Darling Spice

Darling Spice [click to see pedigree of Sybaris Allspice],


a long terms PM Vizsla, who was a successful show bitch before having her pups, and before developing PM, sadly just died. Spice held it up to go to show the world what a PM Viz looks like, going to as many shows as she could, to make sure that breeders think, and are responsible in their decision making, before breeding from dogs that have PM in their lines.

Hope she has a ball now with Radio and all the others ones whose body gave up well before their spirit would have. This is the hardest thing to see, their fight to live on, without luck.

Vizsla research update

There has been a big step made forward, and DNA samples are now collected and analyzed, see below. I also added the pedigrees in the post below this one [publicly available] of some of Radio's siblings that were also affected by myositis.

A link to the new DNA research, started in autumn 2009: http://www.veterinary-neurologist.co.uk/
http://www.veterinary-neurologist.co.uk/vizsla/docs/vizsla%20dna%20collection%20pack.pdf

please let anyone know who has an affected dog, as this will be of benefit to the entire Vizsla community.

thank you, Andrea

A Vizsla Health Issue

Since Radio's (Szinarany Apollo - click on this link to see 5 generation pedigree) death we had conversations with many people involved in the breed, and have found that there is still a lack of understanding as to what Radio died from.

Radio's case was not an isolated one. Jasper, Radio's close relative, (Vizslanya Lantos - click to see 5 generation pedigree) had the same illness, and Harvey (Oneandall Chough - click here to see 5 generation pedigree), another close relative, produced one litter only because 2 of his pups died of the same illness.

There are many more dogs affected, but sadly people fear to come forward. And understandably so, as some breeders in the UK still claim that this problem has nothing to do with breeding but is caused by flea or cat bites.....and just keep on breeding with shutters over their eyes.

We Vizsla pet owners took responsibility and said NO to breeding from these dogs, NO to breeding from any dog that has either produced progeny that died from what vets suspect may be a genetic illness, or carry the illness themselves - if one believes a disease has a genetic basis (may not be the whole cause, but a contributing factor), the most prudent thing to do until more information is known, is to not breed from affected dogs. The breed is healthy compared to many others, and in order to make sure that this will continue to be the case, we can only say YES to breeding from healthy dogs. How many more dogs will be born carrying this gene before breeders take responsibility?

It would be senseless to vilify anyone, or any lines per se (because of the history of the Vizsla lines are all mixed up with each other), and the intention is the opposite - to ask for more transparency and debate. Anyone who breeds pedigree dogs will have a problem at one point, that is unavoidable (and all respect to those who are open about these). Still, everyone who breeds must take responsibility as a dog is for life, not just for showing...

A website containing all the articles and research on this illness is http://www.vizslahealth.net/

Please see what this illness does to dogs on: http://vizslamyositis.blogspot.com/
and read more about it here: http://vetneuromuscular.ucsd.edu/cases/2007/Sept07.html
and in a few simple steps you can cross check any Vizsla's (and other breeds') pedigree lineage on: http://www.worldpedigrees.com/

Radio causes havoc elsewhere now (we hope)

this is my favorite picture of lasse and radio from a year ago.... today was the day when radio's body gave up on him. that he got to be three was a miracle in any case, but makes this not an inch easier. we so miss him, terribly. otto misses him as well, see the video below.
as a final word to end this blog we would urge everyone who ever considers breeding their dogs to do it responsibly, and with the best for the dogs in mind. please make sure to keep blood lines healthy. below is a link to research about radio's illness, and features radio and his half brother/cousin jasper. http://vetneuromuscular.ucsd.edu/cases/2007/Sept07.html

it must be love.....?

There has been a little bit of confusion of late. Radio thinks he's a puppy, and Hamish is happy because hanging out with Radio is so much fun, more play, more smells, someone to curl up with on the sofa... whereas the Redgirls think that ladies have hormonal surges that make it acceptable to behave in an irrational and confused manner (well, with no manners actually!!!!!!!), boy dogs go through similar episodes, but they just appear in a different shape...(but then women never understand what goes on in boys bodies anyway)

So, when Hamish looks to Radio for guidance...exploring the fish only visible in the winter when the grass is cut and which Radio met when he was a wee pup....it means learning all that his more experienced best friend does, copying every little bit







and Radio, more than double Hamish's age, and full of experience, loves the role of teacher, guiding Hamish into adulthood....






and has a habit .....











you guessed it.....










of peeing on Hamish's head.








Radio is a good teacher...
and now Hamish is learning how to pee on Radio's too













....?....

end of year - Richmond Viz Whizz

somehow, not quite sure how, there is always someone who just jumps out of frame as the picture is taken (see the lady in the grey coat on the right, and what's more, her Viz following the trend?)...what a funny habit to have, but who are we to judge?there were: ajax, monty, jane, oskar, jeff, kubrik, paul, leksi, penny, ros, steven, lasse, anna, ziggie, radio, hamish, milo, .... and many more as you can see, including three wires who missed this line up. oh, and there was me!

Fox-zlsa and his favourite place: the pub

since radio is not genetically correct, he decided that its about time to go all the way. he had always fancied himself a bit of a fox, and now he's behaving like one too....(i.e. can see those squirrels and ducks much better from up there) its a hard life being a Foxszla so Radio deserved a well cosy evening at the George, copying Hamish's robot eyes (has become a bit of a trend among the vizsla community of late), Radio charmed an entire pub into cuddles ...well, they did have a few beers...

IBD trial camera up the bum - Myositis return....

this is a classic example of take your dog to the vet and come home without one. we took radio to have his examination at the specialist hospital because he's been off all drugs now.

and they kept him in to put a camera up his bottom and throat and to cut a little piece out from each to see the cellular changes inside of him. he is now enrolled on a research programme and they will do genetic tests and more.....

during all the tests they confirmed that his polymyositis has returned, and he'll be on medication again, and will have to be withdrawn from the trial.

i can collect him today or tomorrow, and he won't have eaten for 4 whole days and will be like charlie morph i imagine. should they find abnormailities then perhaps we found a possible connection between his other illness and IBD. but since the polymyositis is back it looks as if its all part of a compromised immune system, and more of a "was the egg before the hen" kind a thing.

home feels empty without him.

Happy 3rd Birthday!!!!

Old English....Vizsla Dog
not a sheep

1st ever Vizsla sheep-dog winner

the whole thing begun while reading a book about London's Hyde Park. 1956 sadly saw the end of the annual sheep dog trials in the middle of this park, which was a shame, because it was visited by lots and lots of people from all over the world.....
we thought that sheep dogs need to be collies, not vizslas, because vizslas are gundogs and not herders. but anyone who knows radio knows that he always fancied himself a bit of an all rounder, so he started training towards fulfilling his olymic dream and the training went well and he got lots and lots of compliments for getting to be an increasingly capable sheep dog, both enthusiast and stalker, so we simply gave it a go and entered this years regional trials in the lakes....to start off, radio had to fulfill a (well, not so) simple 'round up' and 'seperate the flock into two' task. once he completed this in near record time, he progressed to a much more difficult task...this involved needing to first flank, then bring the flock in towards the handler in a straight line, do a superfast turnaround and hold them there... (our nerves were quite chittery as we only just started to see success with this these last days and lasse forgot to take pictures in all the excitement)...BUT: he did it - and, to our (and everyone else's) utter amazement, won 1st prize!!!!! as far as we know this is the first time a Vizsla has been awarded in such a category, we are well proud, well done super radio!!! we'll get pics from the awards ceremony sent soon and will add them to this post then...(thanks Andrew!)

Hackney gundog whizz (with a few additions to the group)

Today was our first Hackney gundog (and dog in general) walk. Vizslas showed their anarchic side, so now everyone wants a Weimaraner or Ridgeback or Boxer instead.....(what happened to their reputation?). Basically, Hamish felt quite amorous with Cassy and Radio with Angel. Hamish and Radio tried to be gentlemen, which was mostly successful but not on one occasion when both Cassy and Angel fell into the canal...while Ruby thought she was boss of the pack (and perhaps pushed Cassy into the canal)...so all three had to be reminded of their good canine citizens training. Else they all got on like a house on fire.from left: Tilly the Yorkie, Maya the Ridgeback-Staffie, Cassie's boxer bum, Angel the Weim , Jake the most georgeous and well mannered Weim ever, Ruccie Weim pup, Radio, Hamish, then a Mastiff girl whose name i have forgotten (we grabbed her and her owner for the photo op because she is super beautiful), to the right is Dina Weim....Ruby's owners overslept so she missed this part of the line up...we left vikki park along the canal towards the marshes, cross the football field and voila: river lea...


Joe and Morgan Down to the mud-bath...Ruby is a better swimmer than Hamish or even Radio, which is why the three will enter the jetty dog competition next year...

Tilly needed a little help from Carol (short legs....)




and heading back home....

happy days

the zoo is complete. radio and franz and otto are in love, at times also with us.franz, as mentioned earlier in a post, has taken to lick people like crazy, but since recently radio and otto get the treatment too.lucky radio got to spend some dog time with hamish in dungeness.
this really is dog food: predigested soy protein and some vegetables. not fair i guess as franz and otto at least get some oat grass + proper food.....

Name in need:

here is our new kitten. he is a mewmew and his given name is mewmew hamish (like radio's is szinarany apollo and otto's is jo). although his temperament is supposed to be (according to the breed description) independent, easily trainable, not a lapcat...of course none of this is true. he is a licking purr machine. he has been with us for three days and thus far he licked my whole hair (needed a wash) and lasse's face (several times), our hands, feet, radio's paws, whatever living being with skin and fur comes near him gets a wash. furthermore, one only needs to look at him and he purrs. needles to say, we adore him.
otto absolutely is smitten with him, though hamish is taking a little more time with her, he started as a dog's kitten, but is beginning to follow her around.
the problem is that he got given the very name of radio's best friend, hamish pup. so we need to find a new name. any ideas?

dog-kitten-fight nr. 299909039087986986

our friend Adam came to stay from LA, and he of course got an appropriate wake up call....(and a new job as referee)...except that radio simply fell asleep, kitten still attached.

one lucky Radio...

First of all, this morning as i was brushing my teeth, i came back into the room, and hey, a threesome in bed with radio getting a kitten hug...(this radio is not allowed in bed but he always seems to manage somehow). but then lasse got the payback: being woken up by vizslittens kisses...actually the reason why radio was allowed in the bed because he was really quite ill these last days. he is recovering now but he gave us a huge scare, throwing up all over the place, not eating...just the same when he had a major relapse last time....but miracuously (with some help of antibiotics) he was fine almost overnight. our lovely friend eiko made him a plaque and just now brought it as a get better gift to mr. radio...thanks eiko!
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