Poor Sammi

Well, we are halfway through our three weeks of medical appointments, and we had a free day so Steve and I decided to go for lunch, lovely it was too. When we got back Sammi had had a complete meltdown in her crate. The front of the crate was warped and bent and the cable ties we used when she last did it in the Summer were over the other side of the room. Wow the state of it, it had taken some effort. She's not had a meltdown since I was staying in Windsor in the Summer, and that was during a Summer storm ... I can only think that the wind and hearing changes had spooked her again. There's never an issue with her in the bedroom, but obviously for some reason the strong wind upsets her when she's in her crate. 

Fecking Wind

With the wind howling through the mountain, I felt I had no choice but to go downhill to walk. I parked just below Dinas railway station to discover I was heavily over-dressed and there wasn't a breath of wind down there. I do remember thinking, if anything bullies me off this mountain, it'll be this bastard wind! 

I love walking these two together now, Meerah has learned so much from Beti's confidence and happy-go-lucky outlook to life. She didn't bark at anyone or anything. As we set off, a person pushing a pram and walking the dog quickly retreated back the other way as soon as we joined the path. An older couple, by that I mean just a tad older than me, walked towards us and I moved the girls to the side. "Bore Da" (Good Morning) and in Welsh the man said, "What a beautiful couple of dogs, so majestic." I thanked them and Beti I'm sure said "We know!"  A couple of bikers and walkers, with everyone polite and grateful that I moved the girls to the side for them to pass. One jogger said, "Thanks, good boys!" I shouted girls after him and when we again passed him on the way back he made me smile as he said "Thanks ladies!" Then I jumped out of my skin as a man on a bike was suddenly right behind me. I told him, Wow, you made me jumped out of my skin, he stopped and said "Oh I'm sorry," before putting his arm out to Beti saying "You are beautiful." She wiggled from her waist down before jumping up and kissing him. Oh, Beti you are such a tart, he then put his hand out to Meerah, she wagged her tail but gave him a more subtle "Hi!" 

I couldn't walk far, after yesterday's physio my knee was killing me, though more so on the slight decline, it was better on the way back. To be honest if it wasn't for my knee I wouldn't even notice that the path wasn't straight. On a positive note, the physio praised me for the work I'd done as my knee is now a lot stronger than it was. The new exercise will be harder, but needs must!  

Manchester Chat

 It was an early start to Manchester, but not as dog shows go, it's just there have been very few early starts recently, and I've got quite lazy! I picked Owen up in Bodelwyddan, then joined up with Debbie in St.Asaph before all change at Junction 10 of the M56 where Linda jumped in with me and Owen joined Debbie. 

It was just great to see the special people in my life again. Despite a post floating around Facebook that stronger people have fewer friends, I'm happy if I'm considered weaker as I love the people I'm blessed to have in my life. It's not that I need them to pander to me or "Validate my worth," I just love having my like-minded friends around! 

Beti was in the biggest class of the day, and looked fab. She gave a great performance for Arron and really gave me the boost I needed. I have to say I do regret not taking Orin, I'm sure he'd have managed a very respectful 3rd in Open, but of course, I'll never know!

Siska really didn't want to play, I guess her hormones were in charge on the day, but she was still happy to sit in her chair and eat crisps! 

A few people that I expect to see were absent, but having found out that one of them had had major surgery 2 weeks before, I was concerned. Anyway I rang him yesterday, and we talked for an hour which ended up with him thanking me for the call saying it had really cheered him up. 

Back to the show, Katie bless her walked round the GSD ring giving out Cadbury cream eggs, not my favourite, but I put one in my pocket for later. Sarah kindly bought me a Wham! T.shirt, and I've been told I have to wear it for Crufts ... so even with Last Christmas on it, I will wear it. As we packed up Linda was hanging onto Beti, an elder gentleman was desperately trying to get her attention (Beti's not Linda's 😁) but she only had eyes for me. (Beti not Linda!!) Anyway I lead her over to meet him and she was her usual cuddly self but as I turned to continue collapsing her cage she watched my every move. I guess, happy that I was not going anywhere she went back to her new friend, and as I said "Just watch her she can get OTT," she climbed onto his lap and gave him a big wet sloppy kiss, well several actually. He was beaming, Beti made his day! 

As I was packing up I came across a prize card that wasn't ours in our trolley, hopefully forgotten and not simply discarded. As I've said before, for me it's not about the "Prize" these days, it's about the accolade. Class trophies and rosettes are wonderful to receive, but sadly many here have just ended up in landfill, at least the cards can be popped in a folder and saved. Of course, "Special" rosettes and trophies are treasured, but too much of a good thing kind of ruins the moment for me. 

After Debbie's van was dug out of the mud, we set off for home. I had discussed with Ian that I'd like to follow him home, and I was kind of hoping for a Maccies stop, but sadly they had gone, and I just didn't feel comfortable going to Maccies on my own with Owen, yeah I'm a bit odd, but I got a sandwich in Bodelwyddan services and as I competed the journey on my own I regretted not buying chocolate for myself. Then a light bulb moment. Cadbury's Cream egg .. but where was it? I have six pockets in my body warmer but for the life of me I couldn't feel where it was from the outside. There was nothing else for it, other than a search of all the pockets ... 5 pockets down and no egg .. pocket no 6 .. OMG my hand was engulfed in a sticky mess, and as I tried to pull my hand out of my pocket the pocked pulled through so it was inside out and a mass of stick egg, melted chocolate and silver paper covered my hand. Now I'm on my own in the dark, on the A55, all I could do was flick it off onto the dashboard and suck the melted goo off my hands - what a mess!!! Lesson learned, don't put a Cadburys Cream egg in your pocket and expect it to still be whole 6 hours later! 

Kaiah

 Last night I was chatting to Ian in messenger, we were chatting about Kiaan and comparing photos of him from Manchester Champ Show over the years. When Ian's reply made no sense I looked back at my post, OMG I'd typed Kaiah instead of Kiaan. I explain myself, but a little further on Ian type Kaiah and I thought his comment was irrelevant to the chat, but then he said .. I meant to say Siska! How odd eh, maybe last night Miss K wanted to make sure she was not forgotten, maybe she wanted us to know she was still the star of the show! 

Loki, Ross and Kaiah always out in front!

Siska And Seasons

 I have a lot to say about Manchester Champ Show, and I will write a post, but one thing has come to mind that I need to write about. At the show I was sat chatting to a lady who had a lovely Reno son, and I told her what had happened with Siska, so she told me her story .... She blood tested a female and the test showed she would be ready for mating within 2 days. She took her over to German for the mating, but the bitch was totally unreceptive and they didn't get a mating, they came home and tested the bitch .. her season had finished! Anyway, the following season was normal, they cut their losses and didn't go back to German, they mated her to Reno and had the litter. 

The chat has made me think of Siska and her long and very odd season, maybe she did something similar? There is no doubt she was less receptive to Reno than she was to Vesco and Lucca, and there is no doubt that within 2 days of the mating the boys here had switched off. So she wasn't ready on Thursday, and from the reading shouldn't have been on Friday ... or early Saturday, but hell we'll never know now will we, it's just the chat has given me hope that next time things may go to plan! 

Manchester Champ Show

Well, that was just the boost I needed - Beautiful Beti was 2nd out of 11 in PGB. She gave a faultless performance and even if I say so myself, looked fabulous. 

Now Siska on the other hand, well she stood well at the beginning of the class, moved well and then decided she'd had enough ... refusing point-blank to stand again, probably loosing her self a place. Naughty Siska was 3rd out of 4 in her first open class! 

A Nice Bit Of Sun

Sammi and Zeus out in Dinas

Changes For Beti

 In my process of trying to find the correct supplements for Siska I came across some information that may help Beti. From what I've read, giving the Riaflex Omega-3 to Beti's will do more for her "soundness" than almost anything else.( maximum anti-inflammatory power) Beti doesn't just have "wear and tear"; she has a piece of bone that isn't quite attached. This creates a very specific type of stress in the elbow, so I'm looking to give her anything and everything that will help her in the future. 

Raflex Omega-3 Ordered! 

Then I came across something called- 4CYTE (Epiitalis Forte): Many vets and specialist orthopaedic surgeons (especially in the UK and Australia) now recommend 4CYTE with Epiitalis. This is a "Repair Stimulator." It tells cells to be active and grow new cartilage. 

4CYTE with Epiitalis Ordered. 

Beti was already on Collagen, but apparently not the best one as it was not UC-11. Standard collagen is broken down by the stomach as protein. Undenatured collagen (UC-II) works differently: it "trains" the immune system (via the gut) to stop attacking the joint's own cartilage. Clinical studies have shown UC-II can be more effective than Glucosamine/Chondroitin for improving mobility in arthritic dogs, this is her "Immune Shield." It stops her body from attacking the joint when that loose bone piece causes irritation. 

Systemavit (UC-II Collagen): Ordered

So I considered stopping the Glucosamine & Chondroitin, and I asked for help  ... 

These are her "Raw Materials." Think of them as the "bricks and mortar." If the 4CYTE is the "builder" telling the body to repair, the Glucosamine/Chondroitin provides the actual physical materials the builder needs to do the job. Riaflex Omega 3: This is the "Fire Extinguisher." It keeps the daily inflammation from the loose bone from turning into chronic pain. Systemavit Chew (the UC-II "shield" works best when given consistently). The "Teamwork" Effect (Synergy) Clinical research shows that these ingredients work better when they are combined because they attack the problem from different angles. This is called a Multimodal Approach. The Building Blocks (Glucosamine/Chondroitin): These provide the "bricks and mortar" for the cartilage. When Beti’s elbow has a structural issue like UAP, her joint is constantly "using up" these materials to try and stay lubricated. The Repair Signal (4CYTE): 4CYTE is the "Foreman" on the construction site. It doesn't provide the bricks, but it tells the body's cells to start building. Without the Glucosamine "bricks," the 4CYTE Foreman has nothing to work with. The Immune Shield (Systemavit / UC-II): This stops the body from "knocking down" the work the 4CYTE is doing. It prevents the immune system from causing further inflammation. Why this is vital for a UAP Elbow Because Beti has a piece of bone that didn't fully fuse (UAP), her joint is under mechanical stress. This isn't just "old age" wear; it's a physical instability. More Raw Materials: She needs a higher-than-average supply of Glucosamine and Chondroitin to keep the joint fluid thick and the cartilage "bouncy." Maximized Protection: Studies have shown that combining UC-II Collagen (in the Systemavit) with Glucosamine/Chondroitin leads to a much higher reduction in stiffness than using either one alone. Your Daily "Beti Blueprint" Since you have all these products, here is the most effective way to give them: Morning Meal: * Riaflex Omega-3 Oil (for maximum anti-inflammatory power). Systemavit Chew (the UC-II "shield" works best when given consistently). 

Evening Meal: 4CYTE Gel (the "repair" happens while she rests). Your existing Glucosamine/Chondroitin tablets (to provide the building materials for that overnight repair).

Weight is everything: For an elbow case like Beti’s, being "lean" isn't enough; she should be "ribby" (a Body Condition Score of 4/9). Every extra 500g of weight is magnified by 4x across those front elbows when she walks. Remember the "No-Ball" Rule:" Since she is sound now, the temptation is to let her chase balls. Please don't. The "braking" action of chasing a ball or jumping down from a car puts immense shear force on that partially fused bone. Stick to long, steady walks and swimming/hydrotherapy."

Well I guess every day is a school day, but bloody hell my cogs haven't had to work so hard in years! 

Planning Ahead

After doing some research I have a summary of a "Fertility Plan" for Siska: 

Now - Early March I am considering changing her diet to Arden Grange Performance but I have already ordered the slightly expensive Riaflex Omega 3. To try and help Siska "catch" and support a litter, I need an Omega-3 that is high in DHA and EPA. While Salmon Oil is popular, it is said that a high-strength Fish Body Oil (sourced from sardines and anchovies) is actually the secret weapon for breeders because it is often more concentrated than standard Salmon Oil. For fertility, Riaflex Omega 3 (Liquid) has been recommended as it is one of the best for high concentration. Apparently it is a favourite among professional breeders because it is exceptionally strong and very clean. 

In early April I'll start "Folate Loading" by adding 400mcg Folic Acid daily. Starting one month before her earliest expected season ensures her body has "saturated" its folate levels by the time she ovulate. Since Siska's cycles are unpredictable and can vary between 6 and 8 months, the best strategy is to prepare for the earliest possible date (the 6-month mark.).  Research (including studies by Royal Canin and specialist vets like Dr. Marty Greer) shows that for maximal effect on egg health and preventing defects, folic acid should be in the system well before the heat begins. Folic acid is water-soluble. If she doesn't come into heat until July (the 8-month mark), any excess she doesn't use will simply be flushed out in her urine. It is very safe to continue daily until she eventually comes into season. 

Day 1 of her season I'll start fertility boost and add Wheatgerm Oil (and double it on mating day) It is packed with Vitamin E (the "fertility vitamin"). It protects the eggs and supports the uterine lining for implantation.. 

Three Weeks Post-Mating Whelping, I'll stop the Wheatgerm and start Raspberry leaf as a whelping aid. It tones the uterine muscles to make the actual birth (contractions) easier and more efficient.

So that is the plan of action! Photo of Siska asleep in a cat bed on top of her crate, just because it's amusing! 

A Little Disappointed In Myself

 I'd planned it, I knew where I was parking and I thought I remembered where the path was ... I was going up Mynydd Cigwyn ...but hell I didn't get very far. That hamstring muscle that has been quite for a few weeks started pulling as soon as I hit the steep incline. I had to turn back, I have to get Mum to the doctors tomorrow, and I've a drive to Stafford on Sunday, I just can't aggravate that now! I was disappointed, but I did find another route to walk, one that I hadn't done in years, so at least we had a good time. After coming home I've considered that I tried to go up the incline in a different place to where I used to go, but since last years fire it's hard to find the tracks. Maybe I'll try again! 

If you are using a decent size screen, or you can open it up and zoom, 

can you see our house?

After about an hour out with my lovelies, in this weather, I just had to take the girls out. Views towards Caernarfon behind them in the first photo.