WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD DOGS
Cavalier owners are fast learning more about a disorder which affects our
breed: syringomyelia (SM). The condition occurs when the back part of the dog's
skull is too small, forcing cerebrospinal fluid into the spinal cord. A
fluid-filled cavity develops, damaging the dog's spinal cord.
Researchers hypothesize that SM began in our breed with two siblings, born in
the 1950s, whose descendants came together sometime in the 1970s, creating a
genetic scenario ideal for the expression of SM. It is said that all Cavaliers
from every bloodline possess the genetic possibility of carrying at least one of
the three genes thought to be responsible for the condition.
Not surprisingly, until something tangible occurs-a cure, a genetic marker, a
set of meaningful breeding guidelines-we can expect to see accusing fingers
pointed at stud dogs, breeders, bloodlines, dog foods, the environment,
vaccinations, and puppy rearing. Frustration and heartbreak, fueled by images of
our dogs in needless pain, often lead to the very human response of laying
blame.
Whether SM has surfaced due to genetic bottleneck, popular-sire syndrome, or
the luck of the draw is up for speculation. Anyone with a pedigree file is
susceptible to the temptation of amateur sleuthing. We may wish hard for a
simple solution such as breeding away from dogs X, Y, or Z, yet the inheritance
of a polygenetic condition such as SM is too complicated and insidious to be
conquered by such easy breeding adjustments.
Honesty from fellow breeders is deemed essential but is very much a
double-edged sword. To admit having seen SM in your dogs places you on an
unwritten, but very real, blacklist. Conversely, stating that you have never
experienced the problem will elicit, from some, the comment that you are a
kennel-blind liar, too proud to admit having seen it in your line.
The AKC Canine Health Foundation has become a touchstone in the darkness for
us and for all breeders who seek to mitigate or eradicate the problems that
plague our dogs. The CHF is mentoring us through the process of collecting
comprehensive health data, offering guidance as we invest our hard-sought
Cavalier Health Trust funds, and providing matching funds for the studies that
we choose to support. Our parent club, the ACKCSC, has approved a $10,000
breed-health survey to be conducted by Purdue University. This data will aid in
prioritizing our health concerns for specific presentation to the CHF.
Through the cooperative efforts of many breeders, significant donations of
time and money, and the utilization of scientific research and useful breeding
parameters, we will adjust and respond to this new threat as best we can. We
dare to dream that this, too, shall pass. Though a noble goal, we cannot expect
to produce dogs free from all disease and heritable defects while simultaneously
maintaining correct breed type, temperament, and conformation.
But through all of this Cavaliers will continue to survive and prosper, most
living good, long lives while delighting their masters, as they have for
hundreds of years.
- John D. Gammon, AKC Gazette Breed Columnist
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