Can someone please inform me which companies are doing all this pathology testing so that I can buy about 100,000 shares in them and sit back and watch my income flow in........obviously I am at the wrong end of the business - forget breeding dogs, forget the hours of feeding, cleaning, washing, poo picking uping, talking with prospective puppy buyers,...... I want to either a) train as a vet in America and get togs tested everyday or b) own a pathology company.
Come on folks - step back a bit - are you seriously suggesting that on the basis of a limited study in one country on dogs whose pedigrees we don't know and a few people who have posted to this list (which includes only a small percentage of the worlds breeders! <G>) that we have a "serious" problem? Lets be sensible - Pat's description of the bitch dying is the very first time I have ever heard of such a thing in 30 years being associated with the breed. Perhaps its another instance of "cultural" differences but here in Australia, we sit here amazed at the amount of "testing" that you seem to consider "normal". I don't know anyone here who gets "Diagnostic Health Profiles" done on their dogs! Certainly not on a regular basis, and not even before surgery such as spaying........now don't all jump on me. I think its great that people care about their dogs and are willing to do all that testing but such practices are not generally accepted here and after nearly 30 years in the breed and having bred many litters, perhaps "many" more than most people who are discussing this, I <Grin> I have yet to see or breed a Cavalier which has suffered in any way from a "platelet" problem. Yes, other problems, I don't pretend my dogs are perfect, but never the subject of this discussion. Here our dogs only go to the vet for regular vaccinations or if they are sick. And as I don't do annual vaccinations, most of my dogs only get to the vet for a swab before mating or some such thing. I agree with Kim <<< The truly difficult decision; does this animal have unique qualities that we want reproduced, takes a back seat to the health clearance scramble.>>>>. Now don't crucify me - I'm not advocating "don't test" - I'm simply trying to say that from where I sit, some of the testing looks more to the benefit of the vets than the dogs. And all the health certificates in the world doesn't necessarily make a dog a better "Cavalier" - it may test perfect and not even look like the breed and surely we must guard against that tendency as well - and if some of the Cavaliers on web sites are anything to go by, that IS a serious problem. Kim writes <<<<<Genetics are tricky, and most dog breeders are school teachers, nurses, AT&T operators, real estate agents, shop keepers...not geneticists. But it is expected of these breeders, by the purebred dog buying public and their vets, that they have the knowledge, wisdom and skill to produce happy, healthy and condition free dogs. With guarantees. At a reasonable cost. With 150% of your money back (to the vet) if the dog has a glitch.( Puppy lemon laws ). And we breeders are to obtain these skills, this knowledge, that wisdom by breeding no more than two litters a year, 'cause everyone knows that you are a puppy mill if you do more than that! >>>>>>. Couldn't have said it any better! Seems like we can't win either way and sometimes I get so depressed about it all, but then I rub dry that squirming slippery lump, hear that first cry and am totally hooked again. And then I get notes like <<<<<just a short note to let you know, Rafiki is doing fine and being spoilt with lots of attention by the kids. He travelled well back from Sydney and only cried for about 5 minutes the first night. He is a beautiful puppy and everybody loves him dearly thankyou very much >>>> and that makes it all worthwhile. Jeanie ========================================================= "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.
