debp

Grizzly Salmon Oil uses rosemary extract as a preservative. There is concern that rosemary lowers the seizure threshold in some epileptic dogs. Just an FYI.

To OP. I have an epi dog, Blue. I, like you, want to do what is best in terms of the seizures. Diet is a big part, and for your dog kibble may be just fine. Keep track of the seizures to see if you can determine patterns and maybe eliminate things that lower the seizure threshold. Just quick notes to maybe help you in this journey. I noticed a pattern of kibble and seizures. For example, after he got into the neighbors garage and ate a bag of catfood. Several seizures followed within the day. Switched from one brand kibble to another and seizures after each meal.... I had food allergy test done to keep those items out of his diet (pork, eggs, wheat etc.) Started raw diet and after a few mistakes (feeding too many fatty chicken backs resulted in pancreatitis) he has remained on raw for the last 4 years and has a beautiful coat, teeth and weight. Chicken, mackeral, veggies, fruit. Oatmeal almost every day - it is a "cooling" food. Honey and oatmeal after a seizure seems to cut down the post-ictal phase. Bottom line is you will have to be very aware of what works and doesn't work for your dog. No one path is going to be laid out for you. Sadly, my boy has been having more episodes the last year. A couple I can point to specifics and say...maybe it was the Cipro (known to lower threshold and vet should have known better!), or the Rosemary in the Salmon oil, or the Rabies shot he got last year. BTW - my other 6 border collies eat mostly kibble and do fine on it. We add in raw goodies and raw meaty bones for their teeth.

Recently discussed with my vet that I would be doing my own vaccines for my 7, except for Rabies of course. She agreed that with us having so many dogs it made sense. I asked her thoughts on going to a 3 year schedule for vaccines and she said that while there is debate in the vet community about it, she didn't see an issue for our dogs EXCEPT she strongly suggested that I still give Lepto yearly. This was because we live in the country and we occasionally take our dogs to trials and this vaccine needs to be given 1x year. She said that if we lived in the city she wouldn't be concerned. I'm taking her advice.

How wonderful - give mama Bette a hug. I'm sure she's tired. (and you all too - you probably stayed up all night watching and waiting!)

wow - that's a lot of little puppies. What fun (says she who has never whelped a litter ) We'll need lots of pics when they arrive. Happy Holidays.

luv2napp - I see that you are in Ashburn,VA. If you want to try holistic, I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Pam Grasso at Ashburn Farm Animal Hospital. She combines Western and Holistic treatments. I go to her with one of my dogs that has a few issues - one thing she recommended was a food allergy test. While a little pricey, it may be something that would be beneficial for your dog.

http://www.diamonddeluxe.com/ we have the O style. The top utility box adds an additional layer of insulation. The compartments stay cool even in full sun on hot days. We put 2 border collies in each side and they have plenty of room. I believe they do custom orders. We've been very happy with ours.

Sue - I'm so sorry for your loss. Bute had a wonderful and loving home while here. They always leave us too soon though.

What we've been doing since dogs - Staycations! http://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-ou...n-vacation.html Who knew we were Green before it was cool..... (as far as really getting out of town, without dogs, we do it but not together. Must be the secret to our successful marriage!)

Julie - Looks like the scores are up from yesterday on the Bluegrass website. http://www.bluegrassclassicsdt.com/

Thanks for the link to the scores. Blue says Go Daddy Go! (Sonny) (BTW - Sonny is a full brother to my Heather! (Not same litter - same way bred). ) Anywho, Good luck to all! I didn't realize the Cattle Finals were this week! Gotta keep track of those scores AND Bluegrass.

Board Get together. Sheep Shearing Demo area at noon on Sunday?

Andre and I plan to go to the Md Sheep and Wool this weekend to look around. Hope we run into you guys. On the shearing - I sheared my own last year and they looked pretty rough. I hope to get a little better this year - but I'm still thinking about asking Tom F. to come out. (yeah - he gave me a hard time too about shearing my own, saying something about being cheap - you have to know Tom! We all love him!). My worry is that this year I have a ram and ummmmm.......I'm a little concerned about shearing certain areas if you know what I mean. Anyway - see you, maybe, at the fair. (It's looking like Sunday). Everyone stop by the Barefoot Spinner booth. This is my friend Maureen Pritchard and she has some lovely roving as well as some knitted items in her booth. Hey - they have a Tom Forrester pup! Wow - small world huh?

Have them check out Bimmer's Border Collie Rescue in Virginia (through PetFinder.com). email the coordinator listed - she if very good to work with. I have fostered a few dogs for this group.

I'm a nobody in the trialing world, but have heard enough open handlers who were around back in the day mention this dog as a great dog, and the many wonderful stories about him that seem to bring a smile to those speaking of him, that I'm throwing this team in the mix. Roy Johnson and Roscoe

I have some of Kay's border cheviot sheep. I've bred them to my Border Leicester ram and they might be available for sale after they're done lambing and weaning (I'm keeping the lamb crosses - hoping they're a little slower and calmer than their moms). It all depends on how many lambs I get. It would at most be 9 for sale. 2-3 years old. Contact me in in a few months if you are still looking then. dpelleti@aol.com

This may be a little off topic as it isn't about border collies.....but it's a nice write up about Don McCaig that was in the Washington Post last week. They also had a review of his latest book "Rhett Butler's People". (You may have to create a login to the Wash. Post to read the article) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7110602499.html

Sorry to hear about your mishap Christine! But it's a reminder to the rest of us that working with sheep CAN be dangerous, especially with young dogs around. get well soon! (And congrats on another cover photo on Sheep! magazine )

We're having terrible issues with Shane because we've had thunderstorms every night this last week, plus the locals are already trying out their fireworks -yippee! He's anticipating them now and starts pacing and panting by mid-afternoon. We can't crate him when he's afraid -he's worn his pads off trying to dig out, broken teeth etc. He has a DAP collar, is on Valium and we've also tried Melatonin. I DREAD the 4th. The only thing that works to calm him is if my husband sleeps on the couch and Shane can alternately sleep with him and roam to hiding spots(bathroom with the fan on, behind the tv, in a dark closet, behind the couch) when he needs to. I'm starting to see some of the others showing signs of being afraid because they see Shane acting weird. That worries me. Don't need a houseful of freaked out dogs!

Luisa - I love them too. We had babies this spring (the ewes were bred before bought) and they are probably the cutest lambs I've ever seen. AND they've grown fat fast! They're survivors for sure! I'll keep them because they offer a challenge to the more experienced dogs like my Heather who needs to learn to stay off! BUT I'd like to breed them to get some offspring that are a bit easier to work. Romney's might do the trick - will talk to you Mark at the trial next week. So, I'm learning to shear this year, and while my Border Leicesters were big, they didn't struggle like the little cheviots! Of course I'm doing it the hard way - getting them up on a stand to shear - don't laugh. It's saving my back, but I do need my husband get them on the stand. He just picks up the cheviots and carries them since they are so little. I should have taken videos.....

Hi all, I'd like some feedback from you guys on what I should cross breed my wool sheep with. I acquired some border cheviots (ewes) who are great for their wool (I'm a beginning spinster ), but a bit flighty for training dogs on (we call them popcorn sheep). They are at my neighbors farm, and when worked with her hair sheep they are fine, but I'd like to look at breeding them with another wool breed this fall so I can still keep the wool and also have some good training sheep for my dogs. Some wool breed to slow them up a bit I have 3 border leicester ewes at home that I will not work any of my young dogs on because they will run them down. Only one of my dogs is at the level to deal with those buggers! But I'll keep them because I LOVE their wool. I'd like to breed those ewes also, perhaps a border cheviot for them to lighten them up!? My neighbor has a cheviot ram that I can use for all, which I will do if I have no other options. Just thinking ahead and thought you guys might have some suggestions.

My husband and I will be at Sperryville trial - come say hi. He'll be the grill man cooking up lamb sausage and burgers - (the meat raised at Mount Vernon Farm where the trial is being held). I'll be holding sheep for the NN class, and we're both entered in several classes. Should be a fun trial. We're also going to Verna's this weekend. Her trials are always great - especially for those just starting out in trialing. She's a great trial hostess.

Blue says he's very proud of his pop.

I just realized there is a novice trial that weekend (Verna's) and we have 2 novice dogs we're trying to bring on (That doesn't even include Blue - maybe next year for him ) - but maybe I could do one day at the picnic then head up to the trial on Sunday. Where exactly is the picnic?

hmmmm, I'm thinking maybe I could make a quick trip down for this if that's okay with ya'll. Mr. Blue says he would love to romp with his sibs.