feistylady Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Am interested in how this is actually done and is this a once off with your puppy or do you do yearly checks? and also I guess eye testing too. This is in relation to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HugUrPup Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I do annual heart checks with mine. The eye's get checked as a pup and then again at a year old I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feistylady Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 So with the heart testing what does it actually involve ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvs Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 contact the SA Cavalier Club and they will most likely advise the best place for heart and eye tests. Hearts are done by a cardiologist and and the same with eyes (by an eye specialist) NSW & ACT clubs run heath clinics where the tests are done at a discount price, I am sure that the SA Club does the same. Heart testing is having someone listen very closely to the heart (by stethoscope) to see if they can hear any abnormalities, if they hear anything then the next step is an ultrasound or xray and then ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feistylady Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 contact the SA Cavalier Club and they will most likely advise the best place for heart and eye tests.Hearts are done by a cardiologist and and the same with eyes (by an eye specialist) NSW & ACT clubs run heath clinics where the tests are done at a discount price, I am sure that the SA Club does the same. Heart testing is having someone listen very closely to the heart (by stethoscope) to see if they can hear any abnormalities, if they hear anything then the next step is an ultrasound or xray and then ..... Thank you very much can a vet do the heart test then ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HugUrPup Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 A vet can listen for a mummer and then refer to a cardiologist if one is picked up. Low grade murmurs are treated with medications. The earlier they are started the better, which is why it's good to do regular testing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirty Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 A regular vet will pick up some defects, but a specialist is the best person to do a proper heart check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkySoaringMagpie Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Like thryoid testing you can get a clear test one year and then a year later detect a problem. That is why most cardiologists who do clinics make people sign a bit of paper saying they won't use the result in advertising. So you do need to test at least once, and thereafter on the advice of the cardiologist. If you were planning to breed, I would also test both dogs before the mating along with the other health tests, particularly with a Cav. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkySoaringMagpie Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 A regular vet will pick up some defects, but a specialist is the best person to do a proper heart check. Agree with Kirty, but for the reverse reason. My experience has been that regular vets tend to overdiagnose. I have sighthounds, and a fit sighthound can give a false read. I now take my guys to a vet who was a greyhound track vet for all their fitness related conditions because he is very familiar with how sighthound hearts sound, and does a lot of pulse point testing in addition to listening to the heart. I've also taken them to a cardiologist for a formal screen. I would trust either of those opinions over a regular vet any day. It's also cheaper to get it done at a Cav clinic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feistylady Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 Like thryoid testing you can get a clear test one year and then a year later detect a problem. That is why most cardiologists who do clinics make people sign a bit of paper saying they won't use the result in advertising. So you do need to test at least once, and thereafter on the advice of the cardiologist. If you were planning to breed, I would also test both dogs before the mating along with the other health tests, particularly with a Cav. No I am not planning to breed, thank you all for your input Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now