Saturday, 8 March 2025

Pre-Crufts

Bags are packed, van is loaded, Beti is bathed ... and I've even got my clothes sorted. I go without expectations but will celebrate my beautiful Beti - I just hope that my handler hasn't forgotten us! 

Friday, 7 March 2025

Sounding The Alarm

 I guess we knew Loki was one of the first to bark if someone was about, he still had acute hearing as an old man, but I don't think we'd realise how complacent the others had been. A knock on the backdoor last week had us jumping out of our skins and it was quickly followed by furious barking. I squeezed out to see a delivery man, he'd come through two gates which had signs warning him not to! I said "wow you're brave." He replied that he had hooted his horn, shouted and knocked on the bedroom window. (Zeus was on the bed!) Ok it was a windy day, so noisy, but hell, they heard nothing? 
On Thursday morning, Steve and I woke up to the sound of hooting at the top gate, the coal man must have wet the bed! They didn't bark, not until the gate was opened. Come on guys, we need to know if someone is about.  

More On Lepto

 A Post from a friend, shared with her permission 

**IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ**
Many breeders and owners (including myself) will not use the Lepto vaccine. This is due to the high incidence of severe reactions and the low efficacy and limited duration of any protection given by the vaccine. There are also many strains of Leptospirosis, many of which are not even covered by the vaccine.
However, it is important that owners MUST know the symptoms of Leptospirosis and seek PROMPT treatment, as it can, in rare cases, progress very quickly and cause death within 48 hours. Treatment consists of a 14 day course of Doxycyline. Penicillin (Synulox and equivalent) will also work, but I believe does not prevent shedding, so Doxycyline is the treatment of choice, but the dog must eat something with this antibiotic. If Leptospirosis is suspected, it is important that treatment is started before waiting for test results, as these can take a day or two and a 'wait and see' policy is unacceptable.
If in any doubt, you all know you can call me at any time.
So, what are the signs of leptospirosis in dogs?
The signs of leptospirosis in dogs vary, depending on the strain of the infecting bacteria, the dog's immune response, and other factors. Some infected dogs have no signs of illness; some have a mild and transient illness and recover on their own; and others develop severe, life-threatening illness.
For dogs that do become ill, the signs tend to be non-specific. These are the most common signs:
Loss of appetite
Lethargy
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Diarrhea
Fever (sometimes)
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes)
Dehydration
Drinking or urinating more than usual
Weight loss
Stiffness or muscle pain
The reason for this post is that sadly, there has now been a 2nd case of Leptospirosis in 14 months. Both share the same scenarios, in that it has followed heavy rainfall and flooding and the rat population was extremely high. Remember, for every rat you see, there are at least another half a dozen you are not seeing! It is therefore important to deal with the problem before there is an infestation. The local council can help or you can buy poison, which must be secured in a safe place.
I use the bait blocks, which kill in one feed. These are secured by putting wire through the holes in the blocks and are then secured into a long piece of drainpipe and placed where my dogs cannot access it.
Give homeopathic nosodes to your dog. These were found to control an epidemic of Leptospirosis in humans in Cuba. Please see link below.
Do not allow your dog to have access to dirty or stagnant water. Change water in outside bowls each morning.
If you feed the birds, you are more likely to encourage a higher number of rats and this food source may need to be removed.
Please do call or message me if you're worried, as I don't want anyone to panic!!!
Remembering Minka's lovely sister, Lotti, at this sad time xx
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20674839/

Thursday, 6 March 2025

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 Joe 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. 

Wednesday, 5 March 2025

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

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. 

Tuesday, 4 March 2025

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

Monday, 3 March 2025

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.

Siska Day 2

 I think. 😁 Well, she's done some spotting then going off before. It's been a very long time since her last season, Meerah is 7 months old on Wednesady, so that makes it over nine months. Not sure how I'll do it, as in who can walk with who during that difficult week, but we'll muddle through as we always do. 

Sunday, 2 March 2025

Isn't She Lovely

Not a lot you can say is there. Beti says it was nothing to do with her. I beg to differ.
Meerah crashing out!

Saturday, 1 March 2025

Bitter/Sweet

As I said last week, you can feel happy for someone, but still feel sorry for yourself. I'm really pleased that 2 of Beti's sisters, as well as every other Orin progeny health tested so far, have got 0 score elbows. I'm delighted that Abbie who is with her breeder can go on to be bred from ... but I'm gutted that Beti can't. Despite her parents and siblings results, my principals would not allow me to breed from her. 
I have reservations about Meerah, which I've written and will publish at a later date, but early indications are that to continue the Blanik line we have to go back to the drawing board. 
Beti is fab, full of fizz and happiness, she warms my heart and lights up every day. I will continue to love and enjoy her exuberant company without qualm or question for as long as is possible. 
Don't forget it's Team Beti at Crufts next week. 

Spring

First day of meteorological spring starts with sunshine in Fron. It's always easier for me to follow meteorological calendar as the seasons are grouped into three months - The first day of spring in the UK astronomically occurs on 20th of March 2025, it does vary slightly from year to year. 


Still a little bit of snow on Snowdon in the background. As threatened, Siska was walked on the lead, she is still quite lame, Steve thinks she's sprained a toe.