One of the things I love most about showing dogs is all of the friends I’ve met. While the CIKC has had its fair share of bumps in the road, we’ve persevered and the club is thriving. I enjoy working with my fellow club members to benefit the sport of purebred dogs.
For anyone looking to start showing dogs, go get involved in a club. You’ll learn so much about showing and met great folks along the way.
CIKC has many dedicated and wonderful members. I’m very flattered to be selected as our first club recipient of this award.
Welcome to winter! We have had over a foot of snow dumped on us over the last few days! The interstate was closed between us and Des Moines for most of yesterday and, of course, the area schools were all closed.
Kizzy loves the snow (any excuse to run madly about the yard), but Skyy is more content inside. Skyy would much rather bake in the summer sun!
I took the stitches from Kizzy’s gastropexy out yesterday and the incesion looks great.
As many people know, Great Danes are the number one breed at risk of Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus, (GDV) commonly known as bloat and torsion.
Bloat is when the stomach fills with gas, then the stomach flips (torsion/volvulus), cutting off blood supply to the stomach, which causes the stomach to start to die. Often, the spleen and major blood vessels in the area twist as well. This causes the dog to go into shock. Bloat episodes can often be fatal and progress quickly. Immediate veterinary assistance is imperative.
It should be noted that the cause of bloat is unknown. I’ve heard of some Dane owners that restrict exercise for an hour before and an hour after eating. Personally, I find that excessive. Considering the fact I work during the day and feed my dogs twice daily, if their exercise was restricted for four hours each day, they wouldn’t ever have time to play! If they’ve been on a run before a meal, I make sure they’ve had the chance to cool down before I feed them. I also would not take them on a big run right after eating.
There have been claims that feeding from a raised dish either prevent or cause bloat, I don’t subscribe to either belief.
There are various other theories, but when it comes down to it, there is not a way to prevent bloat. The best course of action is to become familiar with the symptoms of bloat and know your vet’s emergency procedures. Check out Ginnie Saunders’ Bloat Links for more information on bloat. The Great Dane Club of America has a helpful Bloat Chart available, too.
There is a preventative surgery, called a gastropexy, that will hopefully help prevent torsion, the fatal part of a bloat episode. This will not stop a dog from bloating, but it should buy the owner time in getting the dog to the vet and might even save the dog’s life.
This past Monday, I took Kizzy in for a Prophylactic Gastropexy. Prophylactic means preventative. (Gastropexies are also done during emergency bloat surgeries.) A gastropexy (gastro = digestive system; pexy = surgical fixation) adheres the stomach to the body cavity. Even if your dog has had a “pexy”, if you suspect your dog is bloating, seek emergency vet care.
We recommend gastropexies on Great Danes after 18 months of age. We avoid doing the pexy on immature Danes as their bodies grow and change so much before maturity.
There are various gastropexies methods. We opt to do a Laparoscopic-Assisted Gastropexy (LAG). The advantages to doing this laparoscopically are the small incisions and quick recovery time.
Kizzy’s gastropexy incisions – morning post op (click for larger image)
I drive to Morris, IL (4 hours one way) to Pine Bluff Animal Hospital to have Dr. Brian Schmidt perform the surgery. Dr. Schmidt has performed hundreds of these surgeries on Danes.
The hardest part of the gastopexy experience is keeping the dog quiet for a week post op! The dogs tend to recover quickly and want to be back to playing and running like normal. Too much exercise too soon after the surgery can cause lots of swelling at the sight of the incision (some swelling is normal) as well as interfere with the quality of the adhesion.
Last month was the Great Dane Club of America’s National Specialty. The Nationals are held every October, each year at a different location around the US. It’s a weeklong event of educational seminars, conformation, performance, parades and the opportunity to meet breed fanciers from all over the world. There are hundreds of Great Danes shown over the course of the week.
This year Nationals were held in Chattanooga, TN. I was unable to attend, but Tiana and Neil took Bree & Kizzy, along with two of Neil’s fawns – Ch Flighty Never Say Never (Mello) & Flighty Now or Never (Neena). Tiana had quite the stories after traveling with the four dogs!
L to R: Neena, Kizzy, Mello, Bree
Tiana handled Bree in the Amateur Owner Handler class. They didn’t place, but Tiana did a great job handling Bree. Kizzy was in the Open Mantle class and took 2nd in the class. Neena was shown in the very large Open Fawn class and did not get a placement. Mello was shown in Best of Breed and made a cut. Neena and Mello’s dad (Ch Elan’s Command Decision Reimroc) won Best of Breed/Best In Specialty Show. All results can currently be found on the Great Dane Review website.
Yesterday the dogs had two meals of chicken RMB parts. For breakfast tomorrow I have beef liver and 2 lbs of ground chuck thawing. I’ll add a can of Tripett for each dog to that, along with supplements.
I got a great score of food yesterday. A friend cleaned out their deepfreeze and passed along some old meat. Freezer burned meat is fine to use. I personally wouldn’t feed a diet of only that, but it’s not going to hurt the dogs and they don’t seem to mind.
The dogs enjoyed some of that for breakfast – pork patties and beef liver. I also included 1/2 can of Tripett each and a few heaping spoonfuls of yogurt. Supplements added.
Dinner tonight will be chicken RMB (Raw Meaty Bones).
This morning, the dogs ate a 5 lb roll of AFS meat. Supplements added. Skyy wasn’t as interested as normal and Kizzy managed to polish off the majority of the food. They seem to take turns being pigs, so unless one dog is getting really short changed, I tend to let the hungrier one eat more. Works well for the appetite for the less hungry dog for the following meal!
For dinner, they split 1 lb of beef organ mix (heart, liver, kidney), one can of Tripett each and some leftovers.
L to R: Neena, Kizzy, Mello, Bree
