As some of you already know we have decided that we are going to have a real and true Be the Change Project. We always tried to link up last year but didn't know what our special cause should be. We are all for helping out animals in need of a home and helping to spread the word about your projects but they never felt like they resonated with us.
Jump forward a few months to December and when everyone else was celebrating the Holidays with their family and friends we at Two Little Cavaliers had an idea. Why don't we highlight a different genetic disease that effects dogs each month. Why not arm owners, breeders, and animals lovers with the knowledge they need to care for their dogs. Even if you have a shelter special your dog has to be a mix of different breeds and so can be effected by them as well and without the knowledge of what things to notice when your dog isn't acting like itself it is very hard to help them.
We made the announcement that we would be starting with Syringomyelia (January 23 - 30th) a truly horrible disease that effects Cavaliers. Syringomyelia (SM) is an extremely serious condition in which fluid-filled cavities develop within the spinal cord near the brain. It effects many breeds of toy dogs but their breed clubs are not acknowledging the fact and their breeders aren't pushing for MRI Screening (the only way to currently diagnose the disease) and so their dogs are suffering because they aren't getting the help they need. Our goal is to get the information out there so the suffering can end.
Our goal is to bring Awareness about this disease and what is being done by breeders, researchers, and dog owners to help find the answers. For the entire week of January 23 - 30th we will be posting stories from owners who have dogs with the disease, highlighting the organizations dedicated to finding the answers, as well as some special guest posts from people who have the disease who want to be the voices for our dogs who cannot speak for themselves. It is through the research being done for our dogs with the large number of MRI's and Blood Samples being used that answers are being found not only for the dogs but for people who have the disease.
This is not an event to bash Breeders. In fact it is a celebration of the breeders who are doing everything they can to try and produce happy healthy puppies. It is a celebration that there were people out there willing to do the unpopular thing and talk about the disease so something could be done. It is a celebration of the foundations that were created to help fund the MRI's on the dogs and the researchers who are working around the clock to find answers. It is a celebration of the lives of the dogs who were and are diagnosed with this horrible disease whose owners want to spread awareness. It is a celebration of the forever homes that have adopted Syringomyelia dogs knowing that the best they could do was try and make them comfortable and feel loved for the rest of their lives.
There are many ways you can help spread Awareness about this disease. You can share our posts with your friends via facebook, twitter, and email. If you have a dog that is affected by this horrible disease and want to share your story please email it to us (twolittlecavaliers@gmail.com) by Wednesday so we can include it. if you know someone personally that suffers from this disease and they would like to share their story please have them email us. You can also take our SM Awareness Button and put it on your blog in support of this event.
For the month of February we will be raising Awareness of Mitral Valve Disease so if you have a dog that has been diagnosed we want to hear from you. If you are a breeder that follows your Breed Club Protocols please let us know. If you would like to participate in helping spread awareness email us so we can get you on-board! twolittlecavaliers{@}gmail.com