Microchip trying to escape

Grey's microchip is on the move. He was chipped by our old vets. It's very close to his skin and is moving around his neck and up to his ears. Occasionally it is forming a scab which isn't ideal. It could fall out! So we're off to the vets tomorrow (joy) to have it looked at. We're booked in with Grey's favourite vet and hopefully it won't be as stressful as the last three visits. At least tomorrow no one will be trying to look or touch his bum, hold his paw. Hoping we can get a nice session in of a cuddle and a stand still. Here's hoping.

Cows and Slovakian Rough Haired Pointer at Pegwell Nature Reserve Kent

We went out to Pegwell Bay Nature Reserve yesterday. It was a glorious sunny day. Crisp and bright. We had a good trot round. Met a few dogs as usual. Avoided a pack of barking dachsies. Grey saw the buffalo type cows and was good with them. He was happy and had a spring in his step.

A general walk

Here is a video I shot the other day while out walking at Minnis. I apologise for the rough camera and shaking, but I wanted to keep filming while I walked so I could capture how far Grey generally ranges from me without me stopping to film. When I stop walking Grey usually comes back to me when he's realised.

In this he goes ahead about 20 metres before he turns and sees that I've stopped. He then comes back on his own, no recall. By a coincidence, the point I stop in the film, there is also a passing cyclist on the upper sea wall. A few years ago, Grey would have chased this. He's still not 100% but he's so much better.

After we reach the point we're going to leave the lower sea wall and go up the slope, I use the much easier 'this way' to get him back down the slope than a recall. This gets him out of potential trouble as the sea wall can be quite busy with bikes and joggers and it gives me the opportunity to catch up and make some headway up the slope. From there, on the hard sea wall surface, Grey has less to sniff at and is far more attentive in keeping an eye on how near I am to him. He spies a couple of dogs and their owners on the beach and ignores them. Again, previously he'd have been off down the beach to the dogs.

As a Slovak that is in a pet home and we don't do any working training or gun dog work, this is the kind of terrain and habits that I've grown to do with Grey. Basically, having fun, keeping it neutral and hanging out. What I've learnt to do is watch his energy levels and arousal I think. I try to go places where I can manage him off lead and work up from there.

Can you help? 6 year old Eva (Aucassin Despina) very sick with suspected AI Disease

Sadly the new year didn't get off to a good start for this 6 year old female Slovak called Eva (Aucassin Despina, d.o.b. 17/12/2005). I was contacted by her owner who is desperately looking to bring her back to health. She's been struck down with what looks like another of those mysterious Auto Immune Disease (AI) conditions, and has lost the use of her hind legs with suspected hind limb ataxia. She comes from what sounds like an awfully sick litter of Slovaks with a few of her siblings having died at young ages. Her brother had hind limb ataxia at 18 months of age (he later died). Eva herself has had a life of overcoming sickness, since 16 weeks old she suffered with AI issues and meningitis problem. Her pedigree is the same mating that was repeated two years later and produced one of the main stud dogs in the UK, Bruce (Aucassin Tonto of Rosetinted). They both therefore share the COI of 20.3%. You can see from the pedigree their breeding, hence the high COI. The inbreeding coefficient of Slovakian Rough Haired Pointers is 11.5%.

Eva's parents are Sholto de ''Etang aux Colverts x Aucassin Comfrey.

The problem I've seen with so many of these mysterious AI pain issues that have come to light that result in steroid or anti-biotic treatment, there seem to be as many diagnoses as there are dogs. But one thing they all share is how distressing it is for the dogs and their owners. So if you think you can help with advice or experience, or if your Slovak is related to Eva, please get in touch: greytheslovak@gmail.com and I'll forward it on.

If you suspect your own Slovak might have had a health concern, no matter how minor, that you can now recall, please do take the time to fill out a health report for the breed club. Did you have a pup that reacted badly to vaccinations? Any pain incidents that seemed strange? It is only through reporting of issues within our breed that we can help get to the bottom of conditions like this. The link to the health form is on the breed club website to download.

Here is the lovely Eva (aka giant Doof) in happier days spaniel sitting this summer.

Eva has now had a max dexamethasone jab, after which she picked up so it does look to be auto-immune related rather than trauma.

She is now on prednisolone at 4x original dose ie maximum plus antibiotics in case there is a spinal infection. Problem looks to be at L4/5 or thereabouts.

When Eva was small she had recurrent bouts of elevated temperature, pain, neck stiffness, loss of appetite all responsive to steroids from around 16 weeks on. The attacks put her on a drip in the surgery if not spotted quickly enough. Then decreasing attacks and almost no problems for 2 years with the last 12 months clear. One week ago she was looking for pheasants in fields. She had slightly stiff neck next day, no temperature, but over 3 days reducing hind limb proprioception ending up in loss of motor power and no response to pain. Very sudden and a new manifestation.

Her brother died in England at around 2 years after a lifetime of the symptoms suffered by Eva although he had some loss of proprioception earlier. Another sibling died at a few months of age in the breeder's vets. Another sibling was ill.

Really hoping that Eva recovers soon. If you think you can help, please do get in touch.