Tagged: “Cavalier King Charles Spaniel”

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2018 Cavalier Puppies Calendar

Our 2018 desk top calendar is now available for preorder.  It’s a perfect size at just 8.5″ x 4.25″ and makes a perfect gift. To order, clink on Shop in the task bar above or visit http://cavalieralliance.org/shop.

 

 

Poppy’s Cardiology Recheck

Poppy’s Cardiology Recheck

Poppy Outside Easter

 

Poppy’s cardiology recheck this week was great! There were no signs of heart failure and though her heart is still a bit enlarged (typical at this point), the team is hopeful it will continue to resolve (remodel). We will know more in another 8 -10 weeks.

Best news of all? She’s cleared for normal puppy activities and play. 

Compelled to respond. . .

4 puppies Lately, we have noticed several untruthful remarks posted to our Facebook page and other places on the internet. We are compelled to respond to these remarks, both because we are committed to provide the best care for the cavaliers in our program, as we have always been, and because we must protect our reputation.  Otherwise, some people might take our silence for acceptance.  It is not.

 
A breeder called and asked that we take title (transfer) of her litter of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies.  She described symptoms that were consistent with Syringomyelia (“SM”), which is an extremely serious condition in which fluid-filled cavities develop within the spinal cord near the brain.  SM is also known as “neck scratcher’s disease,” because one of its common signs is scratching in the air near the neck.  She sent us video to document her belief that some or all of the puppies from this litter exhibited this symptom.
 
When we picked up the puppies, the breeder transferred title (i.e signed an owner release) to us as is common, for four puppies.  We must have title to the puppies to make sure we have the ability to get them the best possible care.  We immediately took all the puppies to the animal hospital to be vetted, at our expense, including having them examined, diagnosed and treated by some of the best veterinarians in the country.  The veterinarians did not believe that the scratching was due to a vaccine reaction.
 
We also found appropriate, loving foster families for these puppies, which is what Cavalier Alliance does. Contrary to what has been asserted, we do not, and did not, sell these puppies. Any assertion to the contrary is false.
 
Shortly after we began working with these sick puppies, we were contacted by the breeder who wanted the puppies back. At first, she offered to buy them, and for a substantial amount of money. When we refused, she hired a lawyer, which is her right, and brought a lawsuit to try to compel us to get them back.
 
The easiest thing for us to do would have been to sell them back to her and take the money.  We chose not to take the easy way out though, for three reasons:
 
– First, we were very concerned about the health of these puppies when they came to us.  They obviously had not been properly vetted, if they had been vetted at all.  It was also evident that they were suffering from symptoms that were indicative of dermatologic and neurologic issues (consistent with SM).  Their condition had to be properly diagnosed and treated by a veterinarians and specialists- once again this had not been done before we received them.
 
– Second, one these puppies had actually been sold by the breeder to an unsuspecting person who soon recognized that the puppy was ill.  That person should have been told of the symptoms in advance of the sale. The buyer returned the sick puppy to the breeder and this was one of the four puppies that were transferred to us.
 
– Finally, we do not sell puppies and we were not about to start.  We were getting increasingly concerned that there was an effort to hide the condition of these puppies, which is not right, in our view. We were committed to getting these puppies the best veterinary care we could and providing them with loving families if we could, and were not willing to sacrifice these principles for money or to advance ulterior motives of others.
 
That unfortunately necessitated us hiring our own lawyer to defend the lawsuit brought by the breeder.  After all, just as the breeder was entitled to counsel, Cavalier Alliance was, as well.  We decided to pay for legal counsel rather than accept a substantial offer from the breeder to take these puppies back, because we had no confidence that the puppies would be treated properly or that the breeder or others might not attempt to profit unfairly from the situation.
 
We are  happy to report that the lawsuit ended quickly with a judgment in our favor.  This was not a settlement – the breeder’s lawsuit was dismissed and a judgment entered against her.  We are happy to supply anyone who wishes with a copy of the judgment.
 
We are  distressed that we had to spend so much time on this, and that we were  compelled to write this lengthy description of events.  But these are the facts, the truth, and we could not remain silent while others were saying untrue things about us.  We hope that this is the end of this and that we can all get back to spending our time on caring for these beautiful cavaliers, who need and deserve our love and attention.
 

Poppy’s Heart

Poppy continues to do well in her recovery. We are hopeful that her next echo will show evidence that her heart is healing (remodeling).
 
And, for those interested in some of the technical info, here are two photos taken during surgery. The first is pre-ligation. The blue tags are retracting the vagosympathetic trunk, the black silk sutures are around the ductus but not tied. The second is after ligation.
 
It’s so amazing what the surgeons can do on such tiny little pups! <3IMG_0621 IMG_0625

2016 Cavalier Alliance Ornaments

2016 Cavalier Alliance Ornaments

2016 OrnamentThe 2016 Cavalier Alliance ornament is now available for pre-order!  This year our ornament was again designed by the talented Lauren Hamelin, and each one will be custom made for us.

This year’s ornament features a sweet cavalier with a matte gold bow, dark red ribbon and a small gold heart charm.  Each ornament is approximately 3″ high and almost 2″ wide.

The ordering period will close soon to allow for plenty of time in manufacturing and shipping.

Order at: Cavalier Ornament 2016 and check out with your Paypal account or via credit card.  If you’d like to order via check, simply send the check with your name, shipping address and details on your order to us at:  64 Cedarwood Road, Boxborough, MA  01719.

Thank you so much for supporting the Cavalier Alliance!

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July Weekend! The festivities, and travel, has started in the Northeast. Where ever you are, we hope you have a wonderful long weekend ahead of you.  

If you have plans with your pup, please take a moment and consider the safety points below.

 

Cavalier Alliance with Oblio

Honey Sees Her Buddies

Honey Sees Her Buddies

We are so excited to share this update with you!  HONEY CAN SEE!

Honey, the sweet blenheim with severe cataracts, came to the Cavalier Alliance several weeks ago. She struggled with pneumonia, severe dental disease, and was basically frozen in place due to her blindness.   Her cataracts were almost 1/2″ thick.

In this early photo you can see the cataracts on her eyes:

Honey Photo with Cataracts

 

 

And just look at the post-surgical difference:

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And the best part of all?  After two days of hospitalization, she returns to her foster home and sees her four-legged buddies for the very first time.  Her tail hasn’t stopped wagging! Click on the line below to see the short video:

Honey Sees Her Buddies

Many many thanks to Deb Glottman, Honey’s foster mom,  the amazing team at Vermont Veterinary Eye Care including surgeon Sarah Stone Hoy and techs Angi and Ashlie, and all all of our wonderful supporters and donors who made sight possible for this deserving Cavalier.

Welcome Lucy & Zoey

These two sweet pups came to the Cavalier Alliance as a transfer from another group for specialist care.  Their initial vet did a great job of getting them stabilized and we will continue that care.  Lucy has ulcers on her right eye that need reviewed by a specialist and Zoey will need help with a back leg that keeps slipping out of place.

lucy 2015Zoey 2015

Canine Quality of Life Assessment

One of the tough realities of opening our hearts to a Cavalier (or any other dog) is that their life span does not match our own. While their life span may range 12-14 years (or longer), we all know that 25 years would not be enough! As our pups age, or deal with serious illnesses, managing their quality of life becomes key.

Since our work in the Cavalier Alliance is focused on senior and special-needs Cavaliers, we created a spreadsheet to track our dogs’ health while in the program and shared that data with our veterinary care providers and 24 hour animal hospital affiliates. We also shared the prototype with several families to see if they found the tracking helpful.  We incorporated changes and now want to share it with you as a resource.

Of course, an assessment like this does not make recommendations as to quality of life decisions – it simply provides a tracking and a discussion point as to your dog’s health and activity levels.  We recommend completing this assessment on an annual basis while they are healthy and more frequently (weekly or monthly) if in the midst of a more serious illness.  You can download the pdf below:

Cavalier Alliance Quality of Life Assessment Chart

We hope you find it a useful tool in the on-going care of your Cavalier. If you find this chart and the other resources on our site useful, please consider making a donation to benefit the Cavaliers in our program.

 

Duncan’s Recovery Continues

Duncan’s Recovery Continues

Duncan, our long-term foster boy who has been struggling with Cushing’s disease, is finally on the mend. His recovery is progressing well and our vets tell us that most pups with this disease take 3 – 6 months to stabilize. Since joining our program, this sweet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has had four ACTH tests to ascertain his cortisol levels and had his medicines adjusted to stabilize him.

Due to the generosity of our donors, he has also had a much-needed dental, with extractions, to allow his gum disease to heal.  His tail was also amputated – only part-way – a complication of his untreated Cushing’s disease.

Now his skin is healing, his fur is growing back and he loves to wander the garden. Take a look at his latest home movie!

 

Duncan is ready for adoption and a more detailed overview is posted on our Rescue page. At this time, he is taking a daily dose of Trilosane to manage his Cushing’s disease and will be on it for the rest of his life.

If you would like to contribute to Duncan’s on-going care, please consider sending a donation to our paypal account (cavalierhelp@cavalieralliance.org) or consider sending a check to our address at: 64 Cedarwood Road, Boxborough, MA  01719.