Wednesday 30 September 2009

Torsion

Blade Enjoying His Showing In 1995


A Personal experience

As I sit here writing this article I'm thinking of dear Harry and Gill and their current heartache. Poor Danzi is fighting for her life at the vets following a torsion yesterday morning. Of course it's all too raw for me just now, it's only 3 weeks since we lost our darling Storm to complications following a torsion.

Where torsion is concerned, I always believed myself to have been very lucky; 10 years ago Blade had survived it, twice! As he slept in our bedroom with us we were immediately aware of the problem and at the vets within 30 mins of him having the torsion. I have always been aware of the condition and always been careful. Blade had not been exercised near feeding time, he was fed twice daily, his food was soaked and I was always careful that he did not drink excessively. We had been in bed for 3 or 4 hours when Blade had his torsion. He was gagging, heaving, panting heavily, foaming at the mouth and his undercarriage was a strange shape. Blade was rushed to and treated at Cibyn Vet Clinic. Luckily he survived, and 6 weeks later he won Veteran and went Best In Show at Meirioneth Agricultural Show under Judge Ronnie Irvine. Believe me this was a very emotional moment in my life.

But 12 months to the day..at around 5.30pm immediately after eating his meal it happened again. Blade survived...again! This time his stomach was stitched into place to reduce the risk of it happening again...Thank God it didn't.

Storm was not as lucky, and I feel it is important to mention her symptoms. Blade's symptoms where classic of the condition, he threw himself around as if trying to get away from the pain. Storm simply stopped. She didn't gag or pant heavily but there was no mistaking the bloated undercarriage. Storm was at Mifeddygon Deufor Vets probably within an hour of the torsion, she was immediately treated for shock and then taken for surgery. Storm had an 180% twist torsion. Her Spleen was bleeding and enlarged because it was caught up in the twist, but she survived the operation, only to die a couple of weeks later due complications following the surgery. It left us gutted and even more paranoid about the condition.

What You Need To Know

Dogs can suffer painful bloating or 'gastric torsion'. Also known as gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), this can quickly prove fatal if left untreated.

For dogs the effects of bolting down their food or exercising too quickly after eating can be deadly, but of course there are other factors like overheating that can cause torsion. Another theory is that using dry dog food increases the risk of torsion, but the condition is also known in dogs eating non dry diets. Some vets suggest a mode of inheritance, but this has not been documented. Sometimes we have to face the facts that we may never really know the true cause.
Gastric torsion causes the stomach to fill with air and twist around itself. Nothing can enter or leave the stomach and the circulation can be cut off. This can cause shock and affect the heart's rhythm.
Although the causes of gastric torsion aren't fully understood, there are a few things that are associated with it including eating too much food at once, or exercising after food. It "usually" affects the big, deep-chested dogs like Great Danes, Golden Retrievers, Weimaraner, German Shepherds, Setters though Dachshunds are also implicated. But I personally know of a "manic" Border Collie/sheepdog who died following a torsion. It is a really serious condition and if there's anything that could ever be considered a dog medical emergency, this would be it.
If not treated seriously and aggressively the dog could die within hours.
Affected dogs start showing signs of restlessness, discomfort and pain suddenly.
They may retch and salivate a lot. Their stomach swells up due to the gas inside it and it can feel hard, like a drum.
The swollen stomach presses against the diaphragm restricting the lungs, so affected dogs may also have difficulty breathing.
Gastric torsion causes pets to go into shock very quickly. Your vet will need to give fluids and emergency first aid immediately, to stabilise the patient, and in most cases they will then need to operate to return the stomach to its normal position.
To reduce the risk of gastric torsion in your dog take the following steps:
Feed smaller meals more frequently over the course of the day instead of one large meal daily

Soak dry food.
Don't exercise your dog within two hours of feeding
Avoid large volumes of water intake at any one time
If your dog is anxious or fearful, seek behavioral advice.
The sooner you act, the higher the chance of your pet surviving.

Ref- Dr Malcolm Willis

Monday 28 September 2009

A Nice Day Out

At Arthog Companinon Dog Show

Photobucket


Mikey Won A.V. Pastoral

Photobucket

Sharon's bitch Cellie was 1st in Best Rescue and Finlay was 3rd in the same class.

Wednesday 23 September 2009

Tara


It's been another Sad day for me and my friends at Freshfields. Our dear friend Tara died in the night. She had lived in Rescue Centres all her life as she was not deemed "safe" to be rehomed.
I had the pleasure of caring for Tara for the last 6 years of her life and we never had a cross word. She was my friend. RIP Tara Jones. - You Have Been Loved.

Monday 21 September 2009

On Holiday

Photobucket
Beautiful Maya on Holiday with her Family on Skye.


Photobucket
Stunning Young Lady...But Mummy Tali is still waiting for her post card!

Photobucket
Running In The Splash With Cellie and Brodie

Blanik Billi-Lee

Nice One Lia!

What Operation?

Lovely to see Lia doing so well after her operation last Friday. Lia who is fast approaching her 13th birthday had a mammary tumor which had to be removed under general anaesthetic. You keep them on their toes Billi-Lee!!

Sunday 20 September 2009

Look At Me

It was lovely to get this photo of Seren today. She seems to have grown up into a lovely young lady.

Tuesday 15 September 2009

I Was There Too

Kiri McTavish From Scotland!
Photobucket

In Too Deep?
Photobucket

Wait For Me....
Photobucket

Playing In The Splash With Kai

Monday 14 September 2009

The Awesome "Kaiser Vom Conbhairean"

He's Simply Stunning
Kai - "I'm Not Getting my Willy Wet!"

Breaks Would Be Good Big Boy!

No, It's Ok I'm Still Dry...NOT!!!

Too Close there Kai!

Sunday 13 September 2009

A Ray Of SunShine

Asha - Look At The View, Back There Is Where We Live!

Louis - Yeah But Look At This View..And That's Where We Are Going

Finlay - Are We Really Going Down There???
Mikey - And Me, And Me, I Wanna Be In A Picture

Asha - Stop Posing For Photos, It's This Way!

Asha - Quick Boys They Found The Water Before us!

Fluffy Bottoms Together

Jake - OMG Someone Moved The Floor!

Tali - This Is How You Do It, Bloody Boys!

Group Photo, Jake, Asha, Mikey, Louis, Finlay and Tali

Friday 11 September 2009

Grief in My World





I hope I am never in a position to only have one dog..to loose that dog would be enough to kill me. I can't imagine getting out of bed in the morning to "nothing;" the silence would just be too much for me. What if there was no happy faces to greet me daily? No demands for breakfast or a tennis ball thrown into my morning cup of tea? How dull it must be to have nothing!
In contradiction sometimes the grief of loosing is too much, sometimes it's easy to think "Never again" but with my family around me I have to get up in the morning, I have to walk, feed and play...surely they help me heal. Through tears of grief I can't help but crack a smile at some of their daily antics!
Sometimes I fear what is ahead for me. The years creep up on us quickly and the pup is all too soon a mature adult, and then frighteningly a veteran before we've even thought about it. Sometimes now I look at Louis as he's growing his grey beard and I dread the day when he will no longer be by my side. In a weak moment I hug him and cry but then I know I can't let these thoughts ruin the years of love and fun we hopefully still have left to share together.
At a time when it would be all to easy to sink into despair, again I turn to the songs that pull at my heart strings. These as always, give me great comfort. Floods of tears to "Blame It On The Sun," "Like A Baby," "I Can't Make You Love Me" and the haunting "You Have Been Loved." These words sung only by "His" voice will warm up my heart. As the tears flow I know that someday memories of those that I was privileged to have loved will bring a smile instead of a tears....to have loved and lost is without doubt better than not to have loved at all.

Wednesday 9 September 2009

Blanik Bus

Well it's back!!!

Photobucket

Tuesday 8 September 2009

Storm 8/7/00 - 7/9/09

Apollo Von Dakota x Blanik Astra
Briefly, as this is all too painfull... we visited the vet yesterday morning, Storm's temperature was normal and she seemed in very little pain. Yesterday afternoon we toddled around the fields, Storm took her Kong, all seemed well. At 5-5.30pm she ate chicken and cottage cheese, she did not even notice the pills mixed into the food. At around 6.30 she started gagging and blew up massively in minutes. We immediately called the vets and where there before 7.15pm. He offered to put her back on the drip and give her more antibiotics intravenously but said that since the antibiotics they had already tried where not working they had no other alternatives and this would just keep happening. He could not guarantee more than a couple of days of improvement. Basically the bacteria in the pockets of gas in her intestine will have been turning toxic and poisoning her system. There was no more we could do. This was the third time in just over a couple of weeks that this had happened, we simply could not keep on putting her through it. Again the hardest decision had to be made...

Just A "Storm" In A Tea Cup

R.I.P darling Storm. I hope you find your mummy Seffe, sister Krizzie, brother Dancer and all your family waiting for you...........and Storm darling...be nice!!!
You Have Been Loved

Sunday 6 September 2009

A more little information

I've just been given some more information, Unfortunetly it feels like the prognosis for Storm is not good. Without strong pain killers Storm would be in tremendous pain. She is on three a day which are making her rather hyper. She really should have deflated within 3-5 days. Because it's been 2 weeks the bacteria in the pockets of gas in her intestine will be poisoning her system. The bacteria should be identified and so treated with the correct antibiotics for that actual bacteria. (they have already tried 5) They are correct in feeding her on high quality protein food but really she won't be getting much benefit from food unless it is tube fed. I just don't know where we go next!

Saturday 5 September 2009

Update


I was happily doing ring Craft with Kai on Thursday at dog club when Steve walked into the hall, I just knew what was going on before he even opened his mouth.
Anyway..The catalogue of events where as follows... The van is temporarily dead so when I left for dog club in the estate at 5.45pm I left Steve with no transport. My mobile rang as soon as I got there, I answered it, it was work related! Then someone started sending me joke text messages and as I had a class to teach I switched the ringer off and left my phone in my coat pocket. A little later I took my coat off and flung it on a chair in the corner of the room.
Storm had gone down hill quickly again, just like she had done when I was at WKC 10 days earlier. Steve was in a tiss...he'd tried to phone me 10 times and had then thought he'd have to ring around to get help to get her down to the village for me to see her. Luckily he rang Linda and her mobile was in the Caravan, Frank answered it and bought him down. I immediately called the vets and we faced the painful 30 min journey yet again! She had a very high temp and was hugely swollen. Thank God, not another torsion but her stomach was full of undigested food. Her guts are not working properly are inflamed, infection is present- possibly a low grade peritonitis again. Whilst we had another sleepless night Storm spent another night on the drip at the vets.
A little bit more information ...I googled the word "ileus" and this is almost exactly what the vet told us and what we saw on the x.ray's.
"Distended loops of gas-filled bowel (intestine) resulting from absence or weak parastalsis ( paralytic ileus) or from intestinal obstruction (obstructive ileus); gas component is due to concurrent action of gas-producing bacteria."
These loops where everywhere in her intestine and would explain her rather rotund outline. The problem is that I feel that no one seems to know what to do about it! I feel very deflated and tearful. I also feel that I have been going on about her strange shape since she was taken in 10 days ago and the right people did not listen to me!!!

Wednesday 2 September 2009

Handsome Chap


How lovely it was to hear from Dylan's owners today. I've seen him twice since he left here when he was 8 weeks old. He's grown into a very handsome adult male. Dylan is from the "F" litter of 2005 and litter brother to Tali.(I called him Freddie) I love it when people keep in touch :-) This photo was sent via Mobile phone...I look forward to getting the others via e.mail!