I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE COULD GIVE ME SOME ADVICE OR WORDS OF INCOURAGEMENT REGARDING HEART MURMOURS.MYSELF AND MY HUSBAND HAVE BEEN WANTING A CAVALIER KING CHARLES FOR SOMETIME,ALTHOUGH COULDNT AFFORD TO PAY OVER FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS FOR ONE.I CAME ACROSS A BREEDER THAT HAD A FOUR YEAR OLD BITCH FOR SALE,SO GOT IN CONTACT STRIGHT AWAY.WE TRAVELLED FAR TO GET HER,AND WAS SO HAPPY TO BE BRINGING HOME A DOG WE SO VERY MUCH WANTED.WE WAS LOOKING OUT FOR A PUPPY,BUT ONCE WE SAW HER.WE FELL IN LOVE WITH HER STRIGHT AWAY,SHES SO ADORABLE.AND NOW FOUND OUT THAT SHE HAS HAD A VERY HARD LIFE THROUGH TWO BREEDERS OWNING HER.THE LADY TOLD ME THAT SHE HAD,HAD THREE PUPPIES WITH HER,AND THEY ALL DIED BECAUSE HER TEETS WERE NOT BIG ENOUGH.AND SHE WANTED HER TO GO TO A GOOD LOVING HOME.SHE WAS A BREEDER,AND WE KNEW STRAIGHT AWAY SHE WAS SELLING HER BECAUSE SHE NO LONGER WAS OF USE BECAUSE COULDNT BREED ANYMORE.WE SAT AND ASKED HER ALOT OF QUESTIONS,SHE INFORMED US THAT SHE HAD BROUGHT HER AS A PUPPY FROM A LADY,AND THAT SHE WASANT COMPLETLY HONEST WITH HER.SHE EXPLAINED TO US ALSO THAT SHE HAD LOST SOME HAIR BECAUSE SHE HAD BEEN SCRATCHING DUE TO LOSING HER PUPPIES.WE KNEW THAT BECAUSE SHE WASANT KC REGISTERED,THAT SHE MAY HAVE SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH.AS I ALREADY SOMEWHAT KNEW THAT,BUT LIKE SAY.WE HAVE NOW FOUND OUT SHE HAS A HEART MURMOUR,ASWELL AS SOMETIMES HER SOCKET POPS OUT OF HER BACK LEG.WE PHONED THE BREEDER LAST NIGHT TO INFORM HER OF WHAT THE VET HAD SAID TO US,AND ALSO ASKED HER IF SHE HAD SPRAYED SOMETHING ON TARA TO MAKE HER SKIN REACT THE WAY IT HAS DONE.SHE OWNED UP TO PUTTING SOMETHING ON HER,THEN ALSO EVENTUALLY SAID THAT SHE KNEW SOMETHING WAS ALSO WRONG WITH HER LEGS AT THE BACK.DIDNT ABOUT HEART MURMOUR WHICH DOESNT SURPRISE ME.OUR FEELINGS OF LOVE FOR TARA HAVENT CHANGED ONE BIT,IT WILL PROBABLY BE EXPENSIVE FOR US TO LOOK AFTER HER WHEN MONEY IS TIGHT.BUT SHE DESERVES A GOOD AND LOVING HOME AFTER ALL SHE HAS ENDURED.AND IS ONLY FOUR YEARS OLD TOO.IF ANYONE HAS ADVICE FOR ME,I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT ALOT.OR EVEN A STORY REGARDING THE SAME PROBLEM YOU HAVE WITH YOUR CAVALIER TOO.THANKYOU SO VERY MUCH.ANNE-MARIE

as a cavalier owner and lover of the breed this type of thing makes me so mad..... heart conditions in this breed is not uncommom.... BUT SHE SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN BRED FROM .. do you have her pedigree? if you want to PM me I can advise you more ...

I'm with you Inca two of my boys have murmurs one grade two(he's 8)& the other a grade 3(he's 7 1/2 & on meds now)

I get really cross that people breed without the heart & eye checks & without regard to syringomyelia

My boy on the meds is very active & just the right weight & I am giving him vit E on the advice of another cavaholic. Since he went on the meds he has almost stopped coughing & is even more full of life

You can message me as well if you want

You might want to join the Cavalier forums on this linkas well as here

Can you take you caps lock off tho' as I find it really hard to read your post

Hi Ann - marie
i too am a cavalier owner and im here to help if you need it !!!

you poor poor things.....this breeder sounds horendous what a wicked cruel trick to do..........im sure Tara will have all the love and attention she will need now being part of you and your husbands life....i really really do feel for you both i know you will be worrying your socks off,,

first of all Anna-marie...don't panick...if you have had a good chat with your vet they would of advised you that a cavalier can still lead and very good long life with a murmur it doesn't mean that you only have a short time with her.....has your vet graded the mumur ??? some cav's go for years before clinical signs kick in..such as....coughing and short breaths, however this can be treated with medication but like i said medication is not always needed - i know a cav who was diagnosed of a mumur 4 year ago and he still doesn't ned to take medication as yet......

i would like to know who this breeder is ????? i bet you were told a pack of lies...this poor girl and her pups....she should not of been bred from in the first place....thats why its so important to have all health tests done before any mating takes place..these people make me so angry...

please if there is anything i can do to help let me know...i will be more than happy to give you as much advice as i can.......

hugs to your Tara xxxx
take care!

totally agree with you Mucca I have owned this lovely breed for 16 years and  have heard many a story like this ..... she should never have been bred from and at the age of 4 sounds like she would have been put to whelp again if you hadn't come along...so perhaps this story does have a happy ending for Tara...xx am here to help as well ..

I had a cavalier dog with a heart murmer who lived a very happy and active life until he died of an unrelated condition at the age of 11. He was on meds just at the end of his life, but that wasn't a problem - modern heart drugs are very effective, as they are for humans.

hi mucca..thanks for your kind words,i know where to come for help.do you know about stronghold?this breeder(or so called)put that on tara,and the vet says thats most probably why she is like she is with her itching.well i havent told him as yet she put stronghold onto her,but will inform him on saturday?however he did say monday that looks like something was put onto her.thanks..anne-marie

Stronghold is a treatment for fleas, roundworms, earmites and fox-mange mites.

not forgetting grass mites....lol

Is she actually scratching herself or is she showing signs of Syringomyelia ? One of the symptoms is the dog scratching at a shoulder or when she gets excited There are others like crying/yelping  when being touched or groomed. Might be wourth mentionng SM to your vet. I hope it isn't but with the incidence of SM increasing  becuase breeders are breeding from very young dogs & bitches ie under 2 1/2 years old which could develop SMafter being bred from & lots of vets are not even aware of SM as it has only really come to the notice of the veterinary profession in the last 10 years

hiya..just took tara to the vets to be sorted out(again)for her itching.we now have been given some antibacterial bath lotin.which we have to bath her cold in(she so isant going to like that,heck i know i wouldnt)anyway i also asked him about her heart murmour,and what grade it was.he said 3-4.will she be ok with that?we have to go back next sat again to sort something out regarding it.dont know what though.thanks,take care..anne-marie

If she has a grade three or over murmur she should be on meds

Hi Ann-Marie
have sent you a message!!!