Why I Spoke Out About Cavaliers by Margaret Carter
Earlier this year Margaret Carter was featured on the BBC documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed speaking about problems within the breed she loves, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. The documentary highlighted some truly harrowing health problems with this beautiful, friendly little dog breed. The footage sent shockwaves through the population who watched in horror at the dogs who were suffering with a condition called syringomyelia. Margaret Carter was brave enough to speak honestly and openly about what was happening. Margaret Carter did the right thing. She did right by the breed she loves. She did right by dogs full stop. And her reward? She was hauled up on a charge by the Cavalier club of ‘not being a credit’ to the club or the breed. And at a meeting today, this is what happened:
204 voted for removing Margaret from the committee of the Cavalier Club
31 voted against her removal.
4 people abstained.
Of the people who spoke, just one person spoke in favour of Margaret. As Margaret read out her defence the Chairman had to silence hecklers.
And the world of organised pedigree dogs finds itself under the microscope yet again as it lurches from one public relations disaster to another.
How revealing it is to see such an absolute travesty, a sheer mockery of ‘justice’ being carried out.
If dogs had more Margaret Carters on their side, they would NOT be in the state they’re in today.
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Why did I give the interview, by Margaret Carter.
I found out my top stud dog had sired SM in 2001.
When I was told about the symptoms I realised there were other unrelated, top stud dogs siring affected offspring as well. I realised that because of these dogs the genes for this condition would be spreading throughout the cavalier population in the UK and abroad.
I thought that other cavalier breeders would realise the significant threat that this would hold for the breed and they would join in to try & stop the condition spreading
I was on the cavalier Club committee, well placed to raise awareness of the problem & to help the researchers investigate the problem. This I did for the next five years
The Cavalier Club gave their backing to SM research and there were some notable breeders that supported the collection of DNA & later MRI scanned their cavaliers & bred to the unofficial guidelines, but the top breeding & showing kennels were antagonistic from the start, denying there was any problem.
As time went on talks & seminars were arranged by some of the clubs and later there were some subsidised scanning schemes, although it was mainly the smaller hobby breeders that attended. The successful showing & breeding kennels were not represented.
I saw my own cavaliers, descendants of my stud dog, develop SM symptoms and had calls from people that had my dog’s affected offspring and grandchildren. Over these five years I also received many distressing calls from owners of unrelated SM diagnosed dogs, some that had to be put to sleep at less than a year old.
Last year I started a scheme to deliver cavaliers that had died to Cambridge for post mortem. Nearly all had died of MVD, two were 7year olds that dropped dead from heart failure. It made me start questioning how many breeders did actually test their cavalier’s heart before breeding. I realised that we had a breeding protocol that we had only paid lip service to for years, as it was too inconvenient to follow in it’s entirety. I had not done so with Monty, & I could think of only one person who did actually follow it..
Early illness & death from MVD has become accepted as the norm, no longer something to be shocked at, and it is easily explained away to those that have bought cavalier puppies.
It seemed to me that the same attitude was beginning to develop in regards to syringomyelia
At the Club Championship show this year the dog that won BIS was widely known to have SM. I had been very disturbed late last year when someone told me they planned to mate him to two of their bitches. When I suggested she asked to see his scans, she said that the owner had assured her that he only had the malformation & that suggestions that he had SM were part of a witch hunt. With that BIS win, and considering that some of the most successful breeders were using him & he already had one champion son, I knew he could well end up as a top stud dog.
I knew from first hand what harm that would do.
There was a SM workshop meeting called by the Companion Animal Welfare Council. Some breeders & Cavalier Club committee members were invited. At that point some of the regional club committees became very concerned and indignant that they were not all being represented.
The CAWC meeting agreement included the recommendation that there should be a meeting between KC, Researchers and Cavalier Club to develop schemes for EBVs & a grading panel for MRI scans. I found that although I was the Club SM spokesperson and the only Cavalier committee member with extensive knowledge of the condition, I was not to be included because of objections, either actual or anticipated, from regional representatives.
All these points, the hostility of the successful breeders, the denial of the extent of the problem, the lip service paid to the MVD protocol, and the acceptance of early illness & death from MVD, the prospect that it would become acceptable that an affected dog could be used outside of the recommended guidelines, and the knowledge that pressure had successfully been used to remove the person best qualified to help the club take planned initiatives forward, made me realise that the will to make changes did not exist in the cavalier world. For most of the people involved in breeding and showing cavaliers, or in running breed clubs, the welfare of individual cavaliers, that may live very painful lives, & their owners who would have to pay the emotional & financial cost was not a priority.
I made the decision to give an interview for the documentary because I had become convinced that the only way things were going to change was for the pet buying public to know that there were serious inherited problems in the breed, & that they must see evidence that breeders have health tested their cavaliers.
The charge
Members should conduct themselves at all times in a manner that is a
credit to the Club and ownership of Cavaliers
Margaret’s defence:
I have owned cavaliers 32 years.
I served 12 years on the regional Eastern Counties Committee. I was their health
representative and helped run their rescue service for an interim period.
I was elected to the Cavalier Club committee in 1999 I have served on their health committee for 8 years. I was the health representativefor 4 years.
I have been the Club SM spokesperson since 2003
Since 2002 there were 14 health projects detailed in the ‘SUMMARY OF HEALTH INITIATIVES BY THE CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL CLUB’ that featured prominently on both the Cavalier Club and the Kennel Club’s website to demonstrate the cavalier club’s commitment to health testing and research.
I initiated, or was closely involved in the organisation of 10 of these projects. ( See next page )
I have organised 3 SM seminars, DNA collection at health clinics, organised the Clubs health information tables at the championship shows.
I administer the voluntary MRI list I have supplied research information & in some cases cavalier cell tissue to Brendan Corcoran, Edinburgh, Nick Jeffries, Cambridge, Kate Chandler RVC, Clare Rusbridge, Stonelion Vet Centre and Sarah Blott AHT, & arranged a talk by Geoff Skerritt, Chestergate.
I have been the main fund raiser fro the Lub Dub Fund ( MVD ) and the research fund ( SM ) since 2002
Members should not use any method of communication whatsoever in a way that could be considered
defamatory, insulting or detrimental to another member, or the Club, or to the breed in general.
I did not defame ( to harm the reputation of by libel or slander) Beverley Costello, or the Club, or the breed.
I stated the widely known fact that the dog has SM. It is widely known because the owner told many people in the days after he was scanned.
I was not insulting. I was factual .
What I said was not detrimental. it was the fact that the dog was being used when he had a serious genetic condition that is detrimental to the breed and to the Club. Buyers are encouraged to seek out breeders that are members of breed clubs. Club members should have a special duty of care to pet buyers who trust them as the experts nor furnish information including pedigrees and photographs of dogs not owned by them without prior written consent of the owner.
I did give information about the dog’s SM status, but the information was not given to me in confidence, indeed Beverley herself made it known to a wide circle of friends as well as other breeders at dog shows.
This dog had produced 26 litters since his scan in 2005, one of his offspring had already been put to sleep Because he had inherited it and Beverley had been informed.
Beverley was telling people that he only had the malformation. He is a beautiful dog who had been made up to a champion. He had produced a champion son for a top breeder. He had the potential to end up a top producing sire & yet he had a serious genetic condition.
Beverley should have removed him from stud, as advised by the neurologist when the diagnosis was made. She could have still shown him while he was asymptomatic. To continue to breed with him put not just the dogs at risk , but the reputation of breeders and breed club.
Health Initiatives that I was closely involved in since 2002 ( 10 out of 14 )
( Numbering of items relate to the Club’s summary of health initiatives )
10 Arranged for Clare Rusbridge to give talk to committee and wrote SM Flyer to go out to all members. re syringomyelia
11 2002 Fund raising for Lub Dub Fund, with competitions, xmas cards, postcard draws, festive greetings, received donations administered donors lists. I was co-signatree for the bank account
12 MVD Research project with Lub Dub student, fees paid by the Lub Dub Fund. Lub Dub Fund raised £24,000, KC matched it.
13 One of the team to set up the Healthy Heart parnership with Boehringer, & the only Club representative to work with Clare Rusbridge & Penny Knowler setting up DNA collection for Genome scan.
I received the names of those that wanted to go on the DNA donors list
14 Dry Eye /Curly coat…….not mine
15 The three low cost scanning centres were not Cavalier Club schemes but I made sure it was publicised on our website & designed flyers for our health clinics
16 EFS……..not mine (donation only )
17 I initiated the scheme to sponsor 24 free scans for research, I wrote the application forms, drew up the rules for the selection of participants & all costs were paid by the research fund from money raised by myself & Jeanne Boyd
18 I assisted with the arrangments of this RVC conference but was not the main organiser. Research fund money raised by Jeanne & myself helped pay for this
19 My initiative to ask for bids from a few researchers, as there was money in the research fund. In the event the KC charitable trust agreed to fund all three projects, with a £1000 contribution from our fund. Sarah Blott’s project also agreed
20 Transfer of heart database….not mine
21 This was single handed. I initiated the scheme to get 10 deceased cavaliers to Cambridge, I carried out all the planning, arranged the collection,post mortems & cremations. Paid for by research fund money raised by Jeanne & myself..
22 £100 voucher scheme My suggestion. I wrote the forms, drew up the rules and the research fund paid.
23 Lupa project……..not mine
Highly Recommended: What dog owner wouldn’t want a piece of THIS action? – Get FREE dog food!
Related posts:
- Kennel Club Hits Out at Cavalier Club; Supports Margaret Carter
- Resignations at the Cavalier Club as Margaret Carter is Reinstated
- Got a Spare £8k to Help Cavaliers? (It’s not for health btw, it’s for PR)
- Kennel Club has ‘Concerns’ About Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club
- Cavalier King Charles Club Accuses K9 Magazine of Misleading Readers
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You are a heroine, Margaret.
I fear for the breed.
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I feel truely saddend by this. Margret Carter had the breeds best intrest at heart… sadly this did not seem to comply with the breeders…intrests.
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In all due fairness after all the exposure of the biased PDE program. Seeing the results of the vote, where were Margaret Carters many supporters? Seems to me that putting things in print on all the open forums for Cavaliers, both breeders and owners, none found their way to the voting booth. Maybe Mrs. Carter should revisit what she though was such a good thing to do, after all exposing the poisonisum venum that had caused this particular health issue without admitting in a particular instance that her dog was indeed hughly responsible, as are others out there. What is the saying “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”. Seems quite fitting at this moment in time. Wonder what is next as I’m sure we have not heard the last of Mrs. Carter, but I for one will save my money on a stamp for her Christmas Card. Maybe I will donate the stamp money towards the health committee so that the good work that so many specialists and breeders can continue with the respected privacey that it should be and not some peoples heroics for being in the spot light.
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I have been seriously involved in all things dog related for 4 decades. Starting with German Shepherds (working dogs) to my current breeds, Australian Shepherds and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. During those decades I was an instructor of obedience for the general public teaching novice to advanced and am now an obedience trial judge. To continue I dealt with dogs with behavior and temperament problems from house soiling, barking through to aggression. In my breeding program I offer a 2 year warrantee on genetic and congenital deffects. To date I have replaced 2 dogs with one more in the offing.
The BBC Expose was nothing but tabloid television at its worst. That people deliberately stopped giving their dogs medication was shameful and inexcusable, just to get their 15 minutes of fame. That your programers edited down to the blood and gore parts was tunnel vision of the worst order.
Shame on you and your “coverage” if pure bred dogs were as unhealthy as your program stated then why in all my years has the majority of decrepit, ill, deformed, and seriously affected genetic messes predominately been mixed breeds? During the years I operated a grooming parlor I saw poorly bred dogs from dozens of backyard breeders who only wish to make puppies and money. None of these dogs were health tested before breeding.
The vast majority of dogs that visit vets are mixed breeds from questionable sources. Puppymills, puppy farmers, backyard breeders, portray thier dogs as purebred yet many cannot give a 5 generation pedigree let alone a 3 generation one.
I can trace the parentage of my dogs 10 generations back. I know what issues, structural qualities or failings are there and how to avoid them. I have attended dozens of breed specific seminars plus many on behavior. Serious forthright breeders do not produce generations of poor dogs. Each generation should be better than the one before, sound of mind and body. This cannot be said of the millers or commercial breeders.
I health test my dogs for the known genetic deffects specific to the breed. I also work my dogs in the arenas they were bred to perform in. The Aussies work livestock and many of my pups go to working farms where the days are long and the work hard. Yet not a single one has been found wanting as your program suggested. With my cavaliers, my focus is a soundly made dog with all the breed charm they are noted for. Good sound bodies who must be able to jump twice their hight on and off the bed or climb mountain high stairs, with sweet loving dispositions.
I have had the honour of producing dogs who have saved people lives as special skills dogs. One of note detects his owners seizures, another is a hearing ear dog, others act as a go between a quadraplegic owner and the public when she goes out.
In the show ring I have made up numerouse champions and titled many dog sin novice to advanced obedience as well as rally obedience, tracking, agility and herding.
In all my years in dogs, I have found cavaliers to be amoung the healthier of breeds and have to date not seen the horrors your show has depicted. As I watch my dog play in the yard I see young vibrant puppies filled with promise to senior citizens of 15 years. Moving slower but still going on.
If I was to believe your progam the majority of dogs out there should be screaming or dropping dead. Maybe it is my good well water or more likely it is simply purebred dogs are not as your show depicted. So who is the liar now?
Yours in dogs.
LS
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Donna Lee,
You’ve missed the point – completely. It’s not about Margaret Carter. It’s not about her dogs.
It’s about CKCS and the myriad of health problems in the breed. It’s about the lack of commitment to see through health screening and remove affected dogs from the gene pool.
Focus on the issue, not on the personality!
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Leah Swatko,
You’ve also missed the point. The progam was an expose of poor breeding practices, such as breeding for exagerrated features, inbreeding and lack of action on health testing. It was not an attack on good breeding practices.
You also miss the point about the CKCS health. Many dogs are affected by these health conditions (SM and MVD). The fact that you have not seen lots of these dogs does not change the documented evidence.
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Margaret is now going to have to take stock of what happened yesterday at the SGM. As mentioned by Donna Lee, where exactly were Margaret’s many followers who she thought would go to the meeting. So many pledges of support but only 31 turned up! The CKCS Club has a current membership of around 1000 residing in the UK. The large majority are not breeders so where were they? It just shows that the committed members are mainly the cavalier breeders whether the public likes it or not! It is the committed members who take part in the health schemes and donate their time, effort and money towards their future.
C
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i applaud Margaret Carter for her work and bringing this to the public. well done!
as for the club. it should be ashamed for pushing something like this under the carpet when its the new owners that will be heartbroken.
is this a breed club or breeders club looking for glory in the ring and not bothering at ruining a beautiful breed.
money is the root of all evil and this is what it all boils down to.
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Fewer than 2 dozen members attended the two Cavalier Club’s sponsored Syringomyelia Conferences, yet over 200 showed up to vote out Margaret Carter who was the key person behind every ongoing club health campaign as originator or main supporter.
I’m afraid in the eyes of NORMAL people and genuine dog lovers, the Cavalier’s treatment of Margaret makes them look like a total joke!
Then when people come on with their smug, self satisified posts it compounds this view.
I’ll tell you this much, Maraget may not have had the support of the shameful little self-interest group who voted her out but she does have the support of THOUSANDS of dog lovers who wouldn’t be party to such a closed-shop mentality. The Cavalier is a breed in need and it’s really not hard to see why with some of the incredibly closed-minded views of vengeful apologists.
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Chris siad:
“It just shows that the committed members are mainly the cavalier breeders whether the public likes it or not! It is the committed members who take part in the health schemes and donate their time, effort and money towards their future.”
WRONG! It was the committed members who showed up to keep the STATUS QUO. In other words, despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary, they insist that there is nothing wrong.
My Ar**!
One of my staff has just been informed by his Vet that his young pup has Syringomelia! No, it’s not a back yard breeder. He paid a lot of money for his pup.
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Margaret may not have had support from club members but she certainly has the support of genuine dog lovers. Why should the information about breeding dogs that have SM be confidential? Puppy buyers should know what they can expect when paying out their money for a new ‘family member’. Of course most of the owners would not take a dog back for a refund once they’ve fallen in love with it.
I too am a groomer and have seen many instances of SM in dogs from ‘reputable’ breeders. The thing is that I never knew the symptoms I saw were SM until I saw the program. There is also a good reason why pedigree dogs cost more to insure than cross breeds. They generally are not as healthy.
I hope the members who voted Margaret out will never sell another dog now that people know what goes on.
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I don’t know what programme Donna Lee watched but Margaret Carter made it perfectly clear that she had, as a breeder, used a dog with Syringomyelia but that when she became more informed about the condition she stopped using him and that it was this experience that began her work to highlight the devastation that the condition. I
That’s the difference between her and the rest of the so-called dog lovers in the Cavalier Club and that’s why she can throw as many stones as she likes. It’s such a travesty that such a happy go lucky, wonderful breed is blighted by such thoroughly selfish individuals.
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Margaret
Congratulations I would welcome you to my site (eurobichons)and we would applaud any actions and works orchestrated by you.
Once again its a breed club that have destroyed any faith in a breed but more alarmingly, they have confirmed how much a breed club can and do act as one to destroy the reputation of another good breeder.Sadly they act like the Bichon breed clubs !
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Chris said…
“It is the committed members who take part in the health schemes and donate their time, effort and money towards their future.”
Which means absolutely jack sh*t if they do nothing with the results!!
I grew up with Cavaliers and when our last two died 3 years ago I went out and bought a working cocker spaniel, there was no way I was having another CKCS, as much as I love them the heartache is unbearable.
The CKCS breeders need to take their head out of their ars*s and take a long hard look at what they’re doing to their breed and feel very very ashamed.
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Dear Jo and No Name:
I certainly did not miss any of the points, but I do think that you missed mine as there maybe some information that you are either missing or chose not to acknowledge. Yes I know Mrs. Carter went public when her dog was diagnoised, but the flip side of the coin is that, although at the time no-one knew about SM, the fact remains that when it came to light she has stated he had late onset, which is not true. He show all the symptoms except the pain from a very early age while in the show ring and she had been taking him to a chiropractor for his back and leg for years. So saying it was late on-set when in fact it was not, what does that do in the study of the disease. It causes yet another stone wall. How will the study proceed if all information is false? Common sense tells you that it will make things harder to diagnois because some might think that the early signs don’t mean anything. In the real world as I see it, this program and everything associated with it has done no good. We have not found a cure for cancer, ms, md, crons and even SM and CH in people and everyone thinks that a cure should be found in a month? All this has done in this particular breed is set back the health study a million years. The brussels breed are glad that it did not highlight them. Maybe there are specialist on all the lists and in the papers, magazines that can come up with a cure really quick. I’m sure we would all be glad of that and be able to move ahead and do some serious research to help this breed and others. Respectfully. Donna Lee
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Donna Lee
First of all Margaret Carter has just been removed from the health committee for supposedly giving confidential informationn about someone elses dog, If I am not mistaken you have just done exactly the same thing to her !! What a mockery.
Secondly, Why has it setback the health study a million years ? For any one who truly cares about this breed and is submitting information this debacle should not make any difference,
We know the Club’s are funding research and doing what they can however the problem is getting the breeders to use the info that is available.
The biggest hurdle or ’stone wall’ in this breed is confidentiallity. You cannot hope to improve a situation unless everyone is open and honest, nor can you improve a problem if you don’t know the status of the dogs you are breeding from. The fact that a dog is not showing symptoms does not mean that it hasn’t got SM.
Sarah Blotts database contains about 700 MRI scans and considering that there are over 10,000 cavaliers registered every year ( and yes I know that they are not all club members but a very large proportion are) I consider that a poor show.
MRI scans will not give guarantees of healthy puppies nor will they identify carriers but they do show whether or not SM is present. The current protocol gives a a lot of scope to allow for our very small genepool and it will keep changing as more is found out. It’s not a lot of use sitting back and waiting for answers because they are not going to come for a very long time and without more information probably never.
Having said all this, the general public need to understand that SM and MVD are nobody’s fault and many breeders are doing all they can to combat it . However with genetic defects as complicated as these there are no quick fixes.
Barbara Reese
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“We have not found a cure for cancer, ms, md, crons and even SM and CH in people and everyone thinks that a cure should be found in a month?”
I will speak for myself, and not the general “people”.
I do not expect a cure to be found in a month. I do however expect that after 10 years with a heart protocol there would be enough breeders following it for some improvement – and the facts are, there is not. If you look just at the Malvern show and the dogs shown there in February, and check the public information in the pedigree databases, a full 80% were bred outside of the guidelines of the MVD protocol – with parents and grandparents younger than the recommended breeding ages of 2 1/2 and 5 years.
SM guideline ages are the same.
So, a cure is not expected, but an EFFORT is.
Heart tests and MRIs are not a sure thing, but they are something to be guided by. In many other breeds hip scores are used for the same reason – as they are not a sure thing either, and those breeders are expected to do those tests!
I am disgusted with the too obvious lack of effort by the majority, who seem to want it to be as easy as “selectively plucking” the genes out with clear gene tests, and while they wait for those tests they continue to refuse to MRI or wait until their dogs are of recommended age to breed.
I could not even imagine what it would be like to be a breeder who actually wanted to do their best by Cavaliers in this club (and I do know some). Their efforts are smothered by those, as was mentioned by Natalie, who are doing jack sh*t.
My respect goes to those who are indeed doing their best, and not just pretending to be.
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Sorry Barbara if you have misunderstood what I was actually saying. Confidentualy has always been an issues with we humans and yes you are correct if it is kept private then what is to be gained by it where research is concerned. It is not a debate that I care to get into, but I am well aware of everything that the good breeders do as we all have our own breed clubs. During reserch, with all health issues being human or animal, protocals change as does the research going in different directions.I am in agreement with you, but I don’t agree completly with going public where you are not the owner, nor the scientist conducting the study. Regards..Donna
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This just shows how much “sway” the top breeders of Cavaliers have over the CKCS Club. I fully support Margaret & I have two dogs with SM still living, whose breeder is not in the least bit interested in, in fact she has used the litter brother to one(who has NOT been scanned)on one of her bitches, yet both his brother & late father have/had SM, which means at best he is a carrier & using the litter mate of an SM affected dog is actually discouraged-yet the breeders are members of the CKCS club & I doubt they would have supported Margaret.
It also shows that the CKCS Club is willing to act against the Kennel Club’s opinion
More power to your elbow Margaret & shame on the club, who I could never even consider being a member of
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I am so so sorry for Margaret Carter. What a shabby horrible way to treat someone who has done so much, not just for the Cavalier breed, but for all dogs affected
SM.
The Cavalier Club is not alone in hiding the results of MRI scans and the numbers affected. Griffon breeders are equally guilty of maintaining silence on the numbers of dogs affected. Although numerically a much smaller breed, I would guess, that proportionally the numbers affected are similar, especally when you bear in mind that griffons have some cavalier in their genes.
I very much share Margaret’s concern about people buying puppies unaware of the diseases that are likely to occur.
In my opinion, no puppy should be sold unless it comes from proven SM free lineage.
Ruth
Pet Griffon owner
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well done margaret
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time to withdraw cc’s till they get their house in order
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Could I mention why is no mention made that SM is NOT confined to the Cavalier Breed ,it is known as a Small Breed Disease
This was told recently by Dr Marino to me who is a Neurologist at LIVS ,America ,where he is Chief of Staff.
In fact he also said that the there is no Scientific Information as to the Brain Volumn being different to that of other SMall Breeds ,this Research is going on at his Hospital at the moment,
Bet Hargreaves
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Here we have a lady who made a mistake,and dealt with it..then went about alerting the breed to the condition.That`s wrong?Well if it affects their profits or show kudos,yes.I really hope the Kennel Club come down hard on this Club so it cleans up it`s act.Years ago I groomed a Cav with all those strange symtoms save for pain,now I realise what it was ;not my kind of breed ,but it would be the likes of this lady I would buy from or someone equally honest!
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Just a question to Ruth, where would you look for SM free linage (pedigree) I think most breeders would be happy to do that. I see that you have BG and now the study has begun on your breed, what if the same conclusion were to apply to your breed. Since the study has nothing conclusive and even the specialist can not agree on degrees, breeding protcals, etc, what exactly would you do being put in the same position? I think it is always easier to make comments and suggestions with nothing to back it up.
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I applaud Margret Carter for coming out and saying what needed to be said. Strange how she spent many years in what I would assume are prominent positions on the committee.
..12 years on the regional Eastern Counties Committee. I was their health
representative and helped run their rescue service for an interim period.
….Cavalier Club committee in 1999 I have served on their health committee for 8 years. I was the health representativefor 4 years.
…Club SM spokesperson since 2003
And now suddenly because she starts to tell the truth that many do not want to hear or admit she isn’t even worthy of being a club member?
To be honest reading some of the comments here I think she is well away from them. I would appreciate that the obvious club members who are posting here continue to do so though, because as the saying goes, ‘give them enough rope…..
Mark
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May I mention the Health Review which has just appeared on the UK CKCS CLUB Web-SITE
http://www.thecavalierclub.co.uk
This is the up to date account of Dr Blott’s SM and MVD Research at the Animal Health Trust ,from Dr Jeff Sampson at the Kennel Club
Bet Hargreaves
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I am surprised that no one has asked Margaret Carter why she sat for so long on the knowledge that breeders were using SM affected dogs. Surly as a member of the Club Health Committee she had it within her power to go through the appropriate channels to have this matter addressed. Also there has been much confusion weather these dogs should be used in breeding. My understanding was that the researcher Clare Rusbridge had advised, in her protocol, continued use under certain guidelines.
As a pet owner I fail to see where either reputable breeders, or the Cavalier Club, tried to hind that there were health problems within the breed. Most decent breeders make the prospective owner aware of SM, MVD and other health issues in the Cavalier. The Cavalier Club on their home page has an extensive coverage on health issues. The Club has supported research in MVD and SM and has made any research reports available to the general public.
I fail to see what good can come of Margaret’s actions, or how as a result of them she thought they would achieve a solution for the health problems within the breed. The general public now believes that the CKCS is riddled with Syringomyilea when this is not the case. Many vets have yet to treat one single dog with Syringomyilea. If anyone doubts my claim you only have to ring round vets. Pet owners are now scared to walk their dogs in case they are accosted by some irate person who believes that they are cruel to have this wee dog who is in acute pain. They even run the risk of some activist snatching their dog to have it put down, believing it to be in pain. The more balanced picture is that many of us have healthy Cavaliers.
Margaret and others have claimed that they feel sorry for the pet owners who don’t know about the health issues. My question is why don’t they know? Surly if one is going to pay out several hundred for a pedigree dog they are going to do their research first. All one has to do go to the breed website, ring round vets etc. All pedigree dogs have health issues, and come to that so do cross breeds. I have spent thousands on cross breed illnesses.
SM and MVD are problem in the breed, and we should all be doing what we can to support research for answers. My heart goes out to any owner that has had to deal with these illnesses. However, humans get sick and so do dogs, that’s life. I suspect that SM has been there since the beginning and that it’s only advancement in science that has brought awareness.
There has been much speculation to the causes of SM; to date all that we have are theories. We have as yet no definite answers this is why it is so important that research must go on. Nor is it contained within the Cavalier breed, the more we advance in science it is being discovered in other breeds. Just as with human illness as we progress in knowledge we will become more equipped to combat them.
It saddens me that the only people that has been hurt in all this is the reputable breeders, who are already trying to do their best to breed healthy dogs. Whilst the Puppy Farmer and indiscriminate breeder continue to churn out sickly dogs, Cavaliers that end up in rescues and go out to unsuspecting pet owners. What a wonderful opportunity the program was to highlight the big problem of Puppy Farming but nothing was said. Too if legislation comes in, which I understand some people are pushing for, where dogs are treated in the same way as other lives talk, it will be an even sadder day for our Cavaliers.
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To Donna
What kind of an excuse is: “where would you look for SM free linage (pedigree)”
and “what if the same conclusion were to apply to your breed”, even worse: “study has nothing conclusive” therefore “what exactly would you do being put in the same position?” STOP BREEDING WITH THOSE ANIMALS
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Leah! It sounds like you are in DENIAL! Dogs should not be on medication in the first place! Where’s your ’scientific proof’ about mixed breeds? After all, what do you expect – they are probably the result of 2 unhealthy breeds in the first place – but their owners can’t afford to keep them going without medication.
You say that you can trace the parentage of your dogs – and that you “avoid…failings”. I hope you do so by NEUTERING them.
Just admit that there ARE problems in ALL breeds – stop moaning about what the BBC special did or didnt do – and rather spend your time convincing all the ‘breeders’ you have worked with over the last 4 decades to CHANGE the way we breed TODAY. Take the blinkers off! If you really cared you wouldn’t even let it happen to 1% of the breed. Don’t say that is impossible. It will be difficult but IT IS POSSIBLE! There are a number of books out there that have done well to point out how the purebred dog got to be where it is today – and explains why as well as gives some suggestions on how to get out of this depressing state of affairs!
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I saw the programme on the BBC with regard to genetic disease in Pedigree Dogs. The situation is outrageous and needs to be stopped.
I believe that:
1.The breeders and the Kennel Club are responsible for this situation and that they are breaching Consumer Law. A class action of purchasers who have purchased puppies should sue the Kennel Club for damages. A large award of damages against the Kennel club and the individual breeders will immediately cause breeders and the Kennel clubs to stop and review their actions.
In addition to the above class action I would recommend:
1.Heavy fines for any Kennel club who registers an animal with a genetic disorder.
2.Should a breeder at any time during this animal’s lifetime become aware that the animal has a genetic disorder they must immediately de-register and de-sex the animal producing vet certificates as evidence.
3.Their direct progeny must also be removed from the register and de-sexed. A failure by a breeder to act responsibly and take this action to be fined $50,000 pounds and barred forever from breeding
4.No animal allowed in the show ring with a genetic disorder and breeders to increasingly be required to undergo testing of their animals for genetic disorders starting with the most common genetic diseases for that breed.
5.Breed Standards to immediately be amended so that practices that distort/ maim dogs are removed for example ‘ridges on the ridge backs’. Breed standards to disallow disfigured and maimed dogs from entering the show ring.
6.The Kennel Club to have the power to request any breeder to present their animal to a registered specialist vet for genetic testing and should the breeder be found to have breached the above heavy penalties to be applied.
I hope that all dog lovers will stop these terrible practices
Ann Brownell
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I watched the BBC’s expose of poor breeding practices in dogs, with disgust and absolute contempt for those breeders who were featured as the saviours and improvers of their chosen breeds. Let’s get right to the heart of the situation. They are breeding boutique litters to suit what THEY perceive as the perfect dog, which will ultimately line their pockets with gold and enable them to display that coveted and prestigious “best-in-show” cup to be bragged about among their kennel club buddies. They are no better than the back yard breeder whose prime intention is also making money.
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