Iris, Fnuggi, Molly and Tumle had a joyfull reunion 30th of November. The danish OES-club had its Christmas-show. That's why Tumle (I-litter) and Beate went to see us. What a perfect oportunity to gather some of the other I-litter puppies and go for a walk. Fnuggi (I-litter) nevertheless went to obedience-training in Albertslund close to Copenhagen. Molly (I-litter) was supposed to be there as well. But she had just gotten into her first season, so she couldn't take part of the training. But we decided to meet at the nice surroundings of the training-ground. Iris (I-litter) and family also came to join the gang. What a meeting they all four had! They ran across the lawn over and over and took some time to refind their old places in the pack. They really had a wonderfull time - and so did we. The evening was spent grooming and washing Tumle. She was there to join the show the next day. Birte helped with the show-prises at the show, so it was very kind of Sessa, Henriette and Salvator to do a great job helping brushing Tumle for the show. Thanks a lot! Judge Ole Staunskjær, anyway, found Tumle a bit too much of a puppy (she entered juniorclass) and gave her a second prise. Just like her mother, Monnie, Tumle is late in developing.
Liver-shunt in Samson Samson from our I-litter is also living close to Copenhagen. You haven't heard from him for some time now. His family has been buissy, but there is something to be told as well: The vet has found a liver-disease in Samson. The dog was carefully examined and scanned, and there was no doubt - Samson has got a disease called Porta-cava-shunt. A portosystemic shunt is a blood vessel that bypasses liver tissue, carrying blood from the intestines, stomach, spleen, and pancreas to the heart before it can be filtered and cleansed of proteins, sugars, bacteria, and toxins. Which means it affects the nervous system. A shunt can be operated in some breeds. In large breeds however it is very complicated, so the vets don't suggest it. Instead they put the dog on a diet with no meat, lots of vegetables and extra vitamines. Unfortunately there is no garanty telling how long the dog will live on this diet. Many dogs live aa normal and long dogs life. Others don't. For Samson we hope the best. He has been much better, since his family started the diet, and since his disease occoured very late in his growing, we suppose there is a good chance that the shunt hasn't damaged his system seriously. Resently we visited Samson. Since he started the diet he has become much more a normal dog. Nice and naughty as a young male should, but with a nice temperament. Quite handsome and very much attached to is family. Hopefully we can get some time to take some pictures of him very soon. Anyway it has been a tough time for Samson's family. In the beginning the didn't know if they were able to keep him at all. For Kennel BlueBerry this has ment reestimating our OES-breeding. Wondering if we could go on with the breeding-lines we are deeply involved in. No vet, for sure, can tell if a shunt is heriditary. But we have already had one case of shunt in our G-litter - Meggie's litter (Meggie is Moonie's mother). So we can not exclude the fact, that there may be a heriditary factor behind. Anyhow, we have decided not to use Moonie in breed anymore. The I-litter will be her last. A sad decition, due to the fact that her puppies are so very wonderfull. But health is the most inportant thing in breeding after all. If you want to read more about Porta-cava-shunt, there's a lot written about it on the Internet. Search for 'liver shunt'.
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