If we insult everyone who raises their dogs differently and cause them to leave the list, where are they going to learn about the health problems in cavaliers? I believe that there should be at least one cavalier list that should serve to educate. If not this one, then perhaps the hoflin list, or maybe a new one? If we only welcome people who wholeheartedly agree with us, then we will only be preaching to the choir.
When I first signed on this list years ago, I honestly believed that hip dysplasia in cavaliers was insignificant. I now know differently, and that is one of many, many things I have learned here and on lists like it. Ten percent of cavaliers have hip dysplasia, and some of them are unable to function normally because of it. A few other things I've learned over the years are things I wouldn't want any breeder to leave the list before learning: Eight percent of cavaliers seen by an ophthalmologist will have a hereditary eye defect that will preclude their suitability as breeding animals. Close to fifty percent of cavaliers will have a mitral valve murmur by the age of five, due to early-onset endocardiosis. Many of them will have to be on expensive heart medication for the last four or five years of their lives. Some even die at the age of six or seven, due to severe heart failure. Breeders can try to breed for better hearts by screening their breeding animals for heart murmurs (by a cardiologist) and selecting for those animals who are heart clear over the age of 5, or whose parents are heart clear over the age of 5. Severe patella luxation (luxating kneecaps) in poorly bred dogs cause the animals severe pain, or cause their owners to put them through surgery that sometimes costs more than $1000 per knee. Four percent of all dogs have epilepsy. There is an inherited predisposition. Epilepsy is more common when breeding animals are kept without people around, because seizures go unnoticed, and epileptic animals are inadvertently used in breeding programs. Multiple autoimmune defects also plague this breed. Reputable breeders will always take back a cavalier they've bred, regardless of how old or infirm it has become. The major thing I've learned is that even though I consider myself a very intelligent person, there is a limit to the number of breeds to which I could do justice; there is just too much to know about type, conformation, health and temperament of each breed. Commercial breeding establishments are not going to go away. Our best bet is to kindly educate their proprietors regarding the health and well-being of the cavalier. Maybe the word will spread. Leanne ----- Original Message ----- You are the > nightmare ========================================================= "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.
