The Cavalier Wag THE

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1 2013 Club Officers Molly Hughes President Jo Anne Mittelman Vice President Jeanne Kestner Treasurer Susan Gonyo Recording Secretary Allyson Gonyo Corresponding Secretary Jo Ann Weise Director Elisa Rosenberg Director Julie Ellingson Director Melissa Percivalle Director Please refer to your membership list for addresses, telephone numbers and addresses. Please contact any board member with ideas, comments, or suggestions at any time. The Cavalier Wag THE JANUARY CAVALIER 2013 VOLUME 8, ISSUE WAG 4 President s Message My belated holiday gift to you all is a very brief President s Message! Thank you to everyone who participated in club events this year! March 2013 marks the 18th anniversary of the BACKCSC--a feat that wouldn t be possible without a great membership. The new Board of Directors was presented to the membership at the November meeting. We welcome Allyson Gonyo as the new Corresponding Secretary and Elisa Rosenberg as a new director! Melissa Percivalle will be our other new director. Jo Ann Weise and Julie Ellingson start the second year of their term and two directors are retiring. We are very sorry to say good bye to Cherry Roberts; Cherry has done a wonderful job organizing our raffles and auctions over the past few years. (However, we ve told her she doesn t have to retire from those efforts just because she s off the board!) The other director reitiring is Joanne Nash. It is going to be hard to imagine a board with Joanne Nash--aka Ms. BACKCSC!!!!! I m sure she is going to enjoy a break from board meetings-- although her perspective and advice is always welcome! The rest of the board remains the same. We also welcome your input! There will be a member satisfaction survey going out shortly; your participation will help us plan for INSIDE THIS ISSUE President s Message...1 A Word from Willie...2 Rescue Updates...3 Litter Bits & Championships, et...4, 5, 6 Committees...6 Specialty Roundup...7, 8 Holiday Party Update...9 Editors Note and Club Calendar...10 Health News...12

2 A Word from Willie... Greetings my fellow Royal Spaniels! Allow me to introduce myself. I was named after that wonderful bard of Stratford-upon-Avon. Those who know me well call me Willie. I am a wee bit past my third year, and a strikingly handsome Blenheim Cavalier, if I do say so myself. I had the privilege of knowing Lily the Lovely, and I can state categorically that she is missed every day among our household. I am in awe of her writing, and can only aspire to engage you all with my new column. The writing muse has begun to set my creative juices flowing, so I am ready to share my love of the written word with you. And the word for today is.reading! One of my callings has been to have children at our local library read to me. I am so much in demand that some children have actually written me letters, saying that I am a good listener. It is a wonderful program that we call Tail Tutors. We are well suited to the listener role, and there are many children who will read to us to practice their reading skills. The only challenge I have in providing this service relates to the fact that many of the books that children choose to read to me are about dogs. I am curious about other subjects and would like more variety. Perhaps a book about King Charles or Blenheim Castle would fascinate. In any event, I hope some of you could do something similar for the children in your hamlet. My human mom and I, along with a local artist, are working on a book we hope to publish. It is entitled Silly Willy and is about my funny reactions to certain words that are read to me by a child. (I look around when I hear the word see as an example) We hope that it will find an audience and can be the starting point for a whole series. It goes without saying that I am the main character in the book. We will keep you posted on the book s progress. As the New Year is upon us, may I offer you a challenge for 2013? Let us all do our very best to help those around us, using the gifts of comfort and love that we have in such abundance. And as the Other Willie said brevity is the soul of wit - I will sign off. A Cheery 2013 to you all! -- Willie 2

3 Rescue Updates Happy Endings! I am happy to report that Sammi, featured in the last Wag is happily settled in her new home!!! We ve had another success since the last edition as well. Ellie, an almost five-year old Blenheim was turned into rescue in early November. A change in her family s lifestyle left her at home alone for most of the day--a change that did not work well for her. Fortunately, the perfect match came along after she had been in foster care for several weeks, and she is now in her new home!!!! Finally, I have had some inquiries about Pippi! She is hoping that her Christmas wish for her forever home will come true very soon. She is a very sweet girl and wants nothing more than a lap to fill and someone to keep company. Her chronic dry eye requires that she have drops in her eyes frequently--but she s very good about the process. This is Rio--who may have found his forever home. However in case it doesn t work out--here s a brief bio. Rio is about six years old. He definitely needs another dog to play with and someone home most of the time. He s pretty shy, but does come around after he gets to know you. He loves walks and car rides and cuddling on the sofa. Hannah is not very photogenic--but she s a very sweet four and a half year-old girl. She s being fostered in San Diego. Unlike Rio, she would prefer to be an only princess; but she would be happy with someone home most of the time since she has some separation issues. If you know anyone in San Diego looking for a cuddly Cavalier, please let them know about Hannah. 3

4 Litter Bits and Championship Points Here is DJ all grown up! We cannot tell you what an incredible and amazing thrill it was for DJ to get Best in Specialty Show under Breeder Judge Mr. Richard Beauchamp! It is what dreams are made of. He is following in his father's footsteps who won the BACKCSC BISS in Thank you everyone for your kindness and support. Introducing Liane's Irish Coffee (McHenry). Erin", who came over from Germany recently as an addition to the Del Sol Show Team. We look forward to her AKC debut at Golden Gate Kennel Club. Roger and Jo Ann Weise are very pleased to announce that Barry is now Ch. Plumridge Can t Smile Without You! Barry is seen at left being awarded Winners Dog at the BACKCSC Specialty in October under Judge Richard Beauchamp, and then at right he is shown finishing at the tender age of 17 months under breeder judge Hank Williams. Barry was beautifully handled both by co-breeder Trish York, and pro handler extraordinaire Amy Rutherford. Marge McNabb of Dorylane Cavaliers is very excited to announce the birth of her latest litter! There are two black and tan boys, two ruby boys and one ruby girl. Proud parents are Tessa ( Dory Lane Barefoot Contessa) and Sidney, (Turretbank To Sir With Love), proudly owned by Cottfordcourt Cavaliers. Breeder, Mom, Dad and babies are all doing very well!! 4

5 Litter bits and Championship Points, con t. Ch Allegria Made You Look " Mackie " (McHenry) is well on his way to his Grand Championship. He recently took Best of Breed (Owner -Handled ) at Donner Trail Kennel Club under judge James Ham. Del Sol Cavaliers is also proud to announce our newest Champion Greyhawk Remembrance at Del Sol (McHenry/ Kubin).Trudy finished at just 18 months old (in August) and is now on her way to her Grand Championship. She recently took her first Best of Breed win at Santa Cruz Kennel Club show under judge Darryl Vice. Trudy is always owner-handled by Mary. From the desk of Dr. Sue Barrett: GCH Quail Garden Tad O' Magic, owned and handled by Sue Barrett, DVM, won BOB at the Black Mountain Kennel Club Show in Las Vegas under Judge Florence Henderson in October and at his next show won BOB at the Southern Oregon Kennel Club Show under Judge Sharon Krogh. At 14 months of age, Royalmark Crystal Blue Persuasion At WynDancer (Suade), owned and handled by Dr. Sue Barrett, won Best Puppy in Sweeps at the Columbia River Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Specialty December 7 and 8, 2012, under noted Judge Patty Kanan. He also also won Winner's Dog, a 4 pt major and attained his AKC Championship under noted Judge Cindy Huggins. Suade was moved up to BOB and over a two day all breed show and in competition with a number of specials, was awarded Select both days for two 4 point majors, and is well on his way to a GCH! Suade also won Best Puppy in Sweeps under judge Betty Anne Stenmark at the BACKCSC Specialty in October. Then at the COTW show in Vancouver, WA., he won Best Puppy in Show under UK judge Tina Holmes, and then not to be outdone, won BPIS and Reserve Winners Dog under Irish judge Evelyn Hurley! He is one major away from his CKCSC championship title. 5

6 Litter Bits and Championship Points, con t Committees Membership: Website: Legislative: Public Education: Judges: Specialty: Fundraising: Programs: Historian: Health Liaison: Policies and Procedures: Fun Day: Cavalier Wag Editor: Jeanne Kestner Molly Hughes, Bob Jones, Alyson Gonyo Allyson Gonyo Jo Anne Mittelman, Christine Moe Joanne Nash, Jo Anne Mittelman, Mary McHenry Molly Hughes Cherry Roberts Jo Anne Mittelman Allyson Gonyo Joanne Nash, Jo Anne Mittelman Molly Hughes, Jo Anne Mittelman, Jeanne Kestner Susan Gonyo, Elisa Rosenberg Jo Ann Weise! Check your membership directory for and phone information for the committee representatives. They would be happy to hear from you with comments, ideas and the offer to help out where needed. 6

7 BACKCSC Specialty Round Up Harvest Moon Classic--11th Annual Specialty FRIDAY NIGHT WELCOME BAGS Our 11th Specialty began with a Welcome Reception at the host hotel, the Residence Inn. Thanks to Jo Ann Weise for organizing the party which featured snacks and pizza. Sign ups for the Friday night program (An Interactive Interpretation of the Breed Standard) were slow at first, so we decided to hold it in a smaller room. Interest picked up at the last minute, and the room was packed--another fine program planned by Jo Anne Mittelman. Mary McHenry performed her usual Welcome Bag magic! Although Mary wasn t able to attend the show, Monica Paulsell took over on final production. Monica, Lisa Swoboda, and Debbie Oliver assembled the bags. Thanks to the following who contributed! Blue Dog Bakery, Tammi Byroads & Vemma, Earthbath, Dr. Harvey s, The Honest Kitchen, Molly Hughes, Beverly Meyer, Ellen McHenry, Mary McHenry, Debbie Oliver, Monica Paulsell, PetSafe, The Show Dog Store, Stella and Chewy s, Lisa Swoboda A Huge Thank You for the following Trophy & Class Sponsorships Trophy Sponsorships Best of Breed--Sue Barrett, DVM; Reserve Winners Bitch--Molly & Brian Hughes; Best Puppy in Sweeps--Jo Ann Weise Sweepstakes Classes Puppy Bitch, months--joanne Nash; Veteran Dog, 7-10 years--sue Barrett, DVM; Veteran Bitch, 7-10 years --Molly Hughes Regular Classes American Bred--Sue Barrett, DVM; Open Black &Tan Dog--Molly Hughes; Open Ruby Bitch--Brian Hughes Obedience Classes Novice A-Jeanne Kestner Rally Classes Rallly Novice A-Jeanne Kestner 7

8 BACKCSC Specialty Round Up cont. Harvest Moon Classic--11th Annual Specialty SATURDAY A Very Special Thank You to Dominique Oboyski Once again Kathy Tegg spoiled us all by providing a breakfast of yummy coffee cakes! She also provided afternoon cookies as well as taking care of judges hospitality and being Performance Chair on Friday night!!! Thank you, Kathy!!! Thank you to Allyson Gonyo for taking care of choosing the trophies and setting them up at the show. We d also like to thank #1 All Systems, Sophie s Closet, and P.L.A.Y for their help with our prizes. Monica Paulsell and Melissa Percivalle helped out with selling raffle tickets and catalogs. Cherry Roberts did another fantastic job on the raffle and silent auction during the show as well as the silent and live auctions during the banquet. Thank you Cherry! Alisa McCauley, Lorrie Thomas, and Russ Roberts also deserve thanks for their help in setting up the items! Another change this year was holding the after show banquet in the Agricultural building. The food by Ovations was terrific, and it was a relaxed and casual setting. We had live entertainment before the dinner, and Jeff Barto was a successful auctioneer for the live auction following the dinner. for designing this spectacular catalog cover and donating the painting for the Live Auction! We also wish to thank the following who contributed to our auctions and raffle: Davis Animal Products; Susan Fraumeni; Barbara Garnett-Wilson; Sue Green of Sophie s Closet; Alexis Holmberg of Liquid Metal Jewelry; Carol Hooper; Molly Hughes; Sue Jenkins of Savannah Sue; Glenn Karcher; Pam Levy of From My Hands; Judy McDonald of Motherlode Treasures; Bill and Taffee McFadden of Bold Oaks Kennels; Beverly Meyer; Christine Moe; Cherry and Russ Roberts; Sirius Puppy Training; Susan Waddington of Polydogz Designs; Patricia York 8

9 Litter bits 2012 and Holiday Championship Party Overview Points, con t. We tried a new twist for the Holiday Party this year--well, two of them. This year s party was a pot luck at the Tri Valley SPCA, and our dogs were able to attend! It was very well received--the food was delicious! I am happy to report that the only stealing involved the humans during the White Cavalier Gift Exchange--all the four-legged attendees were very well behaved! Thank you to all of you who attended and made this another wonderful club event! Thanks also to Allyson and Susan Gonyo, Jo Ann Weise, and Cherry and Russ Roberts for helping to set up. And, or course, we re all glad that Santa Jim Nash was able to help out once again! 9

10 Editor s Note Please always remember that this is your publication! If you come across any information or articles that you feel the rest of the club membership would enjoy or benefit from, please forward them on to me. And remember, we must have written authorization from the author to reprint any or all of their articles. Book reviews are always fun and always welcome! Also, if you want to send in a picture or article, please send it in a jpeg format and not a PDF file. Also, please remember that the targeted publication schedule for the Cavalier Wag will be at the end of each quarter (March, June, September and December) and all articles will be due by the 15th of those months. Upcoming BACKCSC Club Calendar January 6, 2013 January 26-27, 2013 BACKCSC First Annual Awards Celebration Golden Gate Kennel Club Dog Show, Cow Palace, San Francisco Speakers have not been finalized for remaining dates, but please reserve the following dates for our meetings! February 10 March 3 March 17 April 28 June 23 July 28 Sept 29 October 19 Nov 3 Dec 15 Jan 5, 2014 Health Clinic (Hearts and Eyes) Fun Day 12th Annual BACKCSC Specialty 10

11 Health News We thank Jo Anne Mittelman for the following article on kidney health... So far we have been very fortunate: We have only lost two dogs in 18 years. Having said that I recognize we now have a few that are seniors so we are seeing age related issues. One of the things that we experienced with Graham who we lost at 16 1/2 (which is remarkable in itself) were changes in his kidney function. Most recently, we have seen the same with Fletcher who will be 13 in February. His (fasting) blood work showed changes in his Creatinine, BUN, and Urine Specific Gravity all of which indicate kidney disease. We have made dramatic alterations to his diet (the amounts of protein and phosphorus) and the difference it has made has been amazing. He is still a senior but his eyes are now bright and he still wants to chase the girls! His blood work has vastly improved and at least we have the gift of time. I have Bishop Ranch to thank for this turn around. We will be doing blood panels twice a year now on our seniors as maybe I could have caught this sooner. CHRONIC KIDNEY FAILURE IN DOGS by Dr. James Pogrel, DVM Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center -- San Ramon, CA What does Chronic Kidney Failure mean? Many people see the term "chronic kidney failure" and conclude that the kidneys have quit working and are not making urine. This is not the case. By definition, kidney failure is the inability of the kidneys to remove waste products from the blood. This term can be confusing because kidney failure doesn t mean the inability to produce urine. Ironically, most dogs in kidney failure produce large quantities of urine, but the body s wastes are not being effectively eliminated. When do most cases of chronic kidney failure occur? The typical form of chronic kidney failure is associated with aging. It may be thought of in simple terms as a wearing out process. The age of onset is often related to the size of the dog. For most small dogs, the early signs occur at about ten to fourteen years of age. However, large dogs have a shorter age span and may go into kidney failure as early as seven years of age. What are the clinical signs of chronic kidney failure? The kidneys may be thought of as blood filters. When aging causes the filtration process to become inefficient and ineffective, blood flow to the kidneys is increased in an attempt to increase filtration. This results in the production of more urine. To keep the dog from becoming dehydrated due to increased fluid loss in the urine, thirst and water consumption is increased. Thus, the early clinical signs of kidney failure are increased water consumption and urination. The clinical signs of more advanced kidney failure include loss of appetite, depression, vomiting, diarrhea, and very bad breath. Occasionally, ulcers will be found in the mouth. When kidney failure is accompanied by these clinical signs, it is called uremia. How is chronic kidney failure diagnosed? The diagnosis of kidney failure is made by determining the level of two waste products in the blood: blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and blood creatinine. A urinalysis is also needed to complete the study of kidney function. A low urine specific gravity (USpG) is the earliest indication of kidney failure. Although BUN and creatinine levels reflect kidney failure, they do not predict it. A dog with marginal kidney function may have normal blood tests. If that dog is stressed with major illness or surgery, the kidneys may fail, sending the blood test values up quickly. Since this is basically just a wearing out process, how is it treated? In some cases, the kidneys are damaged beyond repair and treatment is ineffective. However, with early diagnosis and aggressive treatment, many dogs will live for many months or years. Treatment occurs in two phases. The first phase is an attempt to restart the kidneys. Large quantities of intravenous fluids are given to flush out the kidneys. This flushing process is called diuresis and helps to stimulate the kidney cells to function again. If enough functional kidney cells remain, they may be able to adequately meet the body s needs for waste removal. Fluid therapy includes replacement of various electrolytes, especially potassium. Other important aspects of initial treatment include proper nutrition and drugs to control vomiting and diarrhea. 11

12 Health News, con t. What can I expect from this phase of treatment? There are three possible outcomes from the first phase of treatment: 1. The kidneys will resume functioning and continue to function for a few weeks to a few years. 2. The kidneys will resume functioning during treatment but fail again as soon as treatment stops. 3. Kidney function will not return. Unfortunately, there are no reliable tests that will predict the outcome. If the first phase of treatment is successful, what happens next? The second phase of treatment is to keep the kidneys functioning as long as possible. This is accomplished with one or more of the following, depending on your pet s condition: A special diet The ideal diet is low in protein, low in phosphorus, and not acidified. This type of diet reduces the amount of protein wastes or metabolic toxins that may make your pet feel sick and lethargic. In advanced kidney disease, a decreased protein diet will decrease the workload on the kidneys. We can recommend a commercially prepared food that has the quantity and quality of nutrients needed by your dog. Nutrition is one of the cornerstones of effectively treating dogs with chronic kidney failure. A phosphate binder Phosphorous is removed from the body by filtering through the kidneys. Once the filtration process is impaired, phosphorous begins to accumulate in the blood. This also contributes to lethargy and poor appetite. Certain drugs will bind excess phosphates in the intestinal tract so they are not absorbed, resulting in lower blood levels of phosphorus. Home fluid therapy Once your dog is stabilized, fluids can be given under the skin (subcutaneously) by you at home. This serves to help continually flush toxins from the kidneys as their function continues to fail. This is done once daily to once weekly, depending on the degree of kidney failure. Although this might not sound like something you can do, you will be surprised at how easy the technique is and how well most dogs tolerate it. A drug to regulate the parathyroid gland and calcium levels Calcium and phosphorus must remain at about a 2:1 ratio in the blood. The increase in blood phosphorus level, as mentioned above, stimulates the parathyroid gland to increase the blood calcium level by removing it from bones. This can be helpful for the sake of the normalizing calcium: phosphorus ratio, but it can make the bones brittle and easily broken. Calcitriol can be used to reduce the function of the parathyroid gland and to increase calcium absorption from the intestinal tract. This is recommended if there is evidence of abnormal function of the parathyroid gland. A drug to stimulate the bone marrow to produce new red blood cells The kidneys produce erythropoietin, a hormone that stimulates the bone marrow to make red blood cells. Therefore, many dogs in kidney failure have a low red blood cell count, anemia. Epogenä or Procritä, synthetic forms of erythropoietin, will correct the anemia in most dogs. Unfortunately for some dogs, the drug cannot be used long term because the immune system recognizes the drug as "foreign" and will make antibodies against it. This treatment is recommended if your pet has persistent anemia. How long can I expect my dog to live? The prognosis is quite variable depending on response to the initial stage of treatment and your ability to perform the follow-up care. Veterinarians encourage treatment in most situations because many dogs will respond well and maintain a good quality of life. 12