Craig Revel Horwood (pictured with dog Sophie) confesses to being 'unbelievably in love' his the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and is heartbroken after she was diagnosed with a diseased heart
Sadly, that happy state of affairs may end soon. Sophie shares a curse common to many Cavaliers: a diseased heart. Now, despite a regime involving eight tablets a day, Sophie is unlikely to survive for very much longer.
'I am so upset, ' says Mr Horwood. 'You know it's imminent, but you have to take one day at a time and enjoy it.'
Sophie's condition highlights a serious issue — one that sheds light on modern attitudes to animal welfare.
For centuries, mankind has been refining descendants of the wolf into ever-more-specialised breeds of dog.
Many of them are prey to some particular illness or other, but some varieties are so riddled with inherited defects that even breed enthusiasts are calling for action to combat the problem — either by mixing them with other breeds or by getting rid of them altogether.
Sophie shares a curse common to many Cavaliers: Mitral Valve Disease which is fatal for the animals
And so it is with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
The breed is a longer-nosed version of the King Charles Spaniel and the result of an attempt in the 1920s to create a prettier dog from a small pool of 'founder' animals.
Mild of temperament, the Cavalier is the pet of choice for many families, and last year some 5, 100 puppies were registered with the Kennel Club — the nearest thing to a regulator in the dog world. Famous owners have included Princess Margaret, Ronald Reagan and Frank Sinatra.
But that cute little head masks a terrible problem.
'I cannot support the breeding of Cavaliers and will, sadly, not be getting another, ' says Carol Fowler, a former owner. 'I don't believe human selfishness should mean that animals suffer.'
Cavaliers disproportionately suffer from two major defects. The first is Mitral Valve Disease (MVD), in which one of the valves controlling blood flow through the heart shrivels over time, reducing the amount of blood pumped into the body. Affected dogs can end up struggling for breath, before finally dying of the disease.
The second is a very distressing condition called Syringomyelia (SM). Put simply, this involves the brain being too big for the skull. As a result, the brain squeezes through the opening leading to the spinal cord, causing fluid in the spine to press on nerves, resulting in pain and disability.
Critics of the Cavalier breeding fraternity ascribe this suffering, in part at least, to the quest for a dog with a puppy-like appearance.
'Years of breeding for a prettier head has resulted in too small a skull, ' says Margaret Carter, a one-time Cavalier breeder. 'Seventy per cent of Cavaliers will have gone on to develop SM by the age of six.'
But it is not just Cavalier King Charles Spaniels which are prone to hereditary problems, Labrador Retrievers (pictured) are especially likely to develop obesity which leads to a collection of other health probelms
She has witnessed the consequences at first hand.
'My Cavalier was a top stud dog, and he started showing signs of SM at the age of 11, ' she says. 'It got so bad that he ended up screaming with pain. It couldn't be controlled and he had to be put down.'
Ms Fowler endured a similar experience to Mrs Carter with her first Cavalier, called Bonnie.
'Bonnie had to be put to sleep aged five as a result of unbearable pain, ' she says. 'It broke my heart to know how much she'd suffered during her short life, and how little I could do for her.
'I foolishly got another Cavalier, Rosie, only to find out through an MRI scan that she, too, had SM. She fared better as a result of early surgery and drug treatment, but developed MVD and died aged 11.'
Mrs Carter was a leading light in the Cavalier Breeders Club until removed from her position as spokesman on health in 2008. Her crime was to say in a BBC TV documentary that she had seen a scan confirming that a champion Cavalier, which had sired many litters, suffered from SM.
Dog breeding and showing are, she says, 'almost like a cult — a kind of brainwashing. People know that inbreeding is dangerous in humans, but somehow don't see that it's dangerous in animals.
'There is a kind of code of silence that you do not talk about health problems in your breed, ' she adds. 'It's about status. It's about not wanting to have to remove your best dog from the show ring or your breeding programme; about puppy sales and stud fees; it's about prestige.'
How to write a conclusion?
How to install ubuntu
what are alkali metals
How to make any nut milk in under 1 minute + tips on avoiding bullshit
Movie where lady tricks man to thinking they are married
what does i love you mean
what does the secretary of defense do
How to activate cash app card?
what does battle a fashion challenger mean pokemon go
Tips when studying law
How many calories in steak tips
what does the number 6 mean spiritually
How to use love chair?
what does scruples mean
What does prophase tips and tricks websites
How to clean macbook screen?
How to get static out of clothes?
How to get rid of moles
How to get free wifi
Tips and tricks; how to defend a tower -minecraft -rust
Tips on how not to get lost when ou go off the at to use the restroom
5 tips on how to study psychology
How to maje?
what does breedable mean
what does agate do
How to get dead skin off feet
What does linus tech tips do for a living
How to remove the background of a picture?
what does undefined mean
How long to wash hands?
what percentage of nfl players are black 2021
How to do braids
How to deal with anxiety
what do expectation mean
what does pepega mean
what are the spiritual gifts in the bible
How long does it take for dulcolax to work?
How to see if your phone is tapped
what does median mean
How long does it take after conception to become pregnant?
How to do your eyebrows?
How to find amplitude of a graph
what is kike mean
Why do my finger tips peel
How long does it take for ear piercings to heal
what do purple lights mean
what does a positive ovulation test look like
Reason 2 diei 1.0.5 tips and tricks how to get more coins
How to do a zoom meeting?
How to get rid of stretch marks
what are fidgets
How to identify a fake text message?
How to block spam calls on android
How to watch college football championship without cable?
what does display mean
How to conjugate verbs in spanish
what is mantra mean
How to cook a brisket in the oven
what are the best sandals resorts
How to meal prep?
How to watch all american season 4
what does mms mean
How long does it take a sprained ankle to heal?
How to draw an x in a box
How to save a snap in chat?
what does aggressive mean
How many tricks do you need to take in two handed euchre
How to draw hulk
How to cook frozen hash browns
How to get rid of brown recluse spiders
What increases bag of tricks drop wow
Surface pro pen tips how to change
How to send a follow up email after an interview?
what does nsfw mean
what does reconcile mean
what does josiah mean
How long to bake steak tips at 400
what does all circuits are busy mean
for an advertiser focused on branding, what are the key success metrics?
what does obsidian mean
How to fill out an envelope to mail
What enviroment is best for smoke tricks
How to mske
what does it mean if you dream about your ex
How to become an architect
How to make invisibility potion?
What usefull tricks should i teach my puppy
what does personality mean
How to make a reuben sandwich?
How to open iphone sim card
what does hooters mean
What does it mean when you say you cant teach an old dog new tricks
How to get snl tickets
Who has the best soft tips
Why are 500 gr gold tips cheaper than 300
Tips when visiting dc
what does the angel number 333 mean
what does pina colada mean
Which two of the following securities are typically sold at a discount?i. tips
what are the 5 tenets of critical race theory
How to find quartiles
Tips for how to handle a bad co worker
How to get rid of athlete's foot
what does eloped mean
How to plant corn?
what does adorn mean
How to tell your crush you like them?
Tips from travel agents how to sell excursions
How to play piano?
How to contact instagram 2021
What are some easy magic tricks
at what age does your penis stop growing
what does gganbu mean
How to use a rowing machine?
How to make a file smaller
When did tips bonds start trading
How to connect phone to tv with usb
what time does bealls outlet open
How to increase blood pressure immediately in an emergency?
How to fake location on iphone?
How to survive a zombie apocalypse tips
How to get minecraft 1.9 tips
How to make a sword in little alchemy
what does it mean when a girl squirts
What causes my cat palm turning brown on the tips
How long to cook steak tips in crock pot
what does dun mean
How long does it take to conceive?
How to spell 90
How do indian restaurants share tips
what does class mean on driver's license
what does abandon mean
Where are tips on duolingo
Why are my nails yellow at the tips
what does social mean
How to stop a fever
How do magicians predict sealed envelope tricks
Name the bowler who have taken 3 odi hat tricks
what time does domino's open
what does weedle evolve into
How to save special tricks in thug pro
What kind of cat has lynx tips
what parks are at disney world
what does goober mean
Where can u work in dfw that 16 and get tips
what are the blue angels
How to join space force
How to make arrow tips in runescape
How long does it take for sperm to die?
what does baptism mean
How to cook a honey baked ham
How to stretch out jeans?
what time does braums close
How much do ruth's chris servers make in tips
How to sleep on the floor tips
what color are warning signs
How to import passwords into chrome?
what time does metro close today
what does primordial mean
How to use tri fold slider die tips and tricks
How to teach your tall dog tricks
How to setup wing tarp tips
How to get rid of flying termites
How to get self tanner off?
How to unblock a number on iphone?
what are the four types of sentence
Why are tips the social norm
what does jot mean
what does brazy mean
Which of these tips can build team cohesion
Tips for tubing when you can't swim
what does a white heart mean in texting
How to load creatine
Tips on how to beat the first level of gods are watching
How to delete onlyfans account?
How to learn french?
How to lock your facebook profile
How to find instantaneous rate of change
How much should a waitress claim in tips
How to fold an envelope?
How to zoom in?
what mean erp
what does skoden mean
what role does sporting success play in a nation development
How to evolve qwilfish legends arceus?
Tricks how to grow good crystals
What cooling paste does linus tech tips use
How to make a chocolate milkshake?
what does a pinky ring mean on a man
How to get static out of hair?
How to cook pork ribs in the oven fast?
How to make tacos?
How long to deep fry a turkey?
How to make your own tips for nails
How to see chegg answers free
Taxi tips how much
what does herpes in the mouth look like
How to bet on ice hockey and tips
How to increase hcg levels in early pregnancy
Tips when you are at the cash register
How to get over a guy
How to play spikeball
How much water to use when making a single portion of tea with pg tips tea bags
How to get rid of period smell after period
When starting a fire with sticks tips and tricks
Tips on how to do a side aerial
How to delete chegg account
What happens to the government bonds that trade on the market if the tips feature is added
Dirty tricks how to get even
what does my poop mean
what does it mean when you see flashing lights in your eyes?
How to do cr7 tricks pt 2
Why are my tips deducted from my paycheck
what does taylors version mean
How long does it take to cook steak tips in a george foreman grill
How to plant wildflower seeds
How to get out of a box magic tricks
If not q tips then what should i use
what does a rn do
what does converse mean
what does herpes feel like
How to address patients about care credit tips
How to cook turkey tips on stove
Which episide did rachel teach ben tricks
How to cure a stomach ache
How to change region on iphone?
When strippers lift their garter for tips
How to take off lash extensions at home
How long does it take to make beef tips
How to end period in 2 days?
what does od mean for eyes
what time does target open on black friday
Tricks how to get diff cover off
what does immaculate mean
what does white phlegm mean
what does a drive shaft do
what does yawning do
what are the ingredients in the covid 19 vaccine
How to find a stronghold in minecraft
How to do tricks in mx vs atv alive ps3
what time does depp trial begin
How to magic top ten easiest card tricks
Why do the tips of my crepe myrtle look wilted
what does edt stand for
what does 1222 mean spiritually
How to cut men's' hair
Why do i only have 6 tricks i can learn nintendoogs and cats
How to get rid of pregnancy
what does a low ph mean
How to make a playlist on apple music?
Tricks and hacks how get fstrr verizon spped for broadcstng internet
Who tips off the police i'm bad santa
what does 343 mean
How often to change air filter?
Tips on how to make a lego car go fast
what are lava lamps made of
How to write apartment address
what are the different sexualities
what does the + mean in lgbtq
what does cracked mean
How to find an average
what does xavier mean
How to defrost a freezer
what does it mean when your right eye keeps twitching
what does abuse mean
what does lightweight mean
what does the dean of students do