7 Months Yesterday

Marley, Meerah and Seren

Sunny But Breezy

Shows For The Year

9 March Crufts Judge Dennis Bibby 

6 April Bolton Gsd Champ Show. Judge Mo Lakin. 

13 April Sheffield Gsd Champ. Judge Martin Kelly 

19 April Working and Pastoral breeds Of Wales. Judge Sylvia Nicholson. 

27 April West of England Ladies Kennel Society. Judge I Blackshaw 

10 May Birmingham Dog Show Champ. Judge Miss C Marsden. 

7 June 3 Counties Champ Show. Judge Miss J Binden. 

7 & 8 June British Sieger. Judge Roberto Caputi.??? 

18 June Royal Cheshire Agricultural Show Premier Open. Judge Shonagh Reid ??? 

21 June BAGSD Champ. No confirmation of judge ??? 

22 June Blackpool Champ. Judge Mr D Clarke 

29 June Windsor Champ Show. Judge Mrs J Kirby. 

3 July Boston & District Canine Society Judge Mrs G Forsyth. 

25 July Leeds Champ Show. Judge Mrs D M Stirling 

16 Aug WKC. Judge H Corkin 

16 Aug North Wales Gsd Champ. Judge Mrs P Cullen 

6 Sept Richmond. Dog Show Society Judge Sue Forman. 

13 Sept Darlington Dog Show Society. Judge Mr E Engh 

28 Sept HOV Champ Show. Judge Jo Summerhill.

11 Oct SWKA - Judge Darren Hoyland

 LKA and SWGSD - No date or judge confirmed yet 

Dates of shows that I hope to get to this year, of course all subject to change, but some are also a priority.  Those with a ??? will just depend on circumstances nearer the time. 

Leptospirosis

 I've ranted a lot over the years about the leptospirosis vaccination and its dangerous outcome, particularly the L4 vaccine. The L2 vaccine was safer but personally I prefer not to vaccinate. There are at least 23 named species of Leptospira, but the L2 vaccine covers 2 and predictably the L4 safeguards against 4 strains. Research suggests that more dogs die from the vaccine (L4) than from Leptospirosis itself.

Sadly last night I was told about a GSD bitch who has died from Leptospirosis, she, like my guys, was unvaccinated. Not meaning to judge anyone, but speed is of the essence in treating leptospirosis, leaving a dog 48 hrs hoping they will get better is signing their death certificate. Knowing what to look for is paramount, please see the attached screenshot. Sadly these people live in an urban area, near a railway and confess the place is inundated with rats.  

I was told that urban rats were more likely to carry it than rural rats, but it seems the conditions they live in is a major factor, and of course there are far more urban than rural rats. "Rural rats are less likely to carry leptospirosis compared to urban rats. This is likely due to a few factors. Rural rats have less contact with human waste and contaminated water sources, which are major ways the disease spreads. Also, rural rats tend to have less dense populations, reducing the chances of the disease spreading."

Anyway, the choice we make are those that we believe are best for our dogs. Be vigilant, and try and keep your dogs safe, vaccinated or not, be aware that danger is out there. Vets tell us the leptospirosis vaccine for dogs typically lasts about one year, research proves it last a lot less than that and L4 gives very little protection when you consider there are 23+ variants of the disease. On saying that, Leptospirosis is rare in the UK, and it's thought that only about 14% of wild rats carry it, so get out to the countryside and enjoy your dogs. 

Delayed Eruption

For future reference...

20/2/05 - 6.5 months old

28/2/05

5/3/05 - 7 Months - The tooth has penetrated the gum

https://www.veterinarydentalcenter.com/oral-conditions/misaligned-teeth/delayed-eruption/

Teeth And Hips

24/2/25 - Over the last few days, I'm convinced the bump is getting bigger in her jaw, but Meerah is getting pissed off with me looking, so I'm trying not to be obsessive about it as I don't want to put her off having her teeth looked at. I also thought that yesterday I could see a tiny pinhole in the centre of the area, here's hoping that I'm right but I will still put my plan in force and book an appointment to see Beth next week. After all, it'll be easy to cancel it If I don't need it. I am feeling a tad more positive, but scared to let myself think, "yeah it's there," after all I've read that the bump can be there without the tooth! With everything, my emotions are shot to pieces.

26/2/25 - Still feeling a little more positive, but not to the extent that I would post this online yet. I've taken onboard the advice to see Ken rather than Beth in this case ... so I will.

28/2/25 - I'm even more confident today - come on break through the gum, that has to be a tooth ... doesn't it? There are 10 days between the photo of her teeth, I do see a difference. Let's hope I can start March in a better frame of mind. 

Though this is a post about Meerah's tooth, I must take this opportunity to also make further note of the fact that I'm really apprehensive about her hips. I've commented about all the stops and starts in the field, there is also a stiffness after a walk ... and some awkwardness in getting up from lying down. Of course keeping her fit and active and developing muscle tone will help if there is a problem there. Just in case you think I'm overthinking, Steve has seen it too! Of course, it could be Pano, she's got so tall so quickly, but what makes me doubt that is that she's uncomfortable having her hips manipulated, pano only affects the long bones and not the joints. (It is self limiting by about 24 months.) I'll tell myself what I would tell anyone else, it's too soon to tell and without X-rays it's impossible to tell. Worse case senario, It may well be back to the drawing board for the future of Blanik! 

3/3/25 - I'm glad I'm keeping this post private for the time being as I seem to be getting on people's nerves by discussing it, ah well, never mind. I appreciate everyone has their own shit going on, but for me talking really helps, it's not always about getting advice, just bouncing ideas off friends, but now maybe I need to consider who is in the right frame of mind to listen to my wittering. Talking helps me to get things clear in my mind when I can't decide what I should do next. The majority of people who have seen this picture (above) are still unsure if this is a tooth coming through or the tip of a bump/cyst in the gum where the tooth should be, the tooth could still be impacted. I'm not asking Joe Bloggs, I'm asking experienced people who have been "In Dogs" for 40 odd years ... and if they are unsure it makes me feel better that I am unable to come to a conclusion. To be told today "it's pretty obvious it's there" made me feel small, unnecessarily talked down to. Hell, logically it is, but when we are going through something unfamiliar we are bound to be apprehensive and unable to come to a conclusion. All I needed today was opinions on whether now at 7 months I should take her to a vet, or as it has changed in 10 days, maybe give it another 10 days to see what happens? After all, I don't want to look an idiot in front of a vet, especially if I can get information from someone who may have walked the same path!

4/3 - I'm convinced I can feel the tip of the tooth. I won't feel it again today as I don't want to hassle her, as I said I don't want to put her off having her teeth looked at, maybe I'll try again when she's sleeping, lol. Steve and I chatted last night, we had agreed that due to the change in the 10 days between the 2 photos we'd give her another 10 days and leave things be till after Crufts. See maybe I should just talk to my husband! I'm now cautiously optimistic that I won't have to go to the vets, and we have good news by then eh!

5/3 - Well, the most talked about tooth at Blanik is making an apperance. The whole area looks less inflamed and I have no doubts that the tip of the tooth can be felt. What a roller coaster, but again a learning curve, very important lesson learned, we never stop learning do we! Hopefully if anyone else is in the same situation in future I can give them advice based on first-hand experience. (If only I'd kept detailed notes back in 93/94 eh!) It really is beyond some peoples understanding that one little tooth can mean so much ... for me it's the difference between being able to show and celebrate my lovely pup, or just leaving her at home every weekend, so yeah it really is a big deal! 

Hermaphrodite

I have full permission of the breeder to write about this, all he asks is that no one is named. I stress that this puppy has NO Blanik lines, but here comes that line again, you haven't bred it till you have! 

A large litter was born and two female puppies had umbilical hernias, one causes concern, an out of hours phone call followed by a visit to the vet the following day. Just for convenience, let's call this puppy Bonnie. After vet help, Bonnie did well, but she was given by the breeder to friends and the best part of a year passed without too much concern, other than some reoccurring bladder infections. 

I'm sure we've all heard of Hermaphrodites, we had one during my time at Freshfields, he seemed to be male, but when he went in to be neutered they discovered ovaries attached to his testicles. I remember him well, and have a scar on my leg to make sure I don't forget dear Nicky! 

Back to Bonnie, with further veterinarian investigation into the reoccurring bladder infections, it was discovered that Bonnie had male and female reproductive organs and two bladders. It is common, apparently, for hermaphrodites to have abnormalities in the urinary tract, including the presence of more than one bladder. 

Bonnie has had major surgery costing over £10,000 and is recovering gradually. Though I don't know them, I wish her and her family all the luck in the world. 

Meerah is 7 Months

 It's hard to know what to say, she's over 60 cms, so taller than Sammi was at the same age. Unless she stops growing now, we may as well forget the regionals and hope that with maturity she doesn't look so leggy. She's nicely put together, just needs to fill the frame. At this age she's not as promising as Beti was, but of course they mature and change and some bloom later than others. I've given up on the worries about how tall she'll be, with all my other current concerns here, it's the least of my worries. 

Winter Nose

Well Beti what happened to the dragon? She's so funny, so proud of herself. 

Interestingly, someone on Facebook asked about the lighter stripe down her nose, she'd noticed it on her own female and wasn't sure what it was. I told her it was a "winter nose," but she hadn't heard of it. I've discussed it somewhere on this blog before, it's believed to be caused by a decrease in melanin production in the nose, and usually changes back with the change of season. There may be a genetic link, it certainly carries in families, Loki, his mother and sister had it too. It's barely noticeable on Beti.  Google explains it " If your dog's nose turns from its usual dark colour to pink or brown, specifically during the winter, your dog may have what is commonly referred to as “dog snow nose” or “winter nose." The condition, which is called “hypopigmentation,” typically causes a dog's nose to lighten in colour—normally to a pink or light brown. Certain breeds seem to be predisposed to snow nose, suggesting a possible genetic component. It will turn black again when the days get warmer and brighter."

Loki - January 2015

A Month On

 I'm not the type to post well it's been a week since, a fortnight since, a month etc, but it's been a hard emotional month and there seems to be no end to the heartache and tears. Things that I may normally shrug off bring me to tears, between everything I think I've cried for a month. I do apologise to friends if I'm hard work, I'll get over it, I always do but please bear with me and support me whilst I work through my grief.