Deerhound in general

Why It’s Important to Get Puppies Exercise

 

 

 

There are still breeders and owners who think that puppies should be protected by giving them or letting them take minimal exercise. A lot of research has been done in recent years and the opposite has now been proven.

When I see how many Deerhounds walk badly and have a wrong position, this can often be traced back to certain breeders who do not give their puppies the space they need. Puppies play and run for hours on end and then sleep for hours throughout the day. The space they need is of course dependent on their age, but you really can’t raise a puppy of 8 – 12 weeks on a piece of land of a few hundred square meters. Unlimited and unforced exercise is a ‘must’ for good, healthy Deerhounds.

 

This link with an interesting article about it comes from the Scottish Deerhound Learning Center facebook page;

 https://www.vetlessons.com/risk/exercise? fbclid=IwAR3zjqctGXzYFSKuRlObbCv2GdVsDqcWwkZoqah2_NiDaZ9PJRmoXDXbnpc

 

 

A little bit of everything and a trip to Finland.

 

At the beginning of this year I sent DNA from Vision and her sons and from Cytaugh and her puppies to America for research on Post Operative Bleeding Syndrome because I suspected that Vision died from this. After several weeks I got the results and it turned out that Vision did indeed have the genotype SERPF2-VAR, meaning she had the highest risk, as much as 500 times higher than hounds that have no risk or the SERPF2-WT genotype. Due to the bleeding after her operation, the supply of oxygen was not sufficient for the organs and the nervous system and kidneys can be damaged very easily by too little oxygen; the haemorrhages were thus the cause of the eventual renal failure.

 

Her sons, Cranston and Callaghan both have SERPF2-HET, meaning they are 25 times more likely to have bleeding after surgery or an accident. It is therefore important that the vet has the right medication on the shelf. Unfortunately, it turns out that you are not allowed to have that medication under your own management, so if you are on the road you have a problem.

Also two of Cytaugh’s puppies have the SERPF2-HET variant while Cytaugh himself has SERPF2-WT. The owners have of course been informed immediately so that they can inform their vets and I have also informed the owner of the father of the puppies.

I am very pleased that, in addition to Factor VII Deficiency, we now also have the opportunity to test the hounds for this bleeding disorder, Delayed Bleeding Sydrome (DBS – also called hyperfibrinolysis)). You can avoid a lot of trouble with it.

The commercial test is not yet on the market, but if necessary one can simply send a swap to America for research. Unfortunately, there are still breeders who do not even test for Factor VII, which is very irresponsible as it carries great risks. I therefore recommend that when you want to buy a puppy, you ask the breeder whether it has been tested for Factor VII  and DBS. You can read more about this via the following link, https://www.o-cockaigne.eu/?page_id=20680.

 

 

 

 

We were finally able to remove the caravan from under the caravan port in mid-March and muck it out. In the course of the winter it always becomes a kind of storage place and before you have everything back in place and cleaned, you are a day further. But in the course of Thursday morning 17 March, we could then leave for Lelystad where the first CC2000 event would take place. More than 50 hounds were registered and it was a very pleasant day with perfect weather for the hounds. It was very nice to see Mackenzie (and of course Bert and Mariëtte who belong) again and also Simone and Marco with Finn and Kick.

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately Charlaigne was not allowed to walk, he was still in the rag basket but there were 6 Deerhounds walking that day! Mackenzie had to get used to it again but in the end ran very nicely. In the afternoon she walked with brother Crumbaugh and that went perfectly!! Also very nice courses from Cranston with the Afghan Kimi from John and Karin, and in the afternoon with the Barsoi from Anneke. Everyone enjoyed it immensely.

 

 

 

 

On April 11 I had Brandir’s heart tested again and it has improved again! By adding Carnitine, Taurine and Q10, his heart becomes more and more powerful and I no longer have to worry that the same thing will happen to him as Chidish. Cranston has also been tested for the first time and found to be fine. Nice to know before he starts his coursing career.

 

 

Cranston, Crumbaugh and Charlaigne have now obtained their coursing license and Cranston has already successfully completed a number of coursings.

The last major event was the World Coursing Championship on May 27, 28 and 29 in Kalajoki, Finland. We left on May 18 and had planned for a few weeks with a few days Flyvesandet in Denmark and a stop at Sonja on the way back. At Flyvesandet it was great fun again with the low water. Even Brandir, who in previous years was afraid of the tide, now walked freely and cheerfully. He even went crazy on a regular basis!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is a lovely area and the hounds always enjoy it. It is also a great terrain for a good fitness training because walking through such a layer of muddy sand is quite hard!

 

 

 

 

On the way to Kalajoki we stayed at various campsites, including in Sweden, including a very nice nature campsite in a very beautiful environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Wednesday 25 May we arrived in Kalajoki and were directed to our spot, a strip of asphalt in front of the caravan with a large sandbox next to it. We stood right on the beach, or rather on the beach, and looked out over the Gulf of Bothnia where the sea ice was still floating. A strange sensation as it was nice and warm those first days and everyone was walking around in T-shirts and shorts. The hounds loved the sandbox and we swept the sand outside every day.

 

 

 

The three coursing parcourses were also on the beach and all had a length of about 800 meters. This was long enough as it is of course very hard to run through the loose sand. On Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday Crumbaugh and Charlaigne were allowed to do a test run but on Thursday I saw afterwards that both had a total of 6 broken feet from the sand that had sanded away the skin at the bottom between the toes. A very painful condition that unfortunately was not cured quickly – so no more test run on Sunday.

 

 

 

Cranston was in CSS class on Friday with two Swedish females and one English male. I judged this male, Kirjojax Harris, at the Breed Show in England last year and it was very nice to see that he was suddenly a lot more mature and changed in a positive way. Beautiful male!

In the first round, Harris ran under red and Grayrory’s Kestrel under white. Harris started very well but halfway through Kestrel came by and after this Harris actually followed Kestrel and at one point he also touched her twice, in other words he disturbed her. He got a disqualification for this which is of course very sour when you come all the way from England.

 

 

 

In the second lap, Cranston ran under red with Gray Mountain Maggies Aileen. As a young girl, Aileen usually walked closely behind the hare, but also made an error of judgment every now and then. Cranston coursed more with his head he read the terrain and cut where necessary. Three times the turner went wrong, he misjudged Cranston’s speed and this caused Cranston to come into contact with the hare. Luckily he didn’t care about it. Unfortunately there was one judge who most likely swapped the points and placed Cranston in third place.

In the afternoon he had to walk alone and that was very disadvantageous for him. Such a large, heavy male cannot be compared with the course before it of two females. He eventually ended up in third place. It’s a shame it went like this but Cranston really ran very well and enjoyed it.

 

Saturday it was Cytaugh’s turn. There were 12 bitches (6 German bitches, 2 Czech, 2 Swedish, 1 Finnish and my Dutch Cytaugh) entered for the CACIL class and not a single male! Cytaugh started in the first course together with Islay’s Quickstep of Ira Johannsen (DE). Cytaugh got 243 points and Quickstep 230. Cytaugh was in a provisional fifth place!! In the second round, Islay’s Luck Penny from Ira ran with  Crathlint Dwynwen Dee from Satu Hakanurmi, the only Finnish rider. Luck Penny got 228 points and ended up in provisional tenth place while Dwynwen Dee was disqualified. Fernhill’s Rose at Grayrory from Åke Kack (SE) ran a very nice course and earned 245 points and Islay’s Peekeboo from Ira got 232. In course four, Islay’s Oonagh from Ira and Cotherstone Angrboda from Ann-Marie Boyle (SE)  and they got 247 and 229 points respectively. Course five was for Andrea Jahelková’s Ailis Under Sharp Hill and Islay’s Quinn by Silke Eichhorn, who tied for first place with 257 points. In the last course, Andrea’s Aisha Under Sharp Hill ran with Islay’s Luighseagh by  Claudia Oeljeschläger (DE) with 237 and 179 points.

 

In the second round, Cytaugh had to compete against Aisha Under Sharp Hill in course 4. Aisha got 1 point more than Cytaugh but that wasn’t enough to beat her. Cytaugh eventually landed in fourth place.

I was quite proud of Cytaugh, with her over 7 years she has done well!

 

 

 

As said, on the way back we went to visit Sonja for a day. Very strange to find only two Galgas and Brandir and Cytaugh hadn’t expected this either. After a lovely lazy day, we drove home on Sunday to see our new cork floor. The floor is beautiful, but we also found leveling everywhere; on the terrace, against the walls, even the door handles were covered. So that became a return for the floor layers to clean things up. It just meant that we couldn’t immediately start clearing out our house because everything, really everything, was in the shed, on the porch and under the carport. Well, as long as we’re ready for Christmas.

Liver shunt and health news from America

 

 

 

 

Recently I spoke to an Dutch Irish Wolfhound breeder who had imported a puppy from Germany. It turned out that this puppy had just been tested for liver shunt. Since I was told at the time that this test was not available in Germany, I inquired further.

The German Irish breeder had just had blood drawn from his puppies at his own vet and he did sent it to Laboklin. The next day the breeder had the results.

So if you want to get a puppy from Germany, the breeder can have it tested for liver shunt via Laboklin, insist on this, it can save you a lot of misery!

 

 

 

In the Claymore, the club magazine of the Scottish Deerhound Club of America, the Health and Genetics chapter appears in every issue. Always very interesting! In the latest edition (September/October 2021), Dr. Michael H. Court, researcher at the Pharmacogenomics Laboratory in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University, updates on the progress of studies on slow anesthesia recovery, perianesthetic stress hyperthermia (a stress-induced, life-threatening temperature elevation) and delayed postoperative bleeding. Below is an abbreviated version of his presentation at the National Specialty.

 

 

Slow anesthesia recovery

“The slow recovery of anesthesia after surgery or examination is a well-known phenomenon in Greyhounds and also occurs in other greyhounds. Usually it is after injected anesthetics such as thiopental and propofol (the latter to a lesser extent). This is related. with the low body fat content that greyhounds have.Normally the injected anesthetic passes out of the blood and into the body fat fairly quickly, allowing the dog to recover quickly, but due to the little body fat a greyhound has, a lot of anesthetic remains in the blood. , if first this blood is purified by the liver and that takes several hours. But there seems to be another factor involved and that is that the liver of greyhounds metabolize anesthetics more slowly than in other (non greyhound) breeds. There are two different mutations found in two different genes encoding enzymes crucial for the metabolism of pr opofol (CYP2B11-H3 and POR-H3). These mutations are most often found in Greyhounds and Deerhounds. Lab studies have shown that these mutations drastically reduce the metabolizing of propofol. The result of the latest study comparing Greyhounds with these mutations and Greyhounds without these mutations is still pending.

 

Perianesthetic stress hyperthermia

Another condition that has been studied is ‘stress hyperthermia’ which occurs in both Deerhounds and Greyhounds. Usually this is seen in conjunction with the anesthesia procedure before surgery. Signs are a very rapid temperature increase to above 41 C°, panting and deep red mucous membranes. Treatment consists of rapid cooling and the administration of sedatives and fluids. Stress hyperthermia can be prevented by judicious use of sedatives before an exhilarating experience (e.g. a vet visit) as well as taking steps to reduce stress.

Although stress hyperthermia is very serious and life-threatening, there have been no reports of fatal cases in the Deerhound. This is different from the malignant hyperthermia which is invariably fatal.

Since not all Greyhounds and Deerhounds are sensitive to stress hyperthermia, it is thought to be a genetic predisposition. With the support of the SDCA, we identified a mutation in the RYR1 gene in dogs with a history of stress hyperthermia. This mutation appears to be a milder form than the mutation of the gene that causes malignant hyperthermia. Since we have only studied 8 Deerhounds and 1 Greyhound, the usefulness of the clinical trial for this mutation is unclear. Therefore, we continue to recruit cases to see if the RYR1 mutation can explain all cases. Please contact courtlab@vetmed.wsu.edu if you have a dog that has suffered from hyperthermia and would like to donate DNA.

 

 

Delayed postoperative bleeding

Finally, we worked on a problem initially identified in Greyhounds, delayed post-operative bleeding. The clinical picture of this condition concerns dogs that have undergone major orthopedic or abdominal surgery (castration/sterilisation). Although no bleeding occurred during surgery, bleeding was noted within the next 24 to 48 hours. Symptoms range from bruising around the surgical site to overt bleeding from the wound. For abdominal surgery, internal bleeding may go undetected until the dog is seriously ill. Treatment consists of blood transfusions and intravenous administration of anti-fibrinolytic medication (Amicar). These bleedings can also be prevented by administering these agents before the operation and for 5 days after the operation.

We have conducted several studies (funded in part by the SDCA) implying that a mutation of the SERPINF2 gene is the cause of the delayed bleeding. SERPINF2 stands for alpha-2 antiplasmin, which is essential for protecting against the premature breakdown of blood clots (hyperfibrinolysis).

A case-control study was conducted using information gathered from the SDCA health survey and DNA samples from bleeding and dead dogs. We found 7 dogs that had postoperative bleeding after surgery and 55 dogs that had surgery without postoperative bleeding. All dogs were genotyped for the SERPINF2 mutation. The result indicates that the risk for delayed bleeding is 40 times higher in dogs that have at least one copy of the mutation and 500 times higher in dogs that have two copies, compared to dogs without a mutation. Important; all affected dogs had this mutation while none of the dogs that did not have the mutation had delayed bleeding.

In another study in healthy Greyhounds, we showed that dogs with two copies of the SERPINF2 mutation had significantly lower levels of antiplasmin in their blood than dogs with one or no copies of the mutation.

Taken together, it shows that testing for the SERPINF2 mutation can be useful to identify dogs that may have an interest in prophylactically administering anti-fibrinolytic drugs (Amicar). And just as important; the test can also identify dogs that will not benefit from this medication.

The SERPINF2 test is available now (free of charge) by contacting courtlab@vertmed.wsu.edu and requesting a DNA sample pack.

Like all genetic testing, we realize that the post-operative bleeding test can and will be used by Deerhound breeders to inform themselves about breeding plans. The SDCA Health & Genetics Committee is preparing guidelines for breeders on how or how not to use the test .

In this regard, it is important to emphasize that breeders should not attempt to eliminate the SERPINF2 mutation from the breed or a particular breeding line, as the disease causing the mutation can be effectively prevented in dogs at risk.”

 

And that is why the Dutch breeders test their Deerhound puppies for liver shunt!

 

In the meantime, all Deerhound breeders worldwide know that liver shunt is a condition that occurs in Deerhounds. A responsible breeder therefore tests his puppies when they are about 7 weeks old to make sure he is not selling a puppy that has liver shunt. About 2 to 3% of the puppies born can have this abnormality. But in Germany they are convinced that this deviation does not occur with them!

Unfortunately: recently a Deerhound puppy came to the Netherlands from Germany who became ill after a few days and she also showed deviant behavior such as walking in circles and along the walls. At first it turned out that there were stones in her stomach and after these were removed, the puppy recovered. But that was short-lived; after three days the bitch again showed the deviant behavior, she was very sick and she was taken to the vet again. After taking a blood sample, he found that the ammonia level in the blood was almost 5 times higher than that of another healthy dog. This combination of behavior and ammonia levels confirmed the great fear: liver shunt.

Since the puppy was so very sick, it could take weeks before she could possibly be operated on (while first she had to be diagnosed with what kind of shunt it was and whether it could be operated or not) and the amount requested for this was more than abnormal high, the owners decided on euthanasia.

Can you imagine how terribly sad this is? Have a puppy in the house for two weeks but after the first few days dive into misery with euthanasia as the end result? And in this case, the owners had also taken a brother so that they could grow up so nicely together. Any idea how much the remaining puppy missed his playmate?? It is very sad to have to experience all of this!

 

You would expect that the breeders would assist the owners in this matter, but after the first bump (whereby they had assisted with advice and action because they know that their puppies eat stones) and when it turned out that it was a liver shunt, the breeders gave up. “Liver shunt does not occur with us, we have never had it, the whole litter is otherwise healthy, it must be stones again” was all the owners were initially told. After this, the breeders stopped answering the phone and did not respond to messages left behind.

After a week there was some contact again and eventually the owners were able to pick up a new puppy. They could choose from three males, there were two more from the litter that was born a week earlier and a brother of the deceased female from the last litter. They chose the brother. However, they had to sign a paper that they would not declare any (future) costs, for any puppy. The owners also had to pay for the autopsy to prove what caused the bitch’s death. Were the breeders not interested in the results?

When the autopsy report was sent after three weeks, it turned out that the bitch didn’t just have a liver shunt. She was really very, very  ill with everything wrong, including a number of chronic conditions that had been going on for much longer. Surgery could not have saved her.

It is of course very strange that the breeders themselves did not see that the bitch was not well. She must have shown the deviant behaviour there too because the ammonia level in her blood was so incredibly high that she must have been quite poisoned already. But then again, if you have to grow up outdoors in a shed, and the breeders only come a few times a day…….

I find it in and in sad that Deerhound puppies (anyway all puppies) are bred and kept in such a way, I really couldn’t do it like this. When I see how often they, even at night, need contact for a while and after a hug they go back to sleep, play or scratch around, I don’t have to think about keeping them in a shed or outdoor kennel. Research has also been done into the difference in behaviour between puppies that are raised in the house and that are kept outside in kennels. A small piece of text: “Puppies raised outdoors showed an elevated tendency for submissive behaviour, a greater risk of aggression through fear, and a lowered capacity for coping with novel conditions”.

The latter was clearly noticeable in all three puppies; they were not socialized at all, they were even afraid to come in the house! They were not toilet trained, they were startled and afraid of everything and they couldn’t walk on a leash either. In terms of growing up, the owners might as well have gotten a puppy from a Hungarian puppyfarm.

 

I would therefore strongly advise, if you are interested in a Deerhound puppy, born in Germany or anywhere else, to insist that the puppy is tested for liver shunt and that you also receive the result in black and white, before you purchase is about. A good purchase agreement, in which the rights and obligations of both parties are stated, can also protect you against a lot of financial misery and last but not least; look for a breeder who largely raises the puppies in the house, gives the parents a good health check (including heart examination) before breeding with them and who socializes the puppies well (even in a non-home environment!). It can save you a lot of grief and misery.

And isn’t it that too what distinguishes us responsible, purebred dog breeders from puppyfarms???

 

 

Very interesting articles

 

From Barb Heidenreich, of the famous “Fernhill Scottish Deerhounds”, I received the following very interesting articles. You have to take the time for it, but they are pieces that are definitely worth reading.
The first article is about nutrition and cardiomyopathy and the second about the long-term health risks of neutering.

https://www.o-cockaigne.eu/?page_id=19823

https://www.o-cockaigne.eu/?page_id=19846

 

The wonders are not over yet!

 

From 1979 to 1981 we had Irish Wolfhounds. I don’t remember how I got to it, but they got Taurine and L-Carnitine every day through their food. That should be good for the heart.

In 1996, when some of our Deerhounds developed heart problems and were treated by Dr. Andrea Vollmar, they were able to participate in Vetmedin’s development project. This drug is said to counteract the weakening of the heart muscle. Luckily my hounds got the real Pimobendan (the active substance) and no placebos and lived on it very well for a number of years. Vetmedin is now THE medicine for DCM.

In 2018, a mild form of DCM was diagnosed at Brandir and as my experience with Vetmedin (Pimobendan) was very positive, I had no hesitation in giving him this as standard. His heart did not deteriorate further.

 

Two years ago Sonja had Bernice, Brandir’s sister, checked on her heart and she was diagnosed with a very slight abnormality but she did not need any medication. After checking last year, Dr. Tobias (the cardiologist in Hannover) advised to add Taurine to Bernice’s diet. After half a year, Sonja had Bernice checked again and her heart had improved!

I also started adding Taurine to my hounds’ meals last year. After a few months another heart check took place at Brandir and it turned out ….. his heart had improved! A few months ago I also started adding Acetyl L-Carnitine and Omega 3 to the diet after reading some articles about this. Very interesting! Here are the links to the articles;

Nutritional therapy in the treatment of heart disease in dogs – https://www.o-cockaigne.eu/?page_id=19621&preview=true

Taurine, dog food, and heart disease in dogs – https://www.o-cockaigne.eu/?page_id=19619

 

Last Friday it was time again for a check of Brandir’s heart and it turned out ….. Brandir’s heart had improved even further !!! This trend continues despite Brandir’s fairly advanced age, he will turn 9 years old on May 17! The combination of Vetmedin, Taurine and Acetyl L-Carnitine really works wonders. Brandir is still very active, just like Bernice, doesn’t skip any walk and occasionally plays with his daughter or grandchildren.

I therefore urgently recommend adding Taurine and Carnitine to the diet not only in case of existing heart defects, but also preventively. 1 gram per day of both is sufficient. But … it is of course also very important that you regularly check the heart and/or have it checked to prevent (more) serious problems !!!

PetSavers funded “genetics association with DCM” project in Deerhounds

 

From Emily Dutton (Dr. Emily Dutton BVM & S DVC MRCVS RCVS Recognized Specialist in Veterinary Cardiology), I received notice that the DCM (Dilated Cardiomyopathy) Research website is ‘up and working’. This means that blood can be collected for research into the genes that cause DCM.

Earlier this year I had heard from Emily that there was going to be hard work on this project and they are now so far that they need blood samples. How wonderful it would be if they found the causative genes! Then the breeders can have their hounds tested in the future and thus prevent Deerhounds from being born with DCM.

So herewith the call; if you have a Deerhound with DCM or an older Deerhound (preferably older than 8 years) who 100% certainly does not have DCM, would you like to send some blood?

Via this link you will find out how and what to do; http://www.deerhoundgenetics.com/index.html

 

 

Unfortunately the costs cannot be reimbursed but it is for more than a good cause and it would be really great if the evil genes were found. I also sent blood from my hounds and I hope many will follow.

Thanks in advance!

Found: the gene for hairlessness in Deerhounds !!!

 

 

Tuesday evening I got a very excited Marjan de Raad on the phone who told me that they found the gene for hairlessness in Deerhounds.

Research into this problem took place in both Canada and Finland, but the University of Helsinki was the one to come up with this great message.

Marjan contacted the professor from the University who told her that the hairlessness test is likely to be available in America and Europe in mid-April.

The research showed that 12% is a carrier of the hairless gene, so it is advisable if you have a Deerhound from the lines in which hairlessness occurs or have produced, and you have plans to breed with it, to have it tested for this as well as his / her partner.

You can read the entire article at:
https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/life-science-news/a-bald-gene-finding

 

 

Puppies on arrival!

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Last Friday I received a call from Iris Coppee that Olórin is pregnant. The scan showed a large number of embryootjes. Also, Olórin is pretty sick.

Now we hope that it will keep going well and that around 21 January a good number of healthy puppies can see the light of life.

If you are interested in a puppy, please contact Iris (tel. 0315-654859).

October

IMG_0690 October has been in the sign of RONO Beach for many years. We've been there almost every year, mostly with coursing hounds but in recent years only with hounds running on Friday. Sonja has also consistently been present in recent years. This year, during the training, Brandir started halfway through the trail after Bernice had walked the first piece. Brandir started full surrender and walked a good second half together with Bernice. The puppies also walked a quarter of the course with great enthusiasm. The days after were pure relaxation, a little walking and courses watching. Monday the 19th everything is packed again and home. IMG_4590 Thursday 22nd of October I left for Hermannsburg. I would stay a long weekend with Sonja and walk the show in HanoveIMG_4600r on the Saturday. In order not to make it Stressig we had the Friday load. For the puppies it was the first time they came to Sonja but they found everything fine and beautiful. Only the stairs running to sleep above with me, gave some problems. After two nights we decided that they would have to stay downstairs. And that went fine! Saturday to the show. Brandir still needs one CACIB and I had hoped to address him here. Unfortunately, this kite did not get up, he got the reserve. Chidish and Cytaugh behaved exemplary and this time became Chidish best Jüngsten. So We were able to go home in time to make another big walk. IMG_4605 IMG_4621 Copy       The next day it was fine again to take pictures and.. They have succeededIMG_4645 Copy!                     IMG_4652 Copy                It took some time but the result is also there!         IMG_4663 Copy            IMG_4674IMG_4680    IMG_4671 Copy                                         On these photos are Cytaugh and Chidish 7 months young and Brandir nearly 3.5 years.      

And on Monday another nice piece walked. It was again beautiful weather and the trees were brilliantly discoloring! The hounds were very run loose and had fun for ten!

IMG_4688 IMG_4692   IMG_4699                    

Tuesday morning my mess packed up again and home. Quickly cleared the car and cleared the caravan because Thursday we left again for a weekend CC2000. Again we had beautiful weather! Simon and Gert Jan had a nice trail with an obstacle in it. In Total there were such a thick 60 hounds, but the most beautiful courses were those with 7 Afghans and 4 Saluki's, always a joy to watch. Brandir and Bernice have walked together with a Barsoi and also Chidish and Cytaugh were allowed to have a piece. It was again a wonderful weekend!

CropBrandir about the obstacle!

September

Picture Thistle   The month of September started with the Puppydag in Waalwijk. For this day some 50 puppies of all breeds were reported including Aislinn, Cytaugh and Chidish. Cytaugh and Chidish thought it was great to see Marijn, Theo and Aislinn again! In the first game round, where in each group five puppies were judged by two masters, both Cytaugh and Aislinn were first and Chidish second in their group. In the second round, with four puppies per group, Cytaugh and Aislinn were again first and Chidish had a shared first place. The third weds battle round is a second chance round, the puppies that were previously last placed. In the fourth game round, Cytaugh was second, Chidish third and Aislinn first. In the fifth round, Cytaugh and Chidish had to enter the same group while Marijn ha20150906_143624 (6)d to Aislinn in the ring simultaneously. So I had to arrange a handler for Chidish. Yes, and a Deerhound show is something else! So this was the last round for Chidish, he was placed fourth and flew out. Cytaugh became first in the group and Aislinn third. So Aislinn and Cytaugh went on to the sixth game round and were fourth and third in their group of 9 puppies. Now it became exciting because there were only eight puppies to the final and there were really some wonderful puppies! Aislinn was finally eighth and Cytaugh sixth. The puppies were after all that show of course tired but they have gained a great experience and that was what it was about. Picture Coloured Bar Two weeks later we had the young dog-Veterans Day of Stichting group Greyhounds. There were 15 Deerhounds reported of which the veterans male was absent. Chidish was only in his class and Cytaugh and Aislinn stood with their two in class from 4 to 6 months. Aislinn became first and Cytaugh second. In the end Barnes more Energy of Viola and Wolfgang Müller became Best young Deerhound. It was a nice day, slightly fresh but fortunately dry! Image Hound with Hare The weekend next was the coursing in Lichtenvoorde. We always like to go here; The atmosphere is pleasant, you will be fine with the caravan, a large coursingveld where a good route can be put on, friendly people and you can walk in the surroundings. On Friday afternoon was the training and of course Brandir, Chidish and Cytaugh also walked. First we let Chidish walk a bit, he went like a spear behind the hare. Meanwhile, Cytaugh was on the side barking of excitement, when she was finally also allowed to run very well. Next, Brandir was allowed. When Brandir is started on the turntable, he runs the stars of Heaven. It's not to believe how hard he can! So that's why his straight abdominal muscle is soured so quickly, he gets hurt and really doesn't want to walk anymore. The next day we let them run in the break again, but then Simon made the start more or less next to the turntable to make it easier for me. But for Brandir this did not work; He did not start but when Cytaugh Losschoot and behind the Hare, Brandir did join. With such a small circle of a few hundred meters he gets no trouble and if he has it, we might be able to build it. But in the meantime we have to go cycling a bit more, his condition really leaves to be desired. Anyway, unfortunately Cytaugh and Chidish may still not participate next year, but we hope to be back from the party in Lichtenvoorde.

Puppies???

Bibelot of the Meirse Meadows as everything lucky around 24 March puppies are born with Marijn van Irishl, Deerhoundkennel "van de Meire Weiden". The mother is Bibelot of the Meirse Weiden-Dutch junior champion, Dutch champion and Profiter 2013. IMG_3214 The father is Nimloth Brandir-Dutch, German, Belgian youth champion, Europa Jugend Sieger ' 13, Dutch and Belgian champion, Benelux Winner BE ' 14. If you are interested in a puppy, please contact Marijn via vdmeirseweiden@hotmail.com

Cosequin for sale.

SCAN0099 Copy (2)For years I have given my older Deerhounds Cosequin. As soon as they showed some form of osteoarthritis or stiffness when standing up, they got Cosequin. You usually saw a tremendous improvement within a few weeks; The movement in general and the rise went smoothly again. Even if one of the athletes suffered a thick toe or severely injured a joint, I put the same on the Cosequin. The consequences of that injury were much milder. Since at the time I had a good number of oldies and athletes waIMG_3190lking around, I bought the Cosequin in large quantities. But at a fast pace the number of users dropped and now I still have some pots standing. I would like to sell these before the expiry date. The Cosequin I have is the ' Double strength Cosequin DS ' and there are 250 tasty tablets in a jar. Composition: Glucosamine hydrochloride Minimum 500 mg, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate minimum 400 mg. and Manganese minimum 5 mg. I have been told this is one of the best Glucosaminepreparaten as this ' excellent ' can be picked up. I ask €95.00 per pot and 7.50 shipping costs but I can also take it to a show or coursing, which saves something again. If you are interested, please send an email to o.cockaigne@planet.nl  

DNA Research.

SCAN0099 Copy (2)     During the Saturday, April 5, of the English wide Show in Telford, a number of students from Nottingham University, at their offered Deerhounds, have taken DNA material for research into Osteosarcoma (bone cancer), Bronchopneumonia/respiratory tract disease (simply put; inflammation of the respiratory tract), stomach torsion and Fibrocartilagenous Emboli (FCE-See interesting articles). Of course we have also dropped the DNA from Bernice and Brandir. After having thought about it, I offered to take home from Calhoun and Caintha DNA. Calhoun is of course very interesting with its bone cancer! Very sorry that Coney, Calhoun's mother, no longer lives but Aunt Caintha might also be interesting. And… Marijn, of course, lives Calhoun's brother Clarence, a daughter of Clarence and two sons of Chazz (who is a brother of Coney and died of bone cancer). At all six we have taken a swap by their mouths, completed forms and then everything is packaged well sent to England. And now we hope that the research will be progressing quickly and soon! It would be nice if the Dutch Deerhound Club would support this research and would also regulate a DNA decrease day and send the collected material to the University of Nottingham. The more material the better.  

Brandir and Bernice are purity!!!

O'Cockaigne Deerhounds-purebred Deerhounds.

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Since last year it is possible to have a greyhound tested on varietal purity via the DWZRV. Through the following link you can read all about the nomination of Ms. Dr. Wimmer. Vortrag von Frau Dr. Wimmer über den DNA-Test zur Rassebestimmung bei Windhunden… For the Deerhounds you can here können Sie die Ergebnisse der Studie Herunterladen (PDF)…  Find more. In the article below, written by Dr. Dominique d Caprona, the same is treated but you will also find everything about the other greyhounds and halfwind dogs. Http://sloughi.tripod.com/preserving/geneticswesterbredsighthoundsgermanyAmy.html In the past year has shown that many hounds are not purity and as you can read/See, this is also the case with the Deerhounds. Last year, Sonja had her hounds take part in the test and also the blood of Cheytah was then investigated. Fortunately, she appeared to be purity. SONY DSC       In the meantime we find that there are several breeders selling dogs as Deerhounds while this is longdogs and/or lurchers. (A longdog is a cross between greyhounds and a lurcher is a cross between a greyhound and another dog, usually a shepherd or terrier.) A very wellCaintha 8.5 Years Young known Deerhoundfokker, who has been in the breed for many decades, has recently announced that he has never seen a Deerhound with Hubertus claws and also the colour ' wheaten ' according to Dr. Jödicke (He has already reported this in the last century) for quite some time ' Extinct '. But there are also ' grey ' crossings where in most cases you can see certain forms of body parts that the dog is not purity. If you doubt the varietal purity of your greyhound, you can let it be tested by having some blood (EDTA) in your vet. It must of course also check the chip number using the union booklet or the pedigree. This should be along with the form completed by you and your veterinarian, which you can find on the site of the DWZRV (www. DWZRV.de → Formulare → DNA Fingerprint) sent to Frau Ursula Arnold, Schlierbacher Weg 56, 64678 Linden Felsen, Germany and accompanied by a letter stating that it is the "DNA Test zur Rassebestimmung bei Windhunden". If you send it somewhere else you will most likely not get a correct result. The cost of the test is approximately 80,-euro, you will receive a later account.

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 Anyway, in order to be all misery in the future, we have also tested Brandir and Bernice and fortunately this Deerhounds is also a real Deerhounds!

     

The Deerhound standard in Word and image.

A Deerhound consists of curved lines.After having worked for months, I have now published it; "The Deerhound standard in Word and image".

You can find this under ' De Deerhound '. For a long time I had the idea to do this because there are many people who actually have no idea what is meant in the standard or if there is no image. Since I have been in the Deerhoundwereld for a while and when judge has learned some about anatomy, I think I am doing well. If you have any questions, additions and/or comments, I would be happy to hear that.

New DEERHOUND Standard!!

scannen0003New Deerhound Standard.

  Because I'm working on the Deerhound standard with pictures and explanations ready for my website and because the Deerhound Club is working on the VERENIGINGSFOK regulations, it just came to me to see on the FCI site whether the standard in my possession of 1998 is still correct Is. Since I as a judge regularly check this from all the Windhondrassen, I knew for 99.9% sure that the standard of 1998 was still gold but who outlines my surprise when I see a different date on the FCI site after opening the relevant page at the Deerhound Standard!!!! After opening, printing and comparing, there appears to be a very peculiar change in addition to the welfare and health rules already added to all other standards. The hair length has changed!! From the original "7 to 10 centimeters" it is changed to "8 to 10 centimeters". Where this comes from and what this is good for, I am puzzled, I am going to inquire in England. What I find a useful addition is "… and on its ability to perform its traditional work". The only problem here is that there is almost no judge who has ever seen a Deerhound really work!

Granny Amy

Granny Amy

Meanwhile, Amy is 13 years and 4 months. She has come through the summer quite well despite the enormous heat we had every now and then. Fans and wet keeping with the plant spray do wonders. In terms of nutrition I changed it a bit. Her nierenergie was in spite of her holistic droplets somewhat on the low side and not to load the kidneys too much, I now pour boiling water over the flesh. In fact, she doesn’t like this as well, but with some tuna or cheese it goes back to it as a cake. Standing up is very difficult to do. We usually have to help her here. The distances they are running are also getting shorter but occasionally they feel like it and walk just a short kilometer. She also lately leaves her urine running. She usually beeps when she needs to but when she really sleeps, and she can do it very deeply, she doesn’t notice it and she has a wet bed. Now we lay a placemat and a towel underneath her bips. Only a coaster made sure that her bed was not wet, but the urine pulled too much into her rich coat which, of course, had to be cleaned again. An extra towel underneath ensures that her fur remains “dry”.

Last week she was suddenly very sick. 40 degrees of fever and a heart rate of almost 200. I really thought it was her last days but in consultation with the vet we put her on the Synulox (antibiotics) and after two days the Fever was gone and the heart rate returned to normal. She was going to eat again and after a few days she suddenly stood behind me while cleaning the chicken coop. Now every day she is at least 1x out of herself on what doesn’t really make me happy. The risk of slipping or making a mistake and then not being able to get on the end is of course quite large. If I am not at home… I get the pipzenuwen of it. But yes, I can tie her her bed! She loves to rummage around in our grove and can sometimes really be “gone”. Now I discovered where she stands, behind in a corner of the forest together with Brandir looking at whether there is not a cat or hare at the neighbors. Today she has been standing up five times and has walked together for at least one and a half kilometres. She also puts her feet down less often, it looks like she’s getting younger and more active! But we remain realistic and live day by day.

Cody is back home.

Cody is back home.

  On the way back from Hungary, 12 June, we got an emergency call that Cody had to be picked up urgently. Angelique, the owner could no longer take care of him due to circumstances. As soon as we got home, I picked up Commander Cody, as he was officially called. Cody is a brother of Coney and Caintha, and is also already 9 years old! When I picked him up he was shaved two weeks before and looked like this picture. He seems like a great puppy and behaves, despite his slight heart problems, too. It was, of course, getting used to him but after a few days he started to play.

The funny thing was that he searched old toys! With this multicoloured donkey he played a lot as a puppy, 9 years ago. He also wanted to play with Calhoun but he didn't dare to play with your old uncle?!

        By now we are a few months further and Cody feels completely at home. He has demanded the guest room and there is a prince Gelmatras that I have ever gotten from Angelique. It should be so! His fur has grown considerably again and he is going to look more like Cavanaugh, a real woolly. He is only much lighter in color and finer in construction.

Meanwhile, we decided that Cody will stay here. He is doing well and has a lot to his liking. He enjoys the forest walks and, like his sister Coney, loves to walk through the largest dredging puddles. The more dirty, the more delicious!

I hope we can enjoy this delicious Doug for a long time.

New "Scottish Deerhound Primer" by Barbara Heidenreich.

The new "Scottish Deerhound Primer".

 

Since today, the new "Scottish Deerhoun Primer" by Barbara Heidenreich, Fernhill Deerhounds from Canada, is downloadable. Barbara wrote her first primer in 1970 to make her puppy buyers Deerhoundland. In the meantime it has been adapted and re-released several times and now it has been adapted to the digital age so that everyone can download it, print it and read it above all.

I really recommend it to everyone. There are an awful lot of important Deerhound-specific issues mentioned, all written by people who have a real sense of Deerhounds. For example, there is a recipe for the Magic Meetballs, a delicacy for Deerhounds who really do not want to eat or quickly use after e.g. An operation. Also the values of the heart are in it, so that if you have your Deerhound examined by your veterinarian you can show these values so that no misunderstandings arise about the dimensions of the heart as they are rather different from a normal canine heart. And so it is full of interesting facts. A real must! Go to http://www.fernhill.com/about-deerhounds/your-scottish-deerhound-primer/and enjoy and learn.  

Barbara Thanks!!!

The older Deerhound: based on our old Amy.

The older Deerhound: based on our old Amy.              

Amy is now twelve and a half years old and for her age she is still pretty fit. Big walks with the other hounds of course is no longer and therefore I walk apart with her. It is of course very important that she moves regularly so we oblige her to walk twice a day. Usually this is about 20 minutes, sometimes longer. In addition, they rummages some more about our terrain. Sometimes she indicates that she wants to walk “a lot” and sometimes she is tired, then she returns immediately after she has done her need and goes home. While walking she doesn’t put her feet down well, she stands on the top of her cloves instead of on her pillows. That’s why I try to make her run as much as possible by sand or leaf and especially quiet, but if she has the Kaif in D’r head and wants faster than she can, it’s occasionally wrong. In advance her hand and foot massage helps somewhat.                                                                                                                                                        

In terms of fur care, there is also more time. The older Amy becomes the more hair she creates and the longer it gets. At least once a week she has to be combed very well to remove her woolly undercoat and long dead hair. I comb her while she is lying, because so long standing still is very much in demand. One day one side, the next day the other. There will always be a big bale of hair from each side. Long hairs on awkward places I cut short, as under her tail. I also check her vetbultjes and can detect any undesirable cases.

Since last year she has occasionally suffered from clogged tear ducts, sometimes very sometimes almost not. When she suffers, I clean her eyes at least four times a day. Fortunately there are no red tear streaks, which I find so ugly, but props that make you look so uitwipt with a piece of paper towel. And occasionally a wet patch over her yuling gives her a fresh face again. Her ears I actually have never had to clean, which are not dirty. Her teeth have hardly any attention, but in the meantime it has become somewhat yellow but Tartar does not have it thanks to the fresh meat food. That older dogs on a senior diet should be crap, as long as the organs still function properly they can just eat the same thing as before and that also gets Amy still. About a year and a half ago I found that she was somewhat hijgerig and tired so I took them to a heart specialist. This noticed that the left flap did not completely shut down, but there were absolutely no drugs needed, so it was very low. I didn’t agree with this because Amy didn’t feel good about it. In consultation with my own veterinarian I started to give Vetmedin twice a day and after a few days there was a clear improvement. When it was a little hotter she got the weather more narrow and again in consultation with my vet she got one Fortekortje. Then the weather went totally super! The Fortekortje ensures that the heart rate does not become too high, but if necessary it will increase the heart rate. And believe me, with Grandma Amy that is really still needed! With Vetmedin I have had a very good and long experience with Cinéad and Prudence, both of whom have benefited very much. It supports the functioning of the heart muscle in such a way that it loses little in strength and hardly increases.

To be sure that Amy will get what she needs, I’ll go to her every now and then to the holistic practice for animals “Den Hoek” in de Bilt. Here they can measure exactly what is in the apron and what they need. So far I am very satisfied with this natural healing method and Amy is also more or less a testament to this. Thus they observed the osteoarthritis. In many cloves, both wrists, the right heel and now stuck at even more places, Amy, like many other older hounds, has osteoarthritis. To alleviate this she gets 4 tablets Cosequin a day, this stuff is really fantastic! Also the other ex-athletes get it and run fine. I also lubricate Amy’s knees, heels, wrists and all the cloves with Omni Gel every evening. If it is forgotten a few times, we notice that it is similar to its meaning to walk. To keep her muscles on strength she gets muscle Support, a powder that goes through her food in the evening. Also L-carnitine is good for her muscles. Lately, Amy drinks a little more and has to do a little more. I thought of course similar to her kidneys and that maybe she should have a certain diet. But recently one of the veterinarians of “Den Hoek”, through a photograph of Amy, has found that she has a mild form of bladder infection and too low a kidney energy. Here are her holistic droplets now adjusted and after several days it went a lot better.   When Amy was suddenly a bit around in the middle of the terrain to bark a little year ago, I knew it was time to give something against dementia. Via “Den Hoek”, I got Cholodin. First one tablet a day and indeed, after a short time Amy was clear again. Now she gets 2 tablets a day and she still makes it excellent. She can very well indicate if she wants something. Getting up to drink she finds crap, she just beeps and knows that I arrive with the drinking trough. Sometimes she is not nice, a hind leg that is too much under her can also produce a beep concert. Occasionally she does not have the power to push it down, I can do much better. Just after the death of Craffitsh, she had trouble getting up. I had to help her then by grabbing her behind her head and pulling up slowly. Stood them once then it went fine again, a bit the back hand muscles massaging and walking though. Fortunately, the weather is a lot better. I think it was a reaction to Craffitsh’s passing anyway. In the meantime we have put a lot of rugs and mats in the house so that she can not slide out because she gets a bit more unstable on her feet. Fortunately our house is ground floor, because of this I can always hear if Amy wants something, although it is in the middle of the night. I really sleep and the smallest beep will let me jump out of bed, because even at night she needs to go out.                                                     All in all, an older hound is a whole concern but it is worth it!

Granny Amy and the hare.

  The colder it gets the more delicious Grandma Amy finds it. The last days she even goes back for a whole round! The day before yesterday she walked about 6 kilometers and she was almost 2 hours outside. She loves that, that cold. This morning after her walk she met the newest toy of Calhoun on our site, a hare! Well that had to fly here of course! I was again terrified because of the weird antics she got, but could still quickly grab the camera for a few "unique" pictures. For, say, what Deerhound of twelve years, six months and twenty-eight days is still playing?

Nice old video

This old movie was mentioned on the American Deerhound-list. Interesting to see how the Deerhound looked, among other things, less fur/garnish, longer legs and not of that pointed snoetjes. Enjoy it! Http://www.britishpathe.com/video/deer-hounds  

Grandma Amy Twelve and a half years!!!

Hurray!!! Today Grandma Amy, Edle Emmy vom Welzerberg, has become twelve and a half years! She is still in very good health and mentally there is also nothing wrong with her. She knows exactly what she wants and as it has always gone with her; Her will is law. As soon as Simon wakes up, Amy also stands up to take his place in bed. She loves that and it always takes me at least 10 minutes to get her back from bed. The slice of cheese, which she gets at our breakfast in the morning, you don't have to forget! And I'm late with making their supper, Amy lets see it though!  

She has periods that she is a bit less active but the last few days she runs a whole round of more than two kilometers in the morning and also in the evening we walk a little bit. If she is on the leash and she doesn't feel like it, she stays as a donkey and does not resist a leg anymore. To move her you have to push her! She runs loose and she makes no sense then she just turns around and walks back. But if she makes sense, she determines the route and can sometimes happen that you are on the road for half an hour or that your hair is suddenly lost because she has disappeared through a hole in a hedge or an open fence. She is just as curious as when she was two!

We hope to be able to enjoy her for a long time!

Our Craffitsh is no more.

Sunday, December 11th, it was now time to take our Christmas picture. We decided to drive all the Galderse Meren lakes to make "the Christmas Picture". Arriving there it turned out to be very busy, then drive to the Mastbos, nice places enough! The almost twelve and half-year-old granny Amy was also with us and therefore we were looking for a place that was not too far away, also because of Craffitsh of course. Quickly shoot a few nice pictures and continue walking, because a nice little walk, grandma Amy is very nice. Of course Calhoun and Cwillyaigne made it exciting again, but because we kept Craffitsh on the leash, I could make some nice pictures of him. Craffitsh could only be 6 years, 7 months and 25 days old. On Wednesday morning 14 December, Craffitsh indicated that he took a very long morning stroll of 20 minutes. He walked a short way behind me and showed very tired. While I made the breakfast for the hounds he occasionally joined me and supported but partly on his left foot. But he did not get crippled and did not notice that he really had pain. I was walking the rest of the day to Mull. In the afternoon in the clinic still with Rens, our vet, spoken and some antibiotics for his lungs taken with them. I had the idea that he would still have a good life for a few days. 15 December, Thursday morning early, when Simon got up to work, he wanted to pressee with me on bed. When it was time for the morning walk and he came from our bed, I was not happy. He had a clear pain and tried not to use his left hind leg. However, he wanted to walk with the Pressee, which was a 10 minute stroll. After that he ate very well and he charged his foot some more. Doubt struck, or not yet… In The course of the day I had to help him twice on his bed and finally I chopped the knot and called the clinic, knowing that it could only go worse, never better. The pain would only get worse and the risk that he would break his leg was increased by the day. Rens arrived in the evening. Day my dear Craffitsh, but soon go to NAF NAF, your support and leave in the past and the future.

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