At 08:36 PM 05/21/2002 EDT,Dave wrote: >In a message dated 5/21/2002 5:46:33 PM Eastern Standard Time, >[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>> I would see no reason to use a stud dog that developed a murmur at 3 and >> 1/2, either...there should be plenty of stock out there that remain clear >> longer than that > >I have to agree with this whole heartedly. I have been hearing about this cardiologist's choice of the age of 3 yrs for several years now. While I was at a clinic in Perry 2 years ago, he commented that one should only consider one age - not have one age at which the parents must be clear and a separate one at which the dog to be bred must be clear. He also said that he felt 3 years was the age at which a Cavalier should be clear, if it developed a murmur after that one could still breed from it. (I am sure that had we discussed the subject further that he would have NOT recommended breeding a bitch with moderate or severe regurge - we were simply talking about the age at which a murmur turns up....) I did not pursue the discussion as I was absolutely floored. My understanding for the two tiered approach was that it was a compromise to meet the practical needs of breeders - rather than wait until the age of 5 (and clear) we could breed at 2.5 (and clear) if the parents were clear at 5. When I was in Sweden last year I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Jens Hagstrom and Clarence Kvart, the researchers who have done so much work on MVD in Cavaliers. At that time we discussed the new Swedish rules that required that parents be clear at 4 years or the dog may not be bred until it is cleared after it's 4th birthday. At that time they expressed concern that little or no progress would be made in pushing back the age of onset with this scheme as so many murmurs turn up between the age of 4 and 5 years. On the bright side, Dr. Buchanan also feels that the % of early onset murmurs is dropping. We have been cardiologist testing everyone since 1993 and just had a young dog turn up with a murmur for the first time in 5 or 6 years - he will be rechecked and Dopplered this summer so that we know exactly what is going on. Testing is well worth the money and the time - and now that I have to travel 3 hours instead of 30 minutes to get to my cardiologist I have a better idea of the struggle it can be for many breeders to test - and I still think that it is worth it! Hilarie Hilarie Gibbs-Sykes Mel Sykes Hob Nob Cavaliers Sarasota, FL http://www.geocities.com/locustlee ========================================================= "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.
