Day 28 and Filling Out...

She's definitely changing...Her waist is filling out. Definitely eating for more than her! This week, she begins her gradual food increase (the one I control anyway!). Photos soon, promise!

A Scare....

A friend of mine has recently had the very bad luck of dealing with neospora. When a puppy she'd bred began showing odd symptoms, she and her vet did some researching and subsequently tested the dam of the puppy, who was indeed (low) seropositive. Because I am also a raw feeder and Tap is going to have puppies, I had her tested as well...Her results just came back and she is negative. Whew.

Now before any raw feeding nay-sayers jump in, neospora had been around for ever but is VERY rare in dogs - my poor friend just had about the worst luck for this to happen. In one study, to 17 seropositive bitches, 118 pups were born and only 3% (4 pups) were seropositive. The study suggested that 80% of pups born to seropositive bitches will be NOT be infected.

As I said: The. Worst. Luck.

On a good note, freezing meat kills neospora (and a lot of other potential pathogens), and all the stuff I feed generally is frozen for 48 hours up to 1 month. But you can be darn sure I'll be extra careful from now on, especially with stuff that is dropped off on my doorstep from hunters, etc.

So, nope, this is not scaring me enough to switch back to kibble (which does scare me!) I am as sure as ever that raw feeding is the best for the overall health of my dogs. Like I said, I'm just going to be extra careful about freezing first.

Pickles and Ice Cream?

Day 20 (or 19 or 18!)....Tap is acting like she has never been fed. Ever. She wolfed some sheep feed during chores - very unlike her. So, is that her equivalent of pickles and ice cream?

It is too early to tell yet, but I swear her "shape" has changed subtly..Unless she's been eating more sheep feed than I'm aware of!

Poor boys!

Tap and Chip had a third long tie yesterday and now I am back home, relaxing after my hectic road trip...NOT! It's about now I'd like to perform debark / de-howl surgery to Mirk and Kap with a butter knife. Poor guys. They have to be hiked separately (much to the delight of Blaze et. all who get 4 walks a day now!) and when in the house are locked in crates...And Tap and Fen are way up on the third floor in my office. Kap didn't eat for the last 2 meals and Mirk is going bananas.

Neuter, anyone?
Okay, off to buy new earplugs. I hope no important clients call me today! It sounds like the dog pound in here!

2nd Date - No Time Wasted

Another 15 or 20 minute tie almost as soon as Tap walked in the door!

Before her date, we (Fen, Tap and I) went on a walk at the Freyeburg Fairgrounds...Wow that place is huge. Just a loop around the edges took 1 hour. We met a very nice Border Collie (neutered!) and his owner out for a run. I commented on his well behaved dog and he said that he (the dog) was a great running buddy. "These dogs need a lot of exercise," he says to me, who he probably perceived as a novice BC owner, hiking in bad boots and jeans. "And training. They need some kind of job too, even if it's just silly." I nod and watch as he begins his cool down, now throwing a tennis ball for his tireless dog. This is the kind of pet home a breeder dreams of.

Hey, you want a puppy?

Just kidding everyone!