Technical Blind And A Birthday

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

When we were at the American Chesapeake Club Minnesota Chessie Day training last weekend the advance dogs could run the technical blind they had set up. A blind is where the dog doesn’t see where the bumper or duck is placed and the handler has to handle the dog to the blind using a whistle and hand signals. The dog needs to stay on as straight as line as possible and it needs to take the correct casts when given a hand signal.

Gambler was the only one to run this blind and you can tell from all the photos he had a hard time with it. After finding out this week that Glory came into heat I now know why his mind wasn’t on his blind. John stuck with it and got it done but it sure wasn’t pretty, and that’s why it’s called training.

John and Gambler walking to the holding blind.

Waiting in the holding blind.

Follow the black line from Gambler to the tree across the way. This is the path he should take.

Gamblers initial line was off, he went to the right instead of going straight.

John let him get out of the water and then signaled him to go left and get in that second pond.

Stopped him to give him a cast.

Left hand cast to get into the water.

Taking the cast and getting into the water.

On the right track.

Got off track and was too far to the left, had to cast to the right to get back in water.

Get in the water.

Was drifting off to the right so John stopped him and gave him a left hand back.

After that cast Gambler started to swim back to John, he was panicking, so John ran out there by him to get him to stay in the water and finish the blind.

Took his cast and got to land.

Gambler was to the left of the blind (tree with white ribbon) so John casted him to the right.

Bingo finally got to the blind.

John had Gambler sit and stay until he got back to the original starting point so Gambler would take the correct line back.

Coming back on the correct line.

Back into the second pond.

John guiding Gambler into the first pond.

He made it! Boy was that a tough blind!

John stuck with it, Gambler stuck with it and they finished it. Gambler definitely needs more of these types of blinds so he can be proficient in it.

Now your probably wondering who is having a Birthday?????

Marsh Kitty – MK is having her 2nd Birthday. She had a one kitty party complete with a can of tuna.

Let me help myself!

Bloopers

Last but not least it is #NationalPurebredDogDay so I need to thank the AKC for recognizing the Chesapeake Bay Retriever so long ago as a purebred dog. Without that I wouldn’t have the breed that stole my heart.

The fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Emma from Mygbgvlife to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!). Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.

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Supervisor MK Get’s Fired~Monday Mischief

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

MK only has one job to earn her keep. She is to supervise the ~~gang~~ Gambler while I take a shower each morning.

Doing my job, keeping a eye on everything.

MK – “did I hear something?”

Back to taking my cat nap, must of been nothing.

Oh look chewies!

I hit the mother load.

Chewies for all!

Glory is hogging the chewies.

I’ll just chew on my chewie.

Glory and Nellie enjoying all the chewies.

Gambler enjoying his stolen goods.

Hi Mom, ain’t I cute.

Going back to the scene of the crime.

This all happened on April Fool’s day, it was for sure no April Fool’s, the only fool was me thinking MK could supervise the gang while I took a shower, instead she takes a cat nap! Gambler told me when I woke up that he was going to not kick the closet open and steal chewies again, then he said “April Fool’s”.

This is a Blog Hop. Thanks to Alfie’s Blog, Snoopy’s Dog Blog , Luna, a Dog’s Life , and My Brown Newfies for setting up this hop. Please go to any of the sponsoring blogs to find out who else has been mischievous.

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Monday Mischief~Who’s The Kitty Behind The Curtain?

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

What do we have in here?

I better go check it out.

Who’s little kitty ear is this?

Hi mom!

It’s just me MK!

MK loves to hang out in the bathroom and play in the tub. She likes to shit behind the curtain and then pop her head out and look at me. Do your cat’s like playing in the tub?

Playing with MK’s mouse.

The dogs then thought it was a good idea to steal MK’s mouse and play with it.

It’s All About MK…No Chessies~Thursday Barks And Bytes

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

It’s all about MK, MK….No Chessies, It’s all about MK, MK….No Chessies.

Poor MK hasn’t gotten much lime life on the blog so today it’s all about her and not the chessies.

MK loves to hang out outside. I did find out the reason she want’s to be out their is probably to meet up with her boyfriend the striped cat that lives at my brother in laws house. I will see him dart off across the field to the line fence and he is traveling a ways from home so it must be to meet MK. MK also had a abscess last summer so it must of been from him. One of the many reasons to keep your cat indoors but do I listen or does MK? Nope, it’s a do as I say moment and not as I do. She is as photo genetic as the chessies so it’s all about MK today.

We are joining Linda at 2browndawgs and Jodi at Heart Like A Dog for this great blog hop.

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Wordless Wednesday~ A MK Christmas Photo Shoot

Posted on December 24, 2014 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

MK would like to wish all the kitty’s out there a very Merry Christmas hope you get all the catnip and tuna juice you can stand!

Wordless Wednesday is a community linkup of bloggers. Visit our host, BlogPaws, and you can use the icons below the post to hop from site to site. It is a great way to discover new blogs…..or even just a convenient way to find all of your favorites in one place. When you visit each site, be sure to leave a comment and let them know you found them through Wordless Wednesday.

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Wordless Wednesday~MK Is That You?

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

Hey Gman is that MK?

Why yes it is, what the heck is she doing out there?

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Monday Mischief~MK Going Hunting With The Chessie’s

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

What you say, MK Going Hunting With The Chessie’s?

MK’s a cat and the Chessie’s are dogs, right?

Right you are MK but remember MK was found and raised by Chessie’s so she is a ChessaCat and she wanted to go hunting with the gang the other day.

I decided to take Gambler and Nellie down to the creek to see if there were any ducks on the creek because John was taking Glory down the river with the canoe. We took off across the lawn down to the driveway and out of no where’s comes MK running to beat the band after us.

Hey whatcha guys doing?

Going hunting, I can hide.

Hey! Wait up!

MK you put your nose down like this to catch a scent.

This marsh grass is tall and thick.

Your doing great keeping up.

Who said a cat can’t go hunting?

Getting worn out, too much running in thick cover.

Selfie. Had to carry the little bugger as she was getting tired.

MK followed us through the Marsh, back to the same spot a year and a half ago we found her. She did a good job keeping up, when she couldn’t she would start meowing and Gambler went back and checked on her. I did have to carry her for a bit. No ducks were gotten this day. Too much MK babysitting.

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Monday Mischief~What Happened To The Meowbox?

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

This mischief really did happen on Monday this time. It was last week Monday when John called me and told me I got a package in the mail but it was so destroyed he couldn’t tell what it was. I was freaking out and said “what the hell happened”? People were coming and going from our house as we were having the hay cut so John put all the dogs in the house and didn’t lock up Gambler, he thought it would only be for a sec. He didn’t know that his mom had put a package from the mail lady on the counter in the dogs room. While left unattended of course Gambler found the box grabbed it off the counter and ripped it to shreds. After John tells me that I asked and you can’t tell where it came from? He said “no it’s in a million pieces”. I was expecting a meowbox for MK that I won during a give away. He looked at the pieces and said “yes that is what it is”. I asked what was left from inside, he said not much. I was pissed! MK was going to get a mega meowbox and have a photo shoot and now she gets done because Gambler ate it.

Gambler Shaming Again!

When I got home John had the stuff that wasn’t destroyed on the counter and actually MK didn’t fair to bad.

The stuff that was saved.

She got a really cool recycled bowl, some very cool toys that were hand made and some of the profits from the sales help out other groups, some food and treats.

So in the end I didn’t get any cool photos with MK and her Mega Meowbox but all wasn’t lost in Gamblers stomach like I thought. I want to say thank you to Cinco and Manna over at the Playful Kitty for having this cool give away for MK and Gambler to win.

MK’s Yearly Vet Visit

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

Since MK has been roaming around outside all summer I decided it was time to take her to work with me and have her weighed so I can deworm her from intestinal parasites that she could of picked up from being outside. I was most concerned with tapeworms. I found out MK is the all mighty huntress and kills moles and mice so I wanted to keep her safe if she by chance ingests them. Rodents harbor tapeworms so when another animal eats them they get the tapeworm. Tapeworms are gross so it’s best to prevent than to treat.

Our trip started with a hour and half car ride, when I got to the clinic and took MK out of her cage I was greeted by this:

Vomit with a hairball in it.

Since MK vomited up a hairball it is some thing I have to address so it doesn’t happen in the future. Right now I am feeding MK Purina Pro Plan Focus Weight Management, when this bag of food is done she will be switched to Purina Pro Plan Focus Hairball Management to help prevent her hairballs. You can also give a hairball remedy/laxative as needed to help prevent hairballs.

After your greeted by the front office staff a lovely technician like me starts by getting the patients weight.

The weigh in.

And the results are 9#.

You should weigh your pet through out the year to make sure they aren’t gaining any excess weight. If your cat is overweight you can follow along with SlimKitty they have all kinds of resources to help your kitty stay fit. It is also a good idea to weigh them more often as they get older to make sure they aren’t loosing weight because of some older kitty diseases that cause weight loss: Kidney and Thyroid disease. 9# is a ok weight for MK, she shouldn’t get any heavier than that and it wouldn’t hurt her to loose a few pounds. Since the vet visit and her going out more often I do think she has loss a pound.

Next the lovely technician will put you in a examination room, get a history and then the doctor will come in to do a nose to tail physical exam, they will talk about the exam and what they found as well as ask questions about your pets health and life style. They will answer any concerns you may have. The only concern I had this day was how often to deworm MK during the summer to prevent the tapeworms. Dr. Hartay told me I should deworm her each month while she is going outside. The dewormer is safe to be given that often and will catch the tapeworm life cycle if indeed she gets infected with them.

Nose to tail physical exam.

Once the physical exam is done and your pet is deemed healthy enough to be vaccinated the doctor will give the appropriate vaccinations for your pet’s life style.There are core vaccinations and non core vaccinations.

It’s vaccination time.

Core vaccinations are vaccines that each animal should get as they are airborne viruses that your cat can get through the air or off of inanimate surfaces like people, dishes, ect. MK gets FVRCP and Rabies each year as her core vaccinations. FVRCP consists of 3 different viruses in one vaccination, she will be protected against Feline Rhinotracheitis (herpesvirus), Calcivirus and Panleukopenia (distemper). In a year or two MK’s FVRCP vaccination will be good for 2-3 years. After a series of vaccinations as a kitten and yearly vaccinations for a few years the doctor can push out the expiration date of the FVRCP vaccination so it doesn’t have to be given as often. She gets Rabies each year as the vaccination she is given is Purevax Rabies by Merial. This is the only non-adjuvanted Rabies on the market it is only good for one year and needs to be boosted each year. Up until a month ago it was labeled for one year use, Merial has now come out with a 3 year non-adjuvanted vaccine. You want to have your Veterinarian use Non-adjuvanted vaccines as those are less likely to cause vaccine induced sarcoma’s.

Non core vaccinations are vaccines that are appropriate for your cat’s life style. Not every cat needs the non core vaccinations. MK get’s one non core vaccine. She is given Feline Leukemia vaccination since she goes outside. Feline Leukemia is a deadly virus that is spread by cat bites/saliva and scratches. Since we have feral cats in the area and our neighbors have barn cats that could come in contact with MK I vaccinate her. If your cat is a indoor cat and doesn’t come in contact with unknown cats that may have the disease they don’t need to be vaccinated against Feline Leukemia.

You can find the complete guidelines from the American Association of Feline Practitioners here.

That wasn’t so bad.

MK had a great physical, her vaccinations and was no worse for wear. She is now current on her vaccinations for one more year.

The co-hosts for Barks And Bytes are Linda from 2browndawgs and Jodi from Heart Like A Dog.

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Give Cancer The Paw~Lymphoma

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

Give Cancer The Paw

Today I’m joining Pooch Smooches and The Writer’s Dog Give Cancer The Paw Blog Hop. This will be their last hop. I want to take a moment to thank both you gals for starting this hop and for all the awareness you have achieved by hosting this hop. I wrote my post before I knew it was your last and that we were to do a tribute to a special pet we known and loved that had/has cancer. I’m leaving my post the way I wrote it besides adding in this comment and I will add my tribute to none other than my special pet Norman.

The Morris Animal Foundation August Webinar is on Lymphoma.

Lymphoma and Your Pet: Attend our Webinar

Lymphoma is a common and well-known type of human cancer. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most common cancers diagnosed in dogs and cats. Lymphoma can take many different forms, from single solid tumors to aggressive blood cancer, and it is the focus of intense study within the veterinary community.

Join us for our webinar about this potentially deadly disease on Wednesday, August 20, from 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. MT and learn how Morris Animal Foundation is supporting research into this important family of cancers.

Wikipedia defines Lymphoma in animals as:

Lymphoma in animals is a type of cancer defined by a proliferation of malignant lymphocytes within solid organs such as the lymph nodes, bone marrow, liver and spleen. The disease also may occur in the eye, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. It is also known as lymphosarcoma.

Cat’s with Lymphoma: 90% are due to blood cancers (Feline Leukemia -FELV, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus -FIV)

33% are due to tumors in cats, generally in the abdomen

For this reason it is important to test each kitten/cat for FELV & FIV before bringing another kitten/cat into your household. A kitten should be tested when you get it and then 3 months later in case the first test had a false negative. The FIV test should be done after 6 months of age as the kitten can hold it’s mothers immunity against FIV up to that point, if tested before 6 months you can get a false negative.

I believe we have seen a decline in FELV & FIV because most Humane Societies will test for at least FELV in each kitten/cat sometimes both viruses before they adopt them out and most people who adopt them keep them inside away from other cats that have the disease. The disease is spread by saliva from bites and from scratches. Can be spread intrauterine also.

If planning on letting your kitten/cat outside it should be vaccinated against FELV. There is no vaccination for FIV. If your kitten/cat has tested positive for FELV it still can live a normal long life if it happens to be in a carrier status. There is no way of knowing your cat is in a carrier status except for it lives a long healthy life. It can still pass on the disease but it doesn’t become sick from it.

My story: Long ago in the middle ’90 I was working as a Veterinary Technician at a clinic in the Falls, my Grandma lived on a farm that had farm cats. One day a stray kitten had come to her house, he wasn’t very old. Grandma didn’t want a kitten at that time so I scooped him up and took him to work where I asked my co-workers if any one would take him and give him a good home. The vet I worked with there took him home and named him Simon. She already had a cat named Benny so before she took Simon home she tested him for FELV which he was negative. Benny was already tested and negative also. A couple years later Simon became really sick he was diagnosed with FELV. He didn’t make it. Benny was then tested again and he was positive now. He lived a longer healthier life until he passed at age 10. Benny was a mean SOB so we said of course Simon died young (he was sweet as pie) because only the good die young.

There is no cure for either disease it’s just a matter of time before they succumb to this horrible disease. Do your homework and testing before you adopt a kitten/cat and bring it into your already cat household.

In doing this post I realized I haven’t re tested MK . I will be getting that done ASAP.

This last post is in tribute to “Norman”

My best friend, my soulmate

Gone but not forgotten.

Our very first Give Cancer The Paw post 11/6/13: you can read it here. This also happens to be the day we said goodbye to Norman and sent him on his great migration in the sky.