Dolyhir-BerneseMountainDogs...

Monday, 15 August 2011

Lungworm part two

No news Lucy, we will know what the blood tests say by the end of the week, but we do have news on the lung worm treatment after a chat with the Dolyhir Clan's vet. There is a treatment called Advocate which is also a general wormer, its a pour on and it prevents lung worm. It doesn't treat tape worm so the dogs have to have a separate wormer for that, but the bonus points are that Advocate also prevents or kills fleas. This means that the Frontline type flea treatment we use which costs a tidy sum, but for around £10 a dog we get the clan dosed up and protected from fleas, worms and lung worm. If you read the comments on yesterdays posting you will see that Liz, Fizz's owner also recommends a treatment and sadly knows of a young Berner who died from lung worm. Prevention is better than any cure so get and chat to your vet and act the advice given.

Sunday, 14 August 2011

Take note, Lungworm

Rocky, above, was due a visit from one of his ladies this weekend but we got a call saying Lucy was poorly. In fact very poorly, apparently Lucy was OK in the morning but when her owner returned found her really lethargic, foaming at the mouth, off her feet, dry gagging and following morning there was blood coming out of her nose. Poor Lucy was retching, not eating or drinking, in a real state. Vet was unsure what was wrong, took bloods, but gave her a lung work treatment as a precaution, steroids and antibiotics. Lucy now perked up a bit, has eaten some scrambled eggs and drunk some water. Now its not diagnosed as lungworm, yet. But a while ago, say four years, we raised with our vet the worry we had about lungworm, the vet pooh poohed the idea, lungworm, here, nah, the continent yes, but not here. However I have always thrown snails far into the militias fields and have decimated the slug population, not with poison but with a sharp knife and torch at night. Lungworm is passed on through dogs eating these creatures. IT has, as far as I know, gained a foothold in the south east of England and has spread to South Wales. Lucy is over West Wales way. I was horrified to discover yesterday that lungworm is passed on in fox pooh, our dogs love this foul smelling deposit. The good news is that the treatment, to prevent infestation is easy to apply, a pour on like the Frontline Flea prevention. Prevention is better than cure, so get on and treat your dog, we are getting our dogs sorted tomorrow!

The lure of buckets

Reuben falls for the lure of the magic blue bucket

Saturday, 13 August 2011

On show

We took Reuben to a local village show with half an idea of putting him in the ring, but the real plan was to get him used to crowds. The dog show was not a real one, ring classes for dog who looks most like owner, waggiest tail and so on. As there wasn't one for most mental we watched from the sidelines.

Boo soon got bored, but attracted quite a following as he was definitely the most handsome and certainly the biggest. Not many people believed he was a Welsh Border Collie, sensible people spoke to Tracey rather than me.

He did perk up when refreshments arrived and made a valiant attempt to finish Tracey's burger.

Friday, 12 August 2011

Which way did they go?!!

Bella watching the mayhem in the yard at breakfast

Tread carefully

Spotty disgusted at the mess left by the woolly backs. Good job we didn't step in it!

Thursday, 11 August 2011

Pond life

We are trying to keep Reuben clean for a show in September, lots of extra grooming and so on. He has other ideas. Here he is next to Rocky just after another dip in the pond.