Whelping puppies with Susan Trow of Caretta’s Deerhounds

Mont Tremblant, Quebec

The last two months have been a whirlwhind of activity for those in the deerhound community, for as with many species spring is a time of birth and renewal. This past year has been marked by the loss of so many loved and special deerhounds; it then seems to me to be that much more poignant to welcome into the world a new litter of puppies. So many hopes and loves about to unfold in the lives of those lucky enough to be part of their short lives. On Good Friday I climbed into my car and set off for my dear friend Susan Trow’s home just outside of  Mont Tremblant 130 kilometres (81 mi) north-west of Montreal. Mont Tremblant is a ski resort town in the beautiful Laurentian mountains of Quebec. I arrived well in advance of the great event (the delivery of Legacy’s puppies). I thought it would be best to settle in and have a good night’s sleep before the whelping began. Susan & I visited and talked and talked and refined preparations for the whelping. It was a surprise to us all when Sat. came and went without puppies;  Legacy had little sleep as she geared herself up for the birth.

This much anticipated breeding of  Susan’s fabulous courser  Ch Atzberg Legacy of Caretta FCh SC & Aus. Ch. Nelungaloo Shot at Fame a.k.a. “Ben”  (lives in Tarcutta Australia) joins in a global sharing of bloodlines, Australian, Austrian/ Scottish and Canadian. Legacy’s “legacy” may be a future dog of the best of all bloodlines- always the hope of breeders looking to the future of the breed.

The hopes for the birth of the puppies is all wrapped up in just hoping for Mom and puppies to make it through the delivery alive and well; all future dreams are shelved and put out of your mind. Sun morning saw Susan and Legacy groggily started the day with Legacy obviously uncomfortable but not yet ready. Thankfully I had slept wonderfully well in Susan’s bed and was excited and anxious for the whelping to begin. Finally at about 10 am Legacy got down to business, as with other puppy birth’s I’ve witnessed a first time Dam is apprehensive & looks to her people for reassurance. To say Legacy was shocked when a puppy was born is putting it mildly, finally after about the 3rd or 4th puppy the Mom begins to relax a little as instinct kicks in & she begins mothering in earnest. By the time all was said and done there were 5 boys and 2 girls Extremely cute and adorable as you would expect. Then the real work begins weeks and weeks of interrupted sleep, keeping Mom and babies clean, warm and comfortable; and dealing with crises small and large. Only time will tell if a new champion has been born, that seems not too important to Susan or I as we hold and caress a tiny little black bundle of joy.

So my newest adventure as M.Ex.( Midwoof Extraordinaire ) as Barb Heidenreich titled me has left me exhausted and happy, looking forward to home and my deerie Cailean.

And before you know it they’ve morphed from fat little sausages into the most beautiful endearing creatures in the world.

Addendum to Heat Stroke- Tips to avoid dehydration etc.

• 

  Deerhound crash site

  Buy an outdoor thermometer to keep in your car, I use this as a reality check for myself- do I dare make a quick stop at the store with Cailean in the car? When the temp. is already warm the odds that it will be safe diminish exponentially.

• an early warning sign of mild dehydration is tacky gums (gums feeling a little sticky to your finger instead of moist and slippery)learn how to check  your dogs gum colour and capillary refill time.
• If your dog is at all ill be extra cautious about heat and hydration. Dogs most at risk for dehydration are those who suffer from underlying health conditions such as cancer, kidney disorders, or infectious diseases. Pregnant or nursing dogs may be prone to dehydration, as well as diabetic and elderly dogs.
• a rapid resting hear rate over 140 beats per min. may be an indication of dehydration.
•  Take note of your dog’s water intake.  If you suspect your dog is not drinking enough check the urine colour it should not be dark yellow. Make sure your dog has free access to clean water at all times, change it frequently. Wash your dog’s water bowl daily to prevent the growth of bacteria.
• Need to increase the amount of water your dog is drinking?  Add a few drops of lemon juice or put out a little chilled unsalted broth. Add ice cubes to the water bowl. Dog tempting flavoured ice cubes ideas anyone?? Maybe a little plain yogurt flavoured with vanilla or beef bouillion, I know Stroganoff flavoured frozen yogurt. mmmmm.

Dehydration occurs when fluid loss exceeds fluid intake; conditions that may precipitate fluid loss can be both the temperature of the environment, physical exertion, food consumption, illness and lactaton. There will be times when your dog will be less able to cope with the heat than at other times, ie. a dog that has recently exercised hard, a dog who has had a fever, diarrhea or vomiting, a dog that is under stress and is drooling or panting excessively.

In any case preventing dehydration is the goal.

• provide shade
• unlimited access to fresh water
• cool your dogs body (use a spray bottle or hose on the under side of your dog) do not use a wet cover which traps heat next to the body.

Deerhounds (Cailean) swim if they're hot enough

Echocardiogram Values for Scottish Deerhounds

Many deerhound fanciers have Google alerts for all things Deerhound related and will already have seen this. A very valuable piece of information to add to your deerhounds health file. This was published also on the deerhound L list by Dr. Mary Ann Rose. Many thanks to Mary Ann Rose and Dr. Betty Stephenson for bringing these values to light.

CLINICAL GUIDE for ECHOCARDIOGRAM EXAMINATION for Scottish Deerhounds

Below are the normal ranges for Scottish Deerhounds that you should share with your veterinarian and specialist.

These values were established by Dr. Philip Fox, from the cardiac clinic he did at the Vermont National Specialty in 2004. It is the only data extant for our breed, and it was never published by Dr. Fox (however Betty Stephenson did publish them in The Claymore).

Also, please do not think that “Scan in a Van” and the other mobile technologies one sees at dog shows are a substitute for an evaluation by a veterinary cardiologist. Those are for screening purposes only, and it’s definitely “Buyer Beware”–the variability of echo equipment and the skill of the person performing the echo need to be taken into consideration.

The following is a general clinical guide for echocardiographic examination based upon normal Scottish Deerhounds (avg wt, 45kg) :

Left atrium (mm) should be no larger than 50-55 mm Aorta (mm) should be no wider than 30-33 mm LA:Ao ratio should be <1.5:1 Left ventricle end diastolic dimension should be no greater than 55-60 mm Left ventricle end systolic dimension should be no greater than 40-45 mm LV Wall end- diastolic thickness should be > 8-9mm

LV Shortening fraction should generally be > 20 %, and more comonly, >25% Heart Rhythm should be sinus or sinus arrhythmia

Note:

The echocardiogram is one part of the data base that includes medical history , physical examination, ECG, and chest radiograph. Optimal diagnosis is based upon consideration of these variables.

These should be used as GENERAL guidelines and a particular normal dog, particularly a large or small animal, could fall outside of this range.

http://www.deerhound.org/Health/CardiacNorms.pdf