My Cavalier Clown

From the first day you came home, you performed so many continuous backflips that your acrobatic feats flew you right off my bed. Your presence in the office instantly brought a smile to weary patients. While your brother offered patients a paw to shake “hello”, you nonchalantly peed on a patient’s wheelchair. But with the […]

Cardiac Murmurs in Cavaliers

Many Cavalier owners, particularly breeders, become alarmed if a murmur is discovered by their Veterinarian. The owner/breeder naturally assumes the worst possible scenario namely the presence of  mitral valvular disease resulting in heart failure.  Often the affected canine is removed from a breeding program based upon auscultation findings. The assumption is that hearing a murmur suggests […]

“Grief”

This week I learned of the serious illness and death of two beloved show dogs. Their owners, breeders and admirers expressed an overwhelming sense of grief on social media. Some even tried to rationalize the death of a beloved canine with statements like the dog lived a good life but now was old and sick […]

Canine comfort

We all have pressures and deadlines to meet during our busy lives. Because modern technology is available 24/7, many of us work well into the wee hours of the morning. We work until the work is done..then collapse..exhausted. Despite our fatigue, our canines often instinctively understand our mental and physical conditions. They frequently adapt their […]