Meeka17

What sort of muscle condition does she have? Is she lean and fit? She is very lean and fit and she can run like a greyhound! She has lost some muscle mass though since she initially slipped over as we haven't taken her for her normal daily walk. She's been doing a lot of resting.

That sounds very positive. I'm leaning more towards opting for the surgery. Hopefully my Cavvy can live a long and healthy life once she has the operation. The vet did say she has grade 1 in the other knee but I'm hoping it will be okay if we fix the other knee up. Sounds like your experience went very smoothly which is very promising for me. Did you have a normal vet conduct the surgery or a orthopedic specialist? My vet quoted me roughly $1000 for him to do it or it would cost me $3000 for the specialist to do it. He's done about 20 of these operations in his career but doesn't mind doing my Cav but he did say he would probably lead me in the direction of a specialist to do the operation if the dog was over 30kg.

Hmmm.... that's the hard part to decide. Whether to leave it and hope that it will get better over time. We only noticed it once she slipped over and seemed to have caused a bit of trauma to it. The vet suggested the impact of the slide might have scraped/ abraised some of the cartilage. That's a good sign that the majority of dogs that have had the surgery done have turned out successful.

Thanks for all of the replies. I'm very undecided on what to do. My vet said recovery time would be 6 weeks. That's fine with me and restricting her to a confined area is no problems. I'm happy to nurse her as much as possible. My main concerns are what she will be like post op but then I agree with Poodlefan and the sooner the operation is done the better so there is less wear and tear on the joint. I've started her on Sasha's Blend capsules (marine based blend designed to aid arthritis formation). Gretel - You've obviously had this op done on your Cavalier's? How many Cavvy's have you had this operation performed on and were they all positive outcomes? How old were the dogs when they had the operation? Appreciate your advice. Cheers, Tameka

My 14 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel recently slipped over and started limping. She was seen to by the vet and given an anti-inflammatory injection. This did not seem to help so she was put on a week's worth of oral anit-inflammtories. I have rested her well however when I play with her she occasionally limps. The vet seen her this morning and she has a grade 2 luxating patella (knee cap slips out of place). The option is for her to have surgery to correct this. I need some advice whether to go through with the surgery. I'm worried she is too young for this sort of surgery and I don't want it to cause further complications. I'm not sure what to do. It breaks my heart to see her limping because she is so playful and full of energy. I just want to do what is best for her. Any advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

She is just peeing. She gets fed at 6pm and then she goes to bed at 9pm. She gets plenty of play time before bed! I make sure she pees before bed.

Hi, Just wondering if anyone has some advice on non crate toilet training? Unfortunately I haven't got a crate to crate to train my 8 week old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She sleeps in her bed on the floor in my room. She used to be really good and she would cry and I would wake up take her outside and she would toilet and then she would go back to bed. She starts crying now and I wake up and she has already toileted! She doesn't want to go back to bed either she just wants to play! What is the best method to toilet train without a crate? She is great during the day because I watch her and take her out after play time and meals etc. Any ideas/ suggestions would be appreciated! Cheers, Meeka

Thanks for the suggestions! Hopefully I work something out that suits myself and the puppy! :-)

Hi, I pick up my 8 week old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel this Sunday. I'm just wondering if anyone can give me some ideas/ advice on house training her and helping her deal with any separation anxiety she may have? I thought I might place her bed on the floor in my bedroom so she is close to me and then she doesn't feel like she is being shut out from her new 'pack'. I want to train her to toilet outside. I will take her outside after meals and playtime etc. to go toilet and I will praise her when she does toilet but how do I get her to learn to let me know when she needs to go outside to go toilet? Any ideas/ advice would be muchly appreciated! Thanks, Tameka :-)

Hi Jed, Thanks for that. That's good to hear that a dog can live a happy and long life with still a minor health problem. I my puppy is a very special little girl. She will be very spoilt! I have heaps of toys ready for her! She will be one little princess.

Fingers crossed that it will be an innocent murmur and will all clear up fine! I think I might need to look at getting pet insurance!

I will take the puppy to a vet in my town on Monday because the breeder likes you to get them checked by a vet 48 hours after I pick her up. Fingers crossed the murmur will be completely gone otherwise it should definately disappear by the time her 12 week health check comes around!

Hi Jules, Thanks for that! I can't remember seeing your hi in the intro post? Was that in the CKCS forum? I'm still learning how to use this forum so I apologise for not replying to your welcome! The CKCS forum moves soo quickly it is hard to keep up! Thanks, Tameka

Hi Everyone, Just thought I thank the people that have given me advice about the heart murmur detected in my puppy. She went for another check at the vets yesterday and was examined by 2 different vets and both of the vets could barely hear her murmur. It is barely even a Level 1 murmur. The vets tell me it is very unlikey that the murmur is related to Mitral Valve Disease as this condition is usually diagnosed when the dog is nearly an adult. The murmur is not continuous either which is a good sign that the murmur is not Patent Ductus Arteriosis as the murmur should be continuous if the puppy has this condition. The vet told me if she was in my shoes she would still go ahead with the purchase so that is what I am doing. I feel very reassured considering the vets are so positive. There are no guarantees that she will develop Mitral Valve Disease later on in life but that is the risk that needs to be taken when purchasing a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as that condition is prevalent in the breed. The vet also did say that it is common for 10% of puppies to have innocent murmurs that clear up. Hopefully everything works out okay and I'm very excited to be picking up my Blenheim girl this Sunday. Thanks, Tameka

Hi Everyone, Just thought I thank the people that have given me advice about the heart murmur detected in my puppy. She went for another check at the vets yesterday and was examined by 2 different vets and both of the vets could barely hear her murmur. It is barely even a Level 1 murmur. The vets tell me it is very unlikey that the murmur is related to Mitral Valve Disease as this condition is usually diagnosed when the dog is nearly an adult. The murmur is not continuous either which is a good sign that the murmur is not Patent Ductus Arteriosis as the murmur should be continuous if the puppy has this condition. The vet told me if she was in my shoes she would still go ahead with the purchase so that is what I am doing. I feel very reassured considering the vets are so positive. There are no guarantees that she will develop Mitral Valve Disease later on in life but that is the risk that needs to be taken when purchasing a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as that condition is prevalent in the breed. The vet also did say that it is common for 10% of puppies to have innocent murmurs that clear up. Hopefully everything works out okay and I'm very excited to be picking up my Blenheim girl this Sunday. Thanks, Tameka

That's a lovely story and I'm so glad it all worked out on the positive side! Hopefully considering my puppies murmur is only a #1 she will grow out of it and grow to be a happy and healthy dog. Thanks for your support. I appreciate the comments I am getting on here!

Hey, Thanks for your thoughts. I do agree with you that at the end of the day she will still need a home and if I didn't take her I will always be wondering what ever happened to her and if she ended up living a healthy life? The breeder is happy to give her to me at a reduced price if I still want to take her at 8 weeks otherwise she is happy to hold until 12 weeks to see how her health is then. If I wait I do miss out on 4 weeks of puppy which is sad for me because I have been on the count down until I get her and was looking forward to having new puppy at Christmas time! I don't think I will show the dog I really just want a companion that I can spoil. I just wish I had a crystal ball to predict the future but my instinct is telling me to get this puppy.

Hi Fifi, Yes it has been devastating for both of us. The breeder has 2 female Cavvy's that are sister's and they had litters 5 days apart. She is taking her other litter (and my puppy) for their health check on Tuesday. She said if any of those puppies have a murmur she will know that it is her girls that are the problem and will get them desexed. It's really disappointing for me because I did soo much research into these dogs before deciding where to get one from and then only my puppy has a problem. All of the other puppies in the litter are fine! The breeder is upset to because she said my Blenheim girl is the pick of the litter; her coat is devine and she is a gorgeous looking dog. She said she is the first puppy to come racing out to her of the morning and certainly isn't shy. She is full of energy and very friendly and playful. Thanks for your suggestions. Tameka

Hi Everyone, I have put a deposit down to purchase a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from a registered breeder. I put a lot of research into selecting a breeder as I wanted a reputable breeder that is concerned with genetic problems i.e. Mitral Valve Disease. The breeder I am purchasing my Blenheim female from has 2 female Cavalier's which are sisters and she did a thorough history check of these Cavalier's and they come from champion bloodlines and appear to have no bad cases of MVD through the mother's side. The father also was properly selected and appeared to be clear to the owner of any genetic problems as there was also a history check done on the father. My breeder has never had any problems with any puppies in all previous litters she has bred and there has been no problems with other litters the father has bred. My puppy went for her 6 week health check yesterday and a Level 1 heart murmur was found in my puppy. Myself and the breeder are absolutely devastated! The vet seemed quite positive that this is an innocent murmur and she should grow out of it by 12 weeks of age. The breeder has a second litter to the same father and is getting them vet checked on Tuesday and is also taking my puppy back for a second opinion. If any of the puppies from the other litter have a murmur she wants to get her dam's desexed as she doesn't want to breed problematic puppies. Does anybody have any advice on puppy murmur's? What are the chances of this being a puppy murmur or the early onset of MVD? I'm finding it really difficult to make a decision whether the still purchase this puppy as I don't want to get her and then she dies at 2 years old but then I really have my heart set on her as I have become attached to her because I have been getting weekly photo updates from the breeder from 2 weeks of age! HELP! Any advice would be greatly appreciated! She is absolutely adorable! Attached is a photo at 6 weeks old. Regards, Tameka

Hi Gretel, Thanks for your reply. I am hoping it is an innocent murmur. She is going for another vet check this Tuesday and it will be with a different vet so I think a second opinion is a good idea. The breeder I am getting her from sounds more confident since she has found out that the murmur is only a Level 1 and she says my puppy is one of the most energetic pups out of the litter which is a good sign. (I have read that if a dog does have MVD they can get lethargic and restless.) Regards, Tameka

Hi Fiona, Thanks for your reply. That is reassuring to hear that a Cavvy has lived for that long! That is quite an achievement! Did your Cavvy have to go on heart medication at all? If she did do you mind if I ask how expensive this was? Regards, Tameka

Hi Scarlet, Thanks for your response. It would cost me a fortune to see a cardiologist as the closest cardiologist is over 800km away so I would need to try and find a way to transport myself and the puppy. The breeder has offered to give the puppy to me at a reduced price. I can't have a replacement puppy as they have all been sold and out of my litter mine was the only Blenheim bitch. (I want a Blenheim bitch.) I would prefer to take her at 8 weeks because if I leave her until 12 weeks that is 4 weeks of puppy I have missed out on! I just hope it isn't any major heart disease problem as it would break my heart to see her die at such a young age! It's hard not to take her because she is such a gorgeous puppy. Thanks, Tameka

Thanks for your reply BittyMooPeep. I am due to collect her at 8 weeks old. The breeder has told me if I still want to get her at 8 weeks old I can get her at a reduced price otherwise she is happy to hold onto her until her 12 week check up to see if the murmur has cleared up or not and then it will be my call. If she is clear at 12 weeks I'm assuming I would need to pay full price for her. I don't know whether to gamble and take her at 8 weeks or not because if I left it until 12 weeks and she still had the murmur I would find it incredibly hard not to adopt her as I have really become attached to her as I've been getting weekly photos. I've shown all my friends and it's in my mind that this is my puppy. I've picked a name and bought her toys, bed, collar etc. She will definately be a spoilt little princess. I've done a lot of reading about MVD and it does say that the dog will become lethargic and restless and the breeder insures me that my puppy is the pick of the litter (appearance and temperment wise) and that is very energetic and is the ring leader of the litter. The odds do seem in favour that this is an innocent murmur but I would like to put this topic out there and get other people's opinions.

Hi Everyone, I have put a deposit down to purchase a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from a registered breeder. I put a lot of research into selecting a breeder as I wanted a reputable breeder that is concerned with genetic problems i.e. Mitral Valve Disease. The breeder I am purchasing my Blenheim female from has 2 female Cavalier's which are sisters and she did a thorough history check of these Cavalier's and they come from champion bloodlines and appear to have no bad cases of MVD through the mother's side. The father also was properly selected and appeared to be clear to the owner of any genetic problems as there was also a history check done on the father. My breeder has never had any problems with any puppies in all previous litters she has bred and there has been no problems with other litters the father has bred. My puppy went for her 6 week health check yesterday and a Level 1 heart murmur was found in my puppy. Myself and the breeder are absolutely devastated! The vet seemed quite positive that this is an innocent murmur and she should grow out of it by 12 weeks of age. The breeder has a second litter to the same father and is getting them vet checked on Tuesday and is also taking my puppy back for a second opinion. If any of the puppies from the other litter have a murmur she wants to get her dam's desexed as she doesn't want to breed problematic puppies. Does anybody have any advice on puppy murmur's? What are the chances of this being a puppy murmur or the early onset of MVD? I'm finding it really difficult to make a decision whether the still purchase this puppy as I don't want to get her and then she dies at 2 years old but then I really have my heart set on her as I have become attached to her because I have been getting weekly photo updates from the breeder from 2 weeks of age! HELP! Any advice would be greatly appreciated! She is absolutely adorable! Attached is a photo at 6 weeks old. Regards, Tameka