Having woken up to a freezing cold, somewhat wintry day I am counting myself lucky having seen the news and the weather Scotland and Ireland and facing. Hope our friends up in the North are keeping warm and safe. My thoughts are with the families who have children on the school bus that has crashed. Just ridiculous weather for Easter.

Elspeth I hope you are OK, well done on passing your exams, your hard work has paid off, very pleased for you. Cuddles to you and Ceilidh.

Hello! and sorry for not being on in ages!

Sorry I have not been on here in ages, been working very hard on both Ceilidh and uni. Will update on both below but before I forget: All lovely pictures from everyone, Ali the babies are soooo cute! What a gorgeous litter. Ceilidh had a red rash on her skin that took ages to clear up last year. I had had her washed for Crufts and by the time we got to London she was scratching like there was no tomorrow. I washed her down with cool water several times and gave her antihistamine until we got home to get to her vet. She was tested for allergies for everything and nothing turned up. I still believe it was something in the shampoo used when washing her but she was cleared of everything that the vet can test for allergy wise. He also said for girls it can also be triggered by hormones on very rare occurances. She has been fine since then too. Have you changed any products that you use around the house or even shampoo for dogs? Sure that si something you have thought of and been asked already but just a thought.
Anyway, all this hard work is paying off. Passed my first year of uni with a distinction, and Ceilidh is amazing on walks now. Have been doing extra work on her recall and getting her not to chase birds etc. She is now just watching the birds and keeps running back to me for lots of praise for not running after them. Still not 100% on Deer which seem to be everywhere now too so a bit of work needs done there but what a difference. Her recall was good before but if a bird was right infront of her she would still stick on the cloth ears for a few moments. Eamonn is going to make some bits and bobs for the garden for starting a bit of agility with her too so really looking forward to getting that done, and the weather to perk up so we can get out to do it.
Hope everyone is well :)

Hi Kathy - very interesting thank you. We now have the James Wellbeloved treats and Dodger's still on his Skinners Duck & Rice which is hypoallergenic. He's booked in on Tuesday with the vet for a blood test to test for allergies.

Having talked it through we're going for the full screen for environment as well as food to see whether it shows anything. It'll take 7-10days to come back once he's had the blood taken, and hopefully it'll maybe show us something.

Went to another pet store today which has vegetable treats which are hypoallergenic and just vegetables so bought Dodger a hedgehog and a crocodile to munch on. Also managed to get a rice bone which is designed for dog's with sensitive tummy's and a pig's ear which is also made of rice and vegetables.

Will let you know how it goes at the vets and once we get some results through. Fingers crossed we're almost there to knowing something.

The Magnificent 7

Bree Ziggy

Clover / Logan

Uhu - Coco Pip / Chumleigh

Domino / Lola

Misty

The babies last week with me, can't quite believe it, the time has flown by, as said many times before they are such a smashing bunch so sweet. Going to miss them but also happy to see them go as they need the individual attention. Summer is thankfully a lot better, she will miss them and I am glad she will have Bree to mother. Busy getting puppy packs finished now.

Thanks Kathy, it's funny how these things can happen and how although the symptoms maybe the same triggers can be different, Gertie was allergic to eggs wasn't she Kathy? Did you give her weetabix too? If I remember correctly Gertie had very red and sore skin, I have used James Wellbeloved food but I found mine got hyper on it, I am lucky as none of mine have any dietary problems, I do wonder how much of the problems I hear about now a days is due to the chemicals we all use around the home, poor Cassies problem are linked to chemical cleaning products such as Febreze, and Cassie's problem is life threatening, poor girl. When Andrew and I were in Devon he ran a pet food company along with his father, they made such foods as James Wellbeloved, Burns, Pet City, and I marketed our own brand, 'Berties' so we are lucky enough to know exactly what goes into these diets and can make informed choices. Anyhow fingers crossed Dodger continues to head in the right way. I truly believe that some of these 'high tech' diets are just too much for Munster's.

Hi

re Dodger's problems. i have had problems with Gertie's feeding since she was a pup- she had red skin, diarrhorea and was so hyper you couldn't believe, but eventually I put her on a completely hypoallergenic diet of james Wellbeloved food- complete dry food, pouches and treats ( crackerjacks and Minijacks) which is what she's been on for about ten months. her skin condition improved, her coat is lovely and she's much much calmer than she was. i'm sure she is sensitive to wheat gluten, so any treats ( including sausages) I give her are wheat gluten free, and she has been fine for months now. As far as the squits is concerned, I always have Pro-Kolin so can dose her immediately anything nasty raises it's head. With this feeding regime, I have had no problems for some time now- hope this info is of some use, all I can say is that it worked for gertie
Kathy

Well done Dee Dee

Hi everyone, congratulations Dee Dee - that's amazing news. Very impressive. Somehow at the moment I struggle to think of Dodger being able to compete, his attention span is somewhat interesting and often short. He'll need some more training before we even think of such things.

Ali I've been out studying labels like you wouldn't believe! Nature Diet Sensitive says it's gluten free and only lists salmon and prawn, rice, vegetables, some herbs and vitamins. Smells a lot though, so it's not getting Neil's vote.

Have had a sample of the Skinners Salmon on through the post for him to try, which he did earlier, I mixed it in with his existing biscuit and he ate it all. Today's been a bit hit and miss, some solid, some not - so back to just biscuit which is why I added the new one - just to make it interesting and see if he'd eat it.

I think I will try to keep him on his current biscuit whilst I investigate testing for allergies and it does say it's wheat gluten free, so thinking that should be OK, he's just not massively interested in it when it's just biscuit in the bowl. Will try just adding the tuna maybe for a few days. Then maybe look at the salmon one once the current bag I've got is gone.

The only things we've done differently had been to give him a little of the Nature Diet and we gave him a bleached rawhide bone - other than that I can see no reason for the mild relapse. Unless of course he's been eating leaves in the garden again!

I've been out and got some James Wellbeloved treats for him as they seem to be one of the only brands that do treats without wheat in them, so we'll see how he gets on with those. Also got some Feelwells pre-biotic treats as well as they are supposed to help aid digestion and are wheat free too.

Keeping a food diary as you suggested Ali to see whether there's any correlation between what's going in and what's coming out.

Overall though he's a lot more settled which is good. Just need to find his perfect balance now to keep his tummy happy.

Congratulations

Well done Dee Dee and Sandra, what a great result and for your first show too. Daddy is very pleased, I told him after we got off the phone Sandra and he said to say he is very proud!!!! Glad to hear De De is paying her way too! :-)

Lins so glad that the food is helping and already, when you rang yesterday I had thought it was someone else hence my odd/somewhat relieved voice when I answered and realised it as you, glad to of been of help anyway!

Kat I would leave Dodger on the same diet at the moment but I would steer away from processed meats as they are bound to have cereal in, go for fish, like the Tuna in Spring water, the sort of fish we discussed. I sometimes use natures diet but not sure if the sensitive have cereals in so double check. If you do need to alter the Duck and rice them try the one Lins is using, the Skinners Salmon one, I am going to use if for a change for my lot as it is high in oil and lower in protein. Anyway happy to help and keep me posted, you know where I am if you need me.

Well done Sandra & Deedee that is great news

Dee Dee's first Show

Not long got back from Goyt Valley Gundog Open Show, it was Dee Dee's first show and at only six months old yesterday I had no expectations, it was just to introduce her to showing, and not too far to travel.
Well she handled it all very well, not at all phased by all the other dogs, she was 1st in Junior, and BPIB and BOB.
I had also entered her in the Any Variety Gundog Minor Puppy class, which was under a different judge, and she came first in that as well.
Really pleased with her for a first outing, four rosettes and also two vouchers for Royal Canin dog food, and as my dogs are on RC they will come in very handy.
She is fast asleep now with her head on the cat !!!!

Thanks for the update on Dodger, glad to hear he is on the mend, lets hope now that you have an idea of what he is allergic to he will be better from now on. I think upset tummy's are quite common in puppies, but it can be very worrying especially when it takes a while to clear up.
Sounds like the new vet and Ali have done all the right things, so give him a big get better hug from us.

Kat

I've been having problems with a skin rash on Bailey's tummy. I tried all sorts, changing his diet to a wheat & gluten free chicken and rice biscuit. But yesterday tried him on the skinners salmon hypo-allergenic, amazingly it seems to have had a good effect on his rash already, after only 2 meals! Not the same problem as dodger, but so far I can recommend it.......

Hi everyone sorry to hear abuot Dodger and Summer being ill hope they are quickly on the mend. I wonder if any one knows the answer to this puzzle.Since Troy turned 2 last month he has become a different dog not that he was really naughty any waybut he is just too good to be true. He no longer goes hell for leather after other dogs to say hello and answers the whistle first time every time it is amazing. The test was this weekend Noman has been away so it is just me and Troy usually we set off on our walk then Troy decides he has lost one of us and goes back to the car with me in hot persuit to look for dad so we end up having a walk on lead .Not this weekend he stayed with me all the time obeying all commands what has happened can any one say is he just trying to lull us into a false sense of security or is it for real. He is a brilliant dog anyway and we love him to bits so this seems to be the icing on the cake.

Dodger update

Ali the puppies look so wonderfully lovely - although looking at Dodger now, hard to believe he was ever that small. I have photos to prove it, but sometimes I wonder how he got so big so quickly.

On Dodger, pleased to say he's well on his way to being back to normal. Thank you so much Ali for all your help, suggestions, support and soothing words.

After a week and a half on chicken, rice, pasta, scrambled eggs and various other very bland things, we've gradually reintroduced his normal biscuit into his diet and his poo has finally returned to solid. He's been on a pre-biotic for the past few days and that seems to have helped.

All his test results so far have come back normal, just waiting on two others, although both of those are highly contagious so don't think they are likely to show anything. Especially as he's back to normal now.

Having discussed all the options with Ali and the vet we think it's most likely that he's got an allergy to something - possibly wheat. So we've gone back to our normal biscuit for the moment which is wheat free and cut out everything which could cause him a problem.

Today I have given him a little of the Nature Diet Sensitive meat, as convincing him to eat just biscuit every day is proving difficult. So I added a little and mashed it in well, so it coated the biscuit and he can't separate it so has to eat it all, and did.

Long term we're considering swapping him onto Skinner's Sensitive - there's 3 options of salmon, chicken or lamb. All gluten free and designed for dogs with allergies, however we're going to investigate with the vet whether there's a test he can have to check to see what he may be allergic to. Does anyone know if this sort of test exists for dogs?

He seems very much happier in himself though. A lot more settled, not itching as much and had some a good sleep last night and today. We went for a short walk today as well, which he loved. Bounding in and out of the sea in a bid to try and catch the birds. He's not any good at even getting close to them, but it's hilarious watching him try.

Will keep you posted on how he gets on over the next few weeks. As he got better last time, then a few weeks later he was back to liquisquits again, so hopefully this time we'll work out the cause and help to stop it.

Thanks Tessa and Sandra and yes I do spend far too much time watching, cuddling and playing with them, in fact Uhu. Coco watched Harry potter with me this afternoon, sparko upside down in my arms with Bree, Ziggy and Clover sprawled on my lap whilst I was sat on the floor, lovely except I was so stiff afterwards Andrew had to hoist me up!!!!

I have to admit I haven't spoken, emailed or rung anyone for Ziggy yet, naughty I know but she is just so gorgeous, I will have to get on to it tomorrow as Andrew will divorce me if I keep two, but there again........... Only joking Andrew ;-)

As they have been so gentle and easy I keep forgetting how old they are, so tomorrow I will do it!!!! Promise, she is just so sweet. Bree is definitely staying though and already knows it, such a cheeky madam, we had a rare moment here where Andrew, James and I all got to sit down and watch a movie, (Harry Potter!!) we had the lounge door open into the dining room and the dogs just mooched, at one time we had the 8 Adults, 4 cats and 7 puppies all inter twined, so sweet and very peaceful, Bree loves her Daddy and her favorite spot is asleep snuggled up in his hairy chest!, Tinker was in the middle of a pile of babies cuddling all very cosy.

Summer is a bit better, her temperature is down by a degree but still high, she is eating again now and her boobs aren't so lumpy, poor girl it doesn't stop her cuddling up with her babies and they are very gentle on her so that's lucky.

As for Dodger, Kat and I have had a good conflab over the boy, and Kat has now got a plan of action, will be speaking to her tomorrow, Kat changed her Vets which I think was good as can you imagine this...... Puppy has water for poo totally liquid and her old Vet told her to take away the water bowl for the night so it would dry him up????????????????? Ummmmm I can't put on here what I said as not X rated but can you imagine how dehydrated poor Dodger would of got, so dangerous I couldn't believe it, oh and no liquid in the food either, I suppose that's one way to dry him up, dehydrate him so he can't produce any poo or urine. Oh and Tessa, he hasn't any problems with his waterworks, fully house trained and dry through the night after about 10 days of Kat having him, so at least that sort of problem can be ruled out.

What lovely photos of the babies. Love the one of them with Tinker - what an incredibly patient cat and so nice to see then playing together. Have you found a home for the little girl yet?
I sooooo wish the time was right for us - I do like the sound of a 'chilled' 'laid back' Munster.
I hope Summer is feeling better - I too can remember what that felt like.

Gosh !!! The babies have really grown Ali, and they all look really chunky lovely puppies, so much fun at that stage, I used to spend ages just watching them play, my lot are six months old today, where did the time go.
Sorry to hear that Summer has been poorly, hope she is feeling much better and more comfortable now.
Loved all the recent pictures, and the one's of the Munster up a tree and giving Mum and Dad a bath were so funny.

Any word on Dodger yet ? Hope his tum has now recovered and he is also feeling better.

Gentle babies

Thanks Karen, they are a gorgeous bunch and i am very proud of them, so nice to know that not only was my trip to Sweden great because of our Eternal babies but also they are healthy and Darcy has produced a gorgeous litter. They are actually quite the opposite to a handful, so very laid back and gentle, none of them hang of your trouser legs or beat up the big dogs or cats. In fact they are so gentle and sweet the big dogs actually ask to go in with them to play cuddle. You can actually go into their room and leave the door open without them all bombing out and everywhere. They are lickers not biters!!!! The time has flown by and where I am usually ready for them to go I shall miss them all a lot!!!

I had Bree out with my lot upstairs for a bit last night and she was so good, didn't want to sit with me but on the floor with the big dogs, and she played with her Dad and then cuddled up with Mummy and went to sleep. They are just so gentle and cute. Why is it when you have a sweet quiet lot you only have 7 and when they are big characters and more active you end up with 15!!! Maybe it is a numbers thing?!? Having said all that the Eternals were sweet and so were Summer's last babies, but these just seem so Gentle, I think my theme for their kennel names is going to be perfect plus it's taken as a tribute to Tarka.

By the way don't get me wrong they are playful too and very confident too, just gentle with it!

Can't believe how big the puppies are Ali - they have grown so much. Love the photos, they are looking like quite a handful now. Sorry to hear Summer had mastitis - I know how painful that is, had it myself a long time ago. She looks very proud of her babies though not surprisingly!

Puppy Pics, lots of them!!

The Magnificent 7!!

Ziggy- king of the castle! Feeding time!!!! A social time.

Poor Summer, it makes your eyes water doesn't it!

Proud Mummy

Uhu - Coco

Clover and Ziggy play with Tinker!

Playtime with James

Uhu who is to be Coco

Clover who will be Logan

Ziggy, prime spot!

Butter wouldn't melt!

Bree and her Teddy

Domino / Lola

Pip / Chumleigh cuddled up with Mum and then along comes Ziggy!

Misty

Nap time

Domino/Lola cuddles up!

Pip gets comfy after her tea which she sat in and got a soggy bum, yummmm

Tinker adores the babies

Dinner time, but they are so laid back they eat lying down! It's a hard life!

Poor Summer isn't very well, she has a mild mastitis which is not nice for her and a pain as we are obviously weaning and now she needs draining every so often, poor girl had me very worried last night very high temperature and obviously not well, but she seems brighter tonight since she started her medication, poor girl not been an easy time for her. Spay time once she has fully recovered me thinks.

Want to go ouuuuuuut!

Sandra, great pictures of Louis and Brodie - that water looked like a lot of fun! Also great photos of Duke and Duchess up the tree Joanne! Don't seem many Munsters up trees here)lol

Sorry to hear about Dodger Kat - hope it clears up soon. Can't offer much help on that front I'm afraid. We do get the occasional days of runny poos but not too suprised by the amount they scavange when out on walks - Elsa is forever digging and sticking her head down a hole. Usually it clears up on it's own without me doing anything though. Must be hard when it carries on.

Ali, the puppies have grown so much, looking really chunky now - going to beautiful dogs. Not much happening here as you can see by the look on Elsa's face. She is sulking cos I made her wait a bit longer for her walk this afternoon.

Dodger

Poor Dodger, If I were you I would have him tested for Campylobacter and Giardia. Both can easily be picked up and are common causes for persistent diarrhoea . If you have cats come into your garden a lot then Giardia would be my guess, it is a parasite, that lives just inside the bowel, normal worming doesn't get rid of it, but it is easy to treat, a three day course of Panacur will get rid of it. IT is easy to get bogged down in looking too deep for a reason of upset tummy. It could be the diet but I would want to do the two tests first. The Duck and Rice is a hypo allergenic diet and sometimes, (although not always) a dietry allergy is often accompanied by other symptoms such as hot skin, or red sore skin and itching. From what I have seen of Dodger he has a beautiful shin coat which would say to me it is not food orientated. Please do not misunderstand me it could be dietry but I would first of all have the two tests done, very simply a stool sample into your vets and you should have the results in 24 hours. Campylobacter is a bacteria which can cause food poisoning, and carried in a lot of animals stools, so again so easy to pick up. Antibiotics are the answer there so long as they are the correct antibiotic.

I would hang on for 24 hours and see what the results show and then give me a call, if he hasn't got either of those things we can then look at his diet, there are some very good diets he can go on to but I truly would leave him as he is until the tests are done, otherwise you could be in danger of exacerbating the problem. I am around all week so just give me a call Kat. I know I mentioned Giardia to you last time he was poorly so maybe he has been tested, was he?

Sorry to hear poor Dodger is still poorly Kat. It may be an idea to take in a urine sample as well as a stool sample. Evie was very poorly as a puppy and although Dodgers condition is probably totally unrelated to Evies my experience has shown me not just to look at the obvious i.e his upset stomach. You mentioned he has started to wee in his crate - it may be worth checking he hasn't got a urine infection.
Our Flat Coat Murphy had very bad gastroenteritis when he was 3 months old and we nearly lost him. For a long time after that it took me quite a while to find a food that suited him. Duck is quite a rich source of protein so maybe something lighter like chicken or fish and rice based foods may suit him better. The food that has worked wonders for Murphy is Burns Pork and Potato for sensitive stomachs but other brands do foods for sensitive stomachs or dogs with dietary intolerances. Our friends pointer always had digestive problems and they finally got him settled on cheap and cheerful gusto for working dogs so I guess it is just finding something that suits your dog.
I do hope you get him settled soon as I know how worrying it is when you can't seem to find an answer and you have a poorly pup. Atleast he is a good weight so keep positive and you will get him sorted.
Lovely pictures from everyone. Wish the time was right for us Ali as I would love to have baby ziggy - they all look lovely!

Dodger's poorly tummy

Hi all, hope you're all well? The photos of the new puppies Ali look amazing - makes me want a play mate for Dodger even more.

Poor Dodger however is a week into his second week of diarrhea in the past couple of months. Bless him, at first he was going out constantly with little bits, now it's less frequent, but there's a lot of very soft stools.

We've changed vets, and they seem lovely. We've been twice in the last week as they're keeping an eye on him closely. We've been told to put him on a bland diet, although he's mostly refusing to eat anything other than bits of chicken, scrambled egg or white fish. Rice - not interested just snuffles it out of the way. They suggested some pasta which he did seem to eat once covered in the yummy bits, but a week on he's not interested any more.

He's had an antibiotic injection and they've sent off a stool sample for checking - so we're now watching him closely and waiting for the results.

Worried though as to what it could be that upsets his tummy. We feed him Skinners Duck & Rice which we've had from the beginning. To go with it we have Wainrights Lamb or Turkey. He doesn't eat lots of treats and doesn't tend to eat anything than the odd leaf in the back garden occasionally.

When we go on walks he doesn't pick anything up - lots of sniffing at things but that's it and he stays within eyesight pretty much all the time. It's only when attempting to chase the birds he goes a little further - but then returns instantly all excited so no time there for any munching on something naughty.

So hoping knowing how much more experienced you all are whether there are any suggestions. Could it be the biscuit - would it be worth changing to a different one? Could it be the meat - should we change it or reduce or stop it? Could it be something that he's picked up from other dogs?

Any suggestions would be really welcome as it is constantly worrying us.

He seems mostly his usual bouncy self. Bit more clingy and is whining quite a lot more than normal for seemingly no reason. He's finding it more difficult to settle, lots of fidgeting too. He's also weeing in his crate sometimes during the night which he hadn't done in ages.

We've tried fasting him for 12 hours - but that's about his maximum. More than that and he just whines and refuses to settle or sleep.

We weighed him last week and he's a healthy 30kg, so thankfully he hasn't lost any weight during this time of being poorly - but it doesn't seem to solve the problem.

Look forward to hearing your thoughts and huge thanks in advance

What a great picture Joanne, tree climbing Munsterlanders, now there is definitely no getting away from them!!! Brilliant!

The pair look gorgeous, very fit and well. Have they had a dip in the swimming pool yet this year?

As I said to you the other day, once we are finally sorted in at Mudlarks you should fly over and stay, then you can come out and meet everyone, especially if we time it when I have a litter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take care x x

Sharon your two boys look great too and boy don't they just know how to soak Mum and Dad. My lot love to dry their heads off on my legs every time, one dog is OK but 9 I am drenched!!!

Had a busy few days, meeting up with excited puppy owners who have been over to choose their baby. All done with Ziggy to sort now, but then I wouldn't mind if she stayed as well!!!!!!!! Summer and Darcy have enjoyed showing off their babies and Darcy was only too happy to show everyone how he is a modern day Father and even washes babies bottoms!!!! Summer is busy weaning them and now has more milk than she ever has!!!

Been a long time!

Just wanted to say hello to everyone, I haven't been on in a long while, however I have been keeping in touch with Ali and a few others on facebook. Duke, Duchess and Elly May are all doing fine here in Kelowna. We had a very mild winter with just a few weeks of snow. Spring is already here and the dogs have enjoyed many hikes in the mountains. Congratulations to everybody who placed at Crufts, I wish I could get that channel on my television. New puppies look happy and healthy. I am so jealous of all the people who get to have one! I'll try to keep in touch more often. Bye for now.
Joanne

A lesson on how to soak mum and dad ...

ok Louis, dip your body as deep as possible into the water just like me, this means you'll get really wet ...

Now exit the water as close as possible to mum and dad ...

Start shaking your body ....

Shake as fast as possible from the tip of your ears to the tip of your tail ...

Now run off quickly before they've time to give you a telling off ...

Now wasn't that fun!!

Brodie

Better late than never!!!

BABY PICTURES

Bree

Clover A bundle of babies!

Zigzag

Domino

Uhu

Pip

Misty