Jasper & Tia were inseparable: Two Blenheim Cavalier King Charles spaniels, who were the perfect partners-in-crime, were owned by a lovely lady who unfortunately could not provide the exercise they needed. Fun loving, cheeky and demanding – they were a comical pair to watch. Both dogs would go into a barking frenzy if they so much as clapped eyes on another dog, including on the TV! Sadly Tia died before Jasper and through the Cinnamon Trust I could offer dog grief support.
Unfortunately, as is all too common with this breed, both dogs suffered with syringomyelia where Tia had the more pronounced symptoms.
Syringomyelia is caused by a malformation of the skull, which reduces the space for the brain. Symptoms typically appear between the ages of 6 months and 4 years. The first signs you might notice are sensitivity around the head, neck, or shoulders, with the dog sometimes whimpering, or frequently scratching at the area of his neck or shoulder, usually just on one side of the body, without actually making physical contact with the body (“air scratching”). They may try to scratch even when walking. For this reason, if your Cavalier is scratching, it’s important to take him to the vet to rule out SM.
When Tia died it left a gaping hole in Jasper’s life and it was plainly obvious to see that he was suffering some kind of grief, trauma or melancholy from the loss of his friend.
He actually lost the joy of going outside. He also seemed to develop a fear of travelling anywhere that extended beyond the driveway.
Over time his weight increased due to lack of physical exercise. Walking Jasper for the Cinnamon Trust was a long term commitment so I decided to make a plan to try and offer him some dog grief support. I monitored his diet and rewarded any interest in sniffing the area around the house and walking forward. His appetite was good and enjoyed his food so I had no problem giving him food rewards for walking with me but without the food he would often freeze and look longingly back to the house. So I used the food in fun ways in the driveway but also gave him plenty of time just to breathe and sniff the world go by.
Jasper began to enjoy a short walk or two everyday and especially if accompanied by his favourite person, Amy. This long process was hampered by his loss of vision in later years due to corneal ulcers and we basically had to start the whole process again from scratch and learn how best to help a blind dog but he absolutely recovered his joy of exploring the outdoors and lived a full and happy life.
