emilyfalk

I was lucky to know Peg for a long time. I really admired not only her work, but her devotion to Mark. Sure, she acknowledged me as the Farm-sitter who spoiled her with extra time to play with her big orange ball and extra food at mealtime, and she was very polite when I played the role of scary lady who did vet work on her or participated in canine spa days (haha). But she really only had eyes for Mark. Peg was a good one, and a hard friend to say goodbye to. She was an awesome farm and trial dog, a true partner! I’m happy you guys have her daughters and grandsons.

You are in luck: a very good sheepdog Trial will be in your backyard next month! Feb 16-18 in Fellsmere, FL is the C-54 trial hosted by Steve Nagel. The Open classes will be Sat-Sun, then the young dog and novice classes will be Monday. I would strongly recommend this one to see what “real border collie trials” look like compared to those trainers and facilities folks described as “all-breed.” David Saunders should be there, he lives near Tallahassee, but he can steer you in the right direction. Dick and Cheryl Williams are great, too, if they’re there! I’d considered driving down from VA for C-54, but needed to stay home for work this year. Unfortunately, Mark Ireland’s Trial in Malabar was retired after last year; another fun one that would’ve been right there for you to see. The address for C-54 is Centerlane Rd, Fellsmere, FL. No house number; just a long sandy road with a sign to turn back to the trial field.

Hi there, Thanks for watching! I’m sorry to hear about your dog, hope he feels better soon! We will plan to see you in person next year Emily

The third annual PA Farm Show SDT will be taking place in Harrisburg, PA this weekend starting at 4:00 EST Sat, Jan 5th. If you can’t make it in person, the trial will be posted as live feed on the FB page “PA Farm Show Sheepdog Trial”, and will be broadcast live on PCN TV starting at 9:30 am Sunday. Hope you can join us! Emily Falk

Karen, glad to hear about Peat! It makes you wonder if there is an environmental factor compounding the MDR1 status of the dogs. I mean, just to hear that a whole litter has had several dogs with weird medical problems all within the first year of life is enough to make me say hmmmm. Even if they weren’t MDR1 carriers/affecteds I’d want to look into that further! Maybe you or Betty could tell us if there are other sibs or half-sibs NOT in TX who are having problems? Or are the non-TX dogs sub-clinical like Peat? Betty, a question for you from the other thread: did Hogan have nystagmus before or after receiving any pre-medication or anesthetic for his neuter?

Hi Betty, I think the experiences that you have shared are very interesting and I would like to continue to hear more about TG offspring who have anything “off” even if it’s not something the owner or vet can easily put their finger on. From a vet’s perspective, I think further investigation needs to be done on this population of TG Texan dogs. Karen, has Peat shown any abnormalities? Instances like this are one reason I tend to shy away from the Flavor of the Month studs, but OTOH it can bring to light new and important information. Thank you for writing, Betty. I had not heard about this over in the TX dogs as I don’t travel out that way.

Also wanted to say that PCN did such an awesome job! Let me see if I can link a clip...

Hi! Yes, the Farm Show SDT is my trial Thank you for watching and for the great feedback! Our announcers were just fantastic: on the arena mic was Maggie Chambers and for the PCN TV broadcast we had the team of Sue Asten and Deb Mickey. They did such a good job of providing both run commentary and border collie/sheep/herding information for the public! For those who'd like to watch the videos that were on Facebook livestream, check out my personal page: Emily Falk. We have well over 15,000 views online, which makes me really excited that it was so well-received! Will do it again next year as we continue to build the trial! We had 50 teams competing and our winner was Amanda Milliken with Dorey. See you next year!

I really like Adequan. I have seen it used for soft tissue injuries as a diagnostic: dog comes up lame, give dose of Adequan, better next day means you have a soft tissue injury, not better means you have a bone or joint injury. I do not know if there's science behind this theory, but it has been accurate in the cases where I've seen it used this way. The molecular "building blocks" in Adequan are found in places other than the joint cartilage, so I usually figure that it's worth a try. Also, if the joint is abnormal due to conformational changes (due to tendon laxity), there will be correlated abnormal forces/strain in that joint as well as others, and since Adequan works systemically it should help out wherever needed. I'm away from home right now so don't know the Therapaw size...Gabe is 50+ lbs. I can get back to you.

Hi Gloria, I understand what you are going through with Nick. My Gabe is very long in the pastern, so his wrists look rather hyperextended when he is standing. I was worried about it, but after some discussion with my animal chiro mentor and a lot of thinking on my part, I've come up with a plan for us. Laser laser laser. I can't say enough good things about leader therapy, but my dogs are very spoiled because I own one! Joint supplements, Adequan Regular chiro exams to ensure balance and proper movement Exercise. The best thing to do to support the joints is to strengthen the soft tissue surrounding it. Tendon laxity occurs when the muscles are not strong enough to support the joint, so too much stress is being applied to the bones/joints themselves. This can be tough to keep an older dog fit without causing further injury

For now I leave you with this thought: osteoporosis (bones becoming weaker from demineralization). The body is dynamic and very capable of changing itself to adjust to its environment. Parts that are used more grow and become stronger (ex arm muscles from lifting weights, heart from doing cardio). Parts that are used less become smaller and weaker (ex leg muscles after being on extended bed rest, bones in elderly people who have limited activity). I can't provide you sources this second but there are a few concepts to consider. Allopathic vs vitalistic philosophies of medicine. I practice both.

I am not ignoring your requests, but I genuinely do not have time to look for that right now. My chiro references are at home and I am on the road helping prepare for a dog trial in a different state. I would like to revisit this sometime, but unfortunately now I can't make that happen. Thanks for asking

Sorry to hear that, Blackdawgs. It's too bad the chiropractor didn't explain to you that it can make them worse in the interim because it uncovers problems that may had been masked. For instance, if my left knee has been injured, I may compensate by shifting more weight onto my right side, and over time my right side will hurt and may even be more painful than the original injury. When my chiropractor adjusts me and corrects this compensatory gait, I may remember that oh yeah, there *was* pain in my left knee all along, I simply forgot about it because I was focused on the other pain. Same thing for the different areas of the back. That is why we believe in a multi-modal approach to pain: adjustments, pain medications, ice, heat, massage, laser, acupuncture. But no, routine adjustments don't hurt, they actually release endorphins. A couple of my dogs nearly fall asleep during their adjustments, and I've had many patients sleep soundly afterwards OR show lots of interest in play or other activities that they hadn't done in a long time. For myself, I instantly feel so much better Also worth mentioning that there are skilled chiros and those posing as them, so one experience may have not been positive, but that doesn't mean that all chiropractic is that way. For anyone interested, there are two certifying organizations (after chiro school) where you must pass written and practical exams and also maintain chiro-specific continuing education: the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association and the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association. Sorry for the hijack, I'll be done now. Simply trying to offer some options for chronic pain.

Thanks, Sue. We were posting at the same time...but I'm trying to multitask so I can get to a farm call and you beat me to it

Not unlikely at all!! Chiropractic is a very well documented science, yes, actual *medicine* that is far from the "woo-woo" many believe it to be. I am not talking about a simple manipulation that instantaneously reverses all problems...the process of demineralization takes time. The body didn't break down to reach its current state of *chronic disease* in 5 minutes, did it? Several adjustments and months are needed to restore health. Smal, I don't know what you are talking about in your last sentence with regard to how mineralized tissue looks different on rads. Food for thought...how many dogs or humans have you seen at surgery or on necropsy with a SECOND column of solid bone lying under the spine? Bones don't just keep growing at their ends, instead they have cartilage caps and ligaments that can change and stiffen as needed. The anatomical structure that lives under the spine, the one that connects each vertebra to its neighbor and therefore shows up as the "bridging" structure on radiographs, is the ventral longitudinal *ligament*. It normally does not show up on radiographs because in its healthy state it does not contain enough calcium to be radiopaque. When it becomes mineralized in an effort to support the spine, *then* you see it appear on rads. One reason I hesitate to post on forums anymore: closed mindedness. If I am suggesting something that is safe and effective but you disagree, OK, but please don't disparage my professional training and experience. Do some more research or simply scroll on without implying I don't know what I'm talking about. And, yes, I work in veterinary healthcare (as a vet) and I have seen spondylosis reversed on radiographs. Lots of people have. And lots of dogs feel better for it.

Oh, and laser can be awesome for back pain!

Have you tried chiropractic? This was a super huge "aha" moment for me when in animal chiro school: spondylosis as we see on radiographs can absolutely be reversible. In most cases that's not bone we're seeing, but simply mineralized connective tissue (which would appear as bone radiopacity). When connective tissue is placed under abnormal stress through injury, illness, poor confirmation, etc, the body's reaction is to mineralize soft tissues for added support. But when you remove those abnormal stresses through chiropractic, which restores the biomechanics to the way they should be, mineralized structures can de-mineralize and voila: improved movement and comfort for the patient

A change in bark can be a sign of laryngeal paralysis, which, if mild, is no big deal at all. But given the history of excessive barking, I'd guess that would most likely be the cause. If it continues I would have your vet examine him so that he can use the proper equipment to have a good look down there.

You are not the only one who has those questions, Haystack Hollow.

I am sorry people are upsetting you, rwinner. In the end, no one here is in your shoes, so don't feel like you need to justify your decision to anyone but yourself. She sounds like a complicated medical work up, plus surgery and rehab, behavior modification...a lot of effort and money for a rescue and like you said, you would not be able to have a say in her future. That's a really hard situation. It is clear to me that you have been weighing your options and not ignoring anyone's suggestions. These kinds of situations make everyone involved emotional, so for those who were offering alternatives, I hope you can understand that rwinner is faced with an awful decision and, to me, appears to be handling it as best she can. She is trying to balance complex emotions and practical decisions. She does not need negative posts to add to her immense sadness. My thoughts, anyway.

A follow-up on mobile vets for euthanasia: you may like to ask whatever vet you use to prescribe an oral dose of sedative that you can administer at home ahead of time. Some vets feel comfortable doing this, others may not, and it's hard to know if anyone near you would do this without having an established relationship with you and Hazel. I think it would be worth calling around to see. I think the whole situation is better for dog, owner, and even vet if the dog is heavily sedated before you even begin. I feel for you.

Has anyone offered you FHO surgery? It sounds wild, to remove the ball of the hip joint, but I've done the procedure numerous times and dogs do amazingly well. It's easy, recovery is short, and depending on where you live, more like $1000 price tag. I am very sorry for your situation. Just wanted to suggest something you may not have considered.

I like this discussion. I think there is a fine line between "mechanical" and "biddable" and that it would be difficult to tell only by watching a dog at a trial. Trialing can be a different kind of work than farm work; (most times) you really need maximal precision and finesse. For example, there are a lot of trials on dogged sheep on their home ground, where the top 20% of runs all score in the 90s. In that instance, the team needs to be spot on the whole way around the course, because a wide turn at a panel or a bobble on the drive will put you out of competition. So, there's a good chance there will be lots of whistles, and in that case, the mechanical dog and the biddable dog will appear the same. But, take those same dogs and run them out 600+ yards on un-dogged sheep over rough terrain and you would probably see the difference. The mechanical dog, who has had the natural taken out of it, wouldn't be able to handle the sheep as well as the biddable dog, who, in the absence of handler input, still has his instinct intact and consequently has control of his sheep. Or, take these dogs to a farm and do practical work with them: the biddable dog will understand the job and be able to work independently and be responsible for himself. The mechanical dog will rely on handler input, which is a real PITA when the handler needs to concentrate on tasks like vaccinating or record-keeping. Or, see how the dog works in novice hands. The fully-trained mechanical dog may have runs that fall apart on the trial field when it is sold/re-homed to a novice handler. The biddable dog would at least keep control of the situation, even if the score wasn't a winner. The word "mechanical" seems to have negative connotations. Do you think this is because it implies that the dog couldn't work well for itself? Sort of like the "other breed" venues? I think for properly bred border collies, it has a lot to do with how it was trained and maybe less with the dog's natural talent. To make things more complicated, there are dogs like my Livy: she has lots of natural talent but actually prefers to be mechanical. She is a bit of a worrier and is very concerned with making me happy. It's not my preference to work her mechanically, but we compromise in that regard because it makes her much happier. For her, when she is left to work on her own she is very capable, but she simply doesn't prefer that. As Donald said, "love the one you're with"...and that's my approach, as well I like to be open-minded with my training and handling, but my thought is that mechanical trainers are more "my way or the highway." For the sake of keeping the breed useful, I think we should try to move away from mechanical training. But if the trials reward that, there will always be those people who continue to train this way and breed for dogs who can take to this type of training. My opinion is that's dangerous for working border collies who, as a breed, are needed by livestock producers to do "the real thing."

Thanks, Sue! Appreciate your efforts and keeping us updated!