All Things Dog Blog

Ask the Vet, with Dr. Pat: Conscientious Breeding

Posted: 03 Nov 2010 08:42 AM PDT

by Pat Bradley, DVM

King Charles Cavalier Spaniel Puppies

Hello Dr. Pat:

I have just bought a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who has had a MIR scan. He is clear for Syringohydromyelia but has cerebella herniation present. Would this be a problem for using him for breeding?

Thank you, Ann

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Dear Ann:

First I'd like to thank you for being such a conscientious breeder that you would even ask this question, much less have these scans done. On some MRI's Cerebellar herniation is an "incidental finding", meaning an abnormality is seen, but no symptoms are present. One problem with technology today is that sometimes we're not sure if diseases are really increasing, or we're just finding them more often. Have you ever noticed that when you buy a certain brand of car, you see them everywhere? It sure seemed to me that dozens of other people miraculously bought Subarus on the same day I did. But it's doubtful.

However, there seems to be little doubt that syringomyelia is one disease that is truly increasing in frequency and genetically transmitted. It is a devastating neurological condition of this oh, so adorable breed, in which the brain outgrows the size of the skull. As one neurologist put it, "It's like trying to fit a size 10 foot into a size 6 shoe." When we're talking about the brain, this can cause very serious problems that are often impossible to treat. I would consider cerebellar herniation to be part of the same genetic problem. While it's possibly an "incidental finding", I can't recommend that you breed him. Luckily, well-intentioned people like you are trying their best to eliminate it from breeding stock.

Recently I attended a talk given by Wayne Pacell, the CEO for the United States Humane Society. Here is one of the stats he quoted: Every year there are 2 million puppies sold through puppy mills and 2 million animals euthanized at animal shelters." Math again, Dr. Pat?" Well, you have to admit that this is not only the easiest math question you'll ever answer, but also one with a crystal clear practical application: Get a dog from a shelter or reputable breeder. Puppy mills, and the enormous suffering to animals they bring, will be put straight out of business if we stop supporting them with our hard-earned paychecks.

Pat