should be no idiosyncrasy with platelets. Thrombocytopenia is lack of normal *numbers* of platelets. I think even if the platelets are larger and doing their job successfully, specialists probably consider them as having thrombocytopenia if the numbers are lower than average. So more than likely Cavaliers with large platelets that are asymptommatic still are considered to have thrombocytopenia--but I don't know this for sure. I'm basing my opinion on common sense. However, 70% of Cavaliers do NOT have this problem (by one study, but the numbers do not matter). I have had all my Cavaliers checked and none of them have fewer or larger than normal platelets--so it should be a concern when Cavaliers do have it. It should be monitored. ALL faults should at the very least be monitored in some way without getting ridiculous. We should *pay attention*. We are messing with nature when we selectively breed for looks. We are breeding against genetic diversity when we breed selectively for a much *stricter* type (stricter meaning less genetic diversity such as in a particular breed of dog that needs to look just *so*). Our dogs do not live in the wild so the *weaker* ones are not naturally *sorted out*. If we want our *finely detailed* sub-species of dog (whatever breed you wish to fill in here) to survive for any length of time, we simply must monitor all faults that we can. We need to be able to *see* any and all *poor* trends and attempt to breed away from poor to better when needed. We need to keep that fine balance between a strict type and genetic diversity in any breed, or that breed will cease to exist. Laura Lang Roycroft Cavaliers ========================================================= "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.
