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| The same as the blog title but with some fun graphics |
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| Handsome Lync |
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| Sweet Kort |
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| Cheeky Ash |
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Photo Shoot
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Kennel Cough Day 3
The boys are doing better, by that I mean I don't have to clean up foamy mucous off the floor anymore :) Yes it is gross, kennel cough is gross, the dogs are still coughing if they play or if they bark but at least they were able to sleep through the night and get some rest. I've been giving extra Vitamin c and probiotics to up their immune systems to fight it off quicker and with hope that Ash doesn't get it at all!
Monday, November 23, 2015
Kennel Cough
Kort and Lync have kennel cough, so far, Ash seem to be ok other then a few sneezes, he doesn't have the bringing up of foam and mucous every 10 to 15 minutes.
Below is the best article I found on the condition, it does however say, "it is an unproductive cough", I beg to differ on that point!
It is a great inconvenience to everyone, my entire circle of friends dogs seem to be coming down with it. It started from what I know at a dog show and an agility trial. Some of those dogs came to the Red Deer dog show before showing symptoms, then some of those dogs came to the Lethbridge show where my dogs went.
Poor Kort was only there 1 day and he is the one having the most problems, Lync and Ash were there all 3 days. At any rate I am very tired, I don't do tired very well, I woke up this morning before 4 am. Kort kept me up all night, with the occasional hacking from Lync, so I figured I should just get up as I wasn't getting any sleep anyway.
I couldn't feed Lync yesterday as he kept vomiting, even some bread of the I tried wouldn't stay down . He had a bit of food this morning and so far so good, I will feed him again at lunch then supper again if he keeps it down.
Some of my friends dogs have not gotten the cough and I certainly hope it stays that way for them, I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
Clinical cases of Kennel Cough are usually caused by several infectious agents working together to damage and irritate the lining of the dog's trachea and upper bronchii. The damage to the tracheal lining is fairly superficial, but exposes nerve endings that become irritated simply by the passage of air over the damaged tracheal lining. Once the organisms are eliminated the tracheal lining will heal rapidly.
The most common organisms associated with Canine Cough are the bacteria called Bordetella bronchiseptica and two viruses called Parainfluenza virus and Adenovirus and even an organism called Mycoplasma.
Kennel Cough in dogs will stimulate a coarse, dry, hacking cough about three to seven days after the dog is initially infected. It sounds as if the dog needs to "clear his throat" and the cough will be triggered by any extra activity or exercise.
Many dogs that acquire Kennel Cough will cough every few minutes, all day long. Their general state of health and alertness will be unaffected, they usually have no rise in temperature, and do not lose their appetite.
The signs of Canine Cough usually will last from 7 to 21 days and can be very annoying for the dog and the dog's owners.
Life-threatening cases of Kennel Cough are extremely rare and a vast majority of dogs that acquire the infection will recover on their own with no medication.
The causative organisms can be present in the expired air of an infected dog, much the same way that human "colds" are transmitted. The airborne organisms will be carried in the air in microscopically tiny water vapor or dust particles. The airborne organisms, if inhaled by a susceptible dog, can attach to the lining of the trachea and upper airway passages, find a warm, moist surface on which to reside and replicate, and eventually damage the cells they infect.
The reason this disease seems so common, and is even named "Kennel" cough, is that wherever there are numbers of dogs confined together in an enclosed environment, such as a kennel, animal shelter, or indoor dog show, the disease is much more likely to be spread. The same is true with the "colds" spread from human to human ... they are much more likely to occur in a populated, enclosed environment such as an airplane, elevator, or Even a chance encounter with a carrier of Kennel Cough can transmit the disease. office.
All it takes for contagion to occur is a single source (infected dog), an enclosed environment, and susceptible individuals in close proximity to the source of the infection. Infected dogs can spread the organisms for days to weeks even after seeming to have fully recovered!
Even in the most hygienic, well ventilated, spacious kennels the possibility of a dog acquiring Kennel Cough exists. Kennel Cough can be acquired from your neighbor's dog, from a Champion show dog at a dog show, from the animal hospital where your dog just came in for treatment of a cut paw. So try not to blame the kennel operator if your dog develops Kennel Cough shortly after that weekend stay at the kennel! There may have been an infected dog, unknown to anyone, that acted as a source for other dogs in the kennel.
Many dogs will have protective levels of immunity to Kennel Cough via minor exposures to the infective organisms and simply will not acquire the disease even if exposed. Other dogs that may never have had immunizing subtle exposures will be susceptible to the Bordetella bacteria and associated viruses and develop the signs of coughing and hacking.
Many dogs that contract Kennel Cough will display only minor signs of coughing that may last seven to ten days and will not require any medication at all. The majority of dogs with the disease continue to eat, sleep, play and act normally -- except for that annoying, dry, non-productive coughing that seems so persistent.
It is, however, always a good idea to have any dog examined if coughing is noticed because some very serious respiratory diseases such as Blastomycosis, Valley Fever, Heartworms and even cardiac disease might display similar sounding coughing. Your veterinarian, through a careful physical exam and questioning regarding the dog's recent environment, will be able to establish if the dog's respiratory signs are from kennel Cough or some other respiratory insult.
Treatment is generally limited to symptomatic relief of the coughing with non-prescription, and occasionally prescription, cough suppressants. If the dog is running a fever or there seems to be a persistent and severe cough, antibiotics are occasionally utilized to assist the dog in recovering from Kennel Cough. It can happen that secondary bacterial invaders will complicate a case of Kennel Cough and prolong the recovery and severely affect the upper airway. Therefore, the use of antibiotics is determined on an individual basis.
Many dogs, exposed to all sorts and numbers of other dogs, will never experience the effects of Canine Cough. Some dog owners, though, prefer to take advantage of the current vaccines available that are quite effective in preventing the disease. Usually these dog owners will have to board, show, field trial, or otherwise expose their dog to populations of other canines.
Since the chances of exposure and subsequent infection rise as the dog comes in close proximity with other dogs, the decision to vaccinate or not to vaccinate varies with each individual circumstance. Generally, if your dog is not boarded or going to field trials or dog shows, you may not have a high level of need for vaccinating your dog against Kennel Cough.
Conversely, if you plan to board your dog, or protect it from exposure, remember to vaccinate a few weeks prior to potential exposure to allow full protective immunity to build up.
If your dog happens to acquire Kennel Cough, it will then have some immunity to subsequent exposures. The length of time these natural exposures and the vaccinations will produce protective immunity will vary greatly. How often to vaccinate seems to have a subjective and elusive answer.
Be aware that vaccinating with just the commercial Kennel Cough vaccine alone (contains only the Bordetella agent) may not be fully protective because of the other infectious agents that are involved with producing the disease. Some of the other agents such as Parainfluenza and Adenovirus are part of the routine multivalent vaccinations generally given yearly to dogs.
The intra-nasal Bordetella vaccine may produce immunity slightly faster than the injectable vaccine if the dog has never been previously vaccinated for Kennel Cough.
It is generally assumed that the intranasal route of inoculation works the fastest in getting protective levels of immunity established. However, studies have indicated that in dogs that have been previously immunized by either the intranasal or injectable route and that have some level of immunity already present, vaccination by the injectable route actually boosts immunity faster than the intranasal route.
When the injectable vaccine is given as an annual booster (to boost any immune levels already present) the maximum effects of the vaccine will be achieved five days after the vaccination.
So when should the intranasal route be utilized? Some veterinarians suggest that it be used only in unvaccinated dogs and in young pups receiving their first vaccination. In these unvaccinated animals the first immunization would be via the intranasal route and then two additional inoculations by the injectable route are given. Then yearly injectable inoculations are given to enhance the protective levels of immunity.
Below is the best article I found on the condition, it does however say, "it is an unproductive cough", I beg to differ on that point!
It is a great inconvenience to everyone, my entire circle of friends dogs seem to be coming down with it. It started from what I know at a dog show and an agility trial. Some of those dogs came to the Red Deer dog show before showing symptoms, then some of those dogs came to the Lethbridge show where my dogs went.
Poor Kort was only there 1 day and he is the one having the most problems, Lync and Ash were there all 3 days. At any rate I am very tired, I don't do tired very well, I woke up this morning before 4 am. Kort kept me up all night, with the occasional hacking from Lync, so I figured I should just get up as I wasn't getting any sleep anyway.
I couldn't feed Lync yesterday as he kept vomiting, even some bread of the I tried wouldn't stay down . He had a bit of food this morning and so far so good, I will feed him again at lunch then supper again if he keeps it down.
Some of my friends dogs have not gotten the cough and I certainly hope it stays that way for them, I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
What is Kennel Cough?
Clinical cases of Kennel Cough are usually caused by several infectious agents working together to damage and irritate the lining of the dog's trachea and upper bronchii. The damage to the tracheal lining is fairly superficial, but exposes nerve endings that become irritated simply by the passage of air over the damaged tracheal lining. Once the organisms are eliminated the tracheal lining will heal rapidly.
The most common organisms associated with Canine Cough are the bacteria called Bordetella bronchiseptica and two viruses called Parainfluenza virus and Adenovirus and even an organism called Mycoplasma.
Kennel Cough in dogs will stimulate a coarse, dry, hacking cough about three to seven days after the dog is initially infected. It sounds as if the dog needs to "clear his throat" and the cough will be triggered by any extra activity or exercise.
Many dogs that acquire Kennel Cough will cough every few minutes, all day long. Their general state of health and alertness will be unaffected, they usually have no rise in temperature, and do not lose their appetite.
The signs of Canine Cough usually will last from 7 to 21 days and can be very annoying for the dog and the dog's owners.
Life-threatening cases of Kennel Cough are extremely rare and a vast majority of dogs that acquire the infection will recover on their own with no medication.
How is Kennel Cough Transmitted?
The causative organisms can be present in the expired air of an infected dog, much the same way that human "colds" are transmitted. The airborne organisms will be carried in the air in microscopically tiny water vapor or dust particles. The airborne organisms, if inhaled by a susceptible dog, can attach to the lining of the trachea and upper airway passages, find a warm, moist surface on which to reside and replicate, and eventually damage the cells they infect.
The reason this disease seems so common, and is even named "Kennel" cough, is that wherever there are numbers of dogs confined together in an enclosed environment, such as a kennel, animal shelter, or indoor dog show, the disease is much more likely to be spread. The same is true with the "colds" spread from human to human ... they are much more likely to occur in a populated, enclosed environment such as an airplane, elevator, or Even a chance encounter with a carrier of Kennel Cough can transmit the disease. office.
All it takes for contagion to occur is a single source (infected dog), an enclosed environment, and susceptible individuals in close proximity to the source of the infection. Infected dogs can spread the organisms for days to weeks even after seeming to have fully recovered!
Even in the most hygienic, well ventilated, spacious kennels the possibility of a dog acquiring Kennel Cough exists. Kennel Cough can be acquired from your neighbor's dog, from a Champion show dog at a dog show, from the animal hospital where your dog just came in for treatment of a cut paw. So try not to blame the kennel operator if your dog develops Kennel Cough shortly after that weekend stay at the kennel! There may have been an infected dog, unknown to anyone, that acted as a source for other dogs in the kennel.
Many dogs will have protective levels of immunity to Kennel Cough via minor exposures to the infective organisms and simply will not acquire the disease even if exposed. Other dogs that may never have had immunizing subtle exposures will be susceptible to the Bordetella bacteria and associated viruses and develop the signs of coughing and hacking.
How is it Kennel Cough Treated?
Many dogs that contract Kennel Cough will display only minor signs of coughing that may last seven to ten days and will not require any medication at all. The majority of dogs with the disease continue to eat, sleep, play and act normally -- except for that annoying, dry, non-productive coughing that seems so persistent.
It is, however, always a good idea to have any dog examined if coughing is noticed because some very serious respiratory diseases such as Blastomycosis, Valley Fever, Heartworms and even cardiac disease might display similar sounding coughing. Your veterinarian, through a careful physical exam and questioning regarding the dog's recent environment, will be able to establish if the dog's respiratory signs are from kennel Cough or some other respiratory insult.
Treatment is generally limited to symptomatic relief of the coughing with non-prescription, and occasionally prescription, cough suppressants. If the dog is running a fever or there seems to be a persistent and severe cough, antibiotics are occasionally utilized to assist the dog in recovering from Kennel Cough. It can happen that secondary bacterial invaders will complicate a case of Kennel Cough and prolong the recovery and severely affect the upper airway. Therefore, the use of antibiotics is determined on an individual basis.
How is Kennel Cough Prevented?
Many dogs, exposed to all sorts and numbers of other dogs, will never experience the effects of Canine Cough. Some dog owners, though, prefer to take advantage of the current vaccines available that are quite effective in preventing the disease. Usually these dog owners will have to board, show, field trial, or otherwise expose their dog to populations of other canines.
Since the chances of exposure and subsequent infection rise as the dog comes in close proximity with other dogs, the decision to vaccinate or not to vaccinate varies with each individual circumstance. Generally, if your dog is not boarded or going to field trials or dog shows, you may not have a high level of need for vaccinating your dog against Kennel Cough.
Conversely, if you plan to board your dog, or protect it from exposure, remember to vaccinate a few weeks prior to potential exposure to allow full protective immunity to build up.
If your dog happens to acquire Kennel Cough, it will then have some immunity to subsequent exposures. The length of time these natural exposures and the vaccinations will produce protective immunity will vary greatly. How often to vaccinate seems to have a subjective and elusive answer.
Be aware that vaccinating with just the commercial Kennel Cough vaccine alone (contains only the Bordetella agent) may not be fully protective because of the other infectious agents that are involved with producing the disease. Some of the other agents such as Parainfluenza and Adenovirus are part of the routine multivalent vaccinations generally given yearly to dogs.
The intra-nasal Bordetella vaccine may produce immunity slightly faster than the injectable vaccine if the dog has never been previously vaccinated for Kennel Cough.
It is generally assumed that the intranasal route of inoculation works the fastest in getting protective levels of immunity established. However, studies have indicated that in dogs that have been previously immunized by either the intranasal or injectable route and that have some level of immunity already present, vaccination by the injectable route actually boosts immunity faster than the intranasal route.
When the injectable vaccine is given as an annual booster (to boost any immune levels already present) the maximum effects of the vaccine will be achieved five days after the vaccination.
So when should the intranasal route be utilized? Some veterinarians suggest that it be used only in unvaccinated dogs and in young pups receiving their first vaccination. In these unvaccinated animals the first immunization would be via the intranasal route and then two additional inoculations by the injectable route are given. Then yearly injectable inoculations are given to enhance the protective levels of immunity.
Friday, November 20, 2015
2 years already!
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| Brad and I on our 20th anniversary this year :) |
I haven't worked since that day. I have suffered clinical depression/anxiety ever since but am finally digging myself out of that !! I have been looking for work but not successful so far , I think it will be a good idea to do something outside of the house finally. I enjoy my days at home with the boys but it would be nice to socialize with adults too lol !
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Lync's Official Photo
Here is Lync's Professional photo from his 4thin Group win! Still flying high over the win :)
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| Ch Blazingstar Galwey WC CGN HIC and his breeder Liz Saunders |
Monday, November 16, 2015
Dog Show
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| Making Ash look Handsome! |
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| Waiting to enter the ring |
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| Handsome Lync in the ring, taken by Amanda Labadie |
Saturday, Ash took Reserve, Lync was pulled for Group but ended just out of the ribbons in 5th place, Kort was shown in Veterans Obedience and came away with a 197/200 and a Highest Score in Class !! He was so happy to be in the ring again and he did so well for me!
Sunday, Ash took the point again so he is now up to 6 points. Lync not only took the Breed but he took a 4th in Group as well!! sooooooooooooooo exciting! It was a very strong group so I was extra excited!
I over did things last week, bathing and drying each of the dogs, then grooming them and showing them on Friday, I could barely move come Saturday. I asked my friend Pat Kopec to show Ash for me, and Lync's breeder came and showed Lync for me. I am feeling somewhat better today but still have pressure in my chest from my old van accident injury, I'm going to ask for a MRI to see just what is going on and why I still have so much pain from a 2 year old injury.
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| In the Group Ring, taken by Amanda Labadie |
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| A happy Breeder and Owner ! |
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Dog Show Weekend
It's finally the weekend of the local dog show, I have gotten all 3 boys bathed and ready, my van is packed with all my dog show stuff and I'm pretty much ready to go! Tonight is a Rent A ring so I will take Ash in and run him around a bit, get him used the the show building, I will also walk him around a bit to get used to all the dogs and new sites. I should actually bring Kort and practice a sit stay but I want to put all my attention on Ash as he is the new guy.
I have Liz to show Lync on Saturday and in the breed on Sunday then I will show him in the group. It takes alot of stress off me having her to show him , it gives me more time to work with Ash and groom him, and not have to rush into the Sporting ring to show Lync. I hope Ash is a good boy and doesn't bark too much.
Set up starts at 2 pm so I will go a bit earlier to unload all my dog stuff, find my spot and set it up, Ash can stay in the van until I do. Here is a picture of the boys all groomed up and ready!, so handsome :)
I have Liz to show Lync on Saturday and in the breed on Sunday then I will show him in the group. It takes alot of stress off me having her to show him , it gives me more time to work with Ash and groom him, and not have to rush into the Sporting ring to show Lync. I hope Ash is a good boy and doesn't bark too much.
Set up starts at 2 pm so I will go a bit earlier to unload all my dog stuff, find my spot and set it up, Ash can stay in the van until I do. Here is a picture of the boys all groomed up and ready!, so handsome :)
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Puppies!
Lync's breeder Liz has a new litter of puppies, they are now about 7 weeks old ! I have been visiting them since they were just 3 days old :) I always feel very close to the litters because of it and they know me which is fun in of itself. Yesterday they had their temperament tests done by Amanda and I got to be a helper which was great fun and I learned alot by watching.
A month a ago I bought the litter a bunch of Halloween themed toys to be used for their October portraits, Liz does weekly portraits of her litters.
Here are the results, enjoy!
A month a ago I bought the litter a bunch of Halloween themed toys to be used for their October portraits, Liz does weekly portraits of her litters.
Here are the results, enjoy!
Monday, November 2, 2015
Tate
One Year Later.......
How I have missed you, your gentle nature, your calm mature presence, your silly bark, your "take my own sweet time", to do anything attitude. How did a year go by without you?
Lots of changes, mom died, remember how you would steal her oven mitts or tea towels when we went there, just because they smelled like roast, we have a new puppy, we got him because of you....he was born with a big black neck just like yours, and funny thing, he steals tea towels....
Miss you everyday Tater Dog , always remembered, always loved, always in my heart.....
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Church
I finally did it! I went to church :) I have been meaning to for quite some time now and just never managed to get there. I picked the Southminster United Church, it is one of the oldest churches in Lethbridge,
Here it is back before we even had a paved road where it sits!
Here it is now .....
The Pastor is very young and came and introduced himself to me right away, his sermon was very uplifting and not all boring , I think I'll stick around awhile :)
Here it is back before we even had a paved road where it sits!
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