What Can I Say, I'm A Poser!

Me, Cassie & The Chicken And Rice ..

Me and Cassie haven't been too well this week we both had bad tummies, but it was ok because when we are sick mummy gives us our favourite food ! Mummy made us chicken , chicken gravy and rice - yummy! Me and Cassie had a competion on who could eat the most chicken, but Cassie was cheeky by carrying and hiding the chicken in the sofa. We are all better now! But we are both refusing to eat our normal dog food, so mummy has to keep making us chicken and rice hehehe!

Morgana

xx

Well Cavaliers Are Such Teddy Bears

This is a new story I read on BBC News - Mansfield police officers smash window to save toy dog which in all fairness... the teddy does look just like a sleeping cavalier!

A passer-by mistook "Little Willy" for a real dog

 

Cavaliers- Pedigree Dogs Exposed: 3 years on

Last night Pedigree Dogs Exposed aired a review of any changes made in the three years since they first showed what really was happening at Crufts. I think the fact that the RSPCA and Dogs Trust pulled out of sponsoring Crufts really shows how bad things have really gotten for a number of breeds in England because of the guidelines of what a breed 'should' look like. By the end of the programme I was speechless.

One breed mentioned was the Cavalier King Charles, which some have now branded as 'doomed' due to the amount of Cavaliers possessing certain medical problems such as heart murmurs and Syringomyelia (SM). As an owner of a Cavalier I was both angered and deeply upset by a number of stories, such as one Cavalier (who had actually won a number of awards at Crufts) had sired HUNDREDS of litters with the owner having the knowledge that their dog suffered from SM.

Dalmatians are known to suffer from a severe problem where they cannot break down uric acid, which eventually would cause their bladder to rupture if it could not be unblocked. A solution has been found for dalmatians which have been breed with Pointers to eliminate this issue. There is some hope for Cavaliers though, the kennel club will be launching MRI screening for SM, where those looking for a Cavalier puppy can check to see if their parents have been screened and what the result of the screening showed.

It doesn't take a degree to realise reducing genetic diversity causes a whole array of problems. The thought that the Cavalier King Charles may not be here for generations to come to enjoy with their amazing temperament and beautiful nature is heartbreaking.

For the full episode see:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01cqp75/

Check out the official blog here:

http://pedigreedogsexposed.blogspot.com/

Please give your support here to make the necessary changes:

Born to Suffer| Give animals a voice| RSPCA Campaign Network - RSPCA: Give animals a voice

14 Funny Cavalier Photos

Cavaliers and their celebrity pets

So we all know the obvious celebrities who have fallen in love with chihuahuas; Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and the amazing Sandra Bullock who rescued a two legged chihuahua. However, it did get me thinking about Cavaliers, there is so much press around chihuahuas I started wondering what other dog breeds were popular amongst the rich and famous. So naturally I went to google and guess what I found? These are just a few Cavaliers with their celebrity owners!

Amanda Bynes

Courtney Cox- Harley and Cooper

Jennifer Love Hewitt- Charlie

Where's Cassie?

My mum showed me this photo that she took of Morgana yesterday. Morgana had decided to do her t-rex/ meerkat impression to try and get a treat off of my mum but if you look closely you will see why it made me laugh.

10 things you need to know about cavaliers

1. Cavaliers are seriously affectionate, if you want a cuddle a cavalier king charles is for you.
2. The cavalier breed are known for having heart murmurs.
3. Due to their shorter muzzle and long fur they cannot tolerate very warm conditions.
4. Cavaliers come in three colours: blenheim (red and white), black and tan and ruby.
5. The cavalier king charles need companionship and can suffer from separation anxiety if left alone for long periods of time.
6. Due to their smaller size cavaliers can live in apartments but still need regular exercise and at the very least daily walk. They are prone to putting on weight otherwise!
7. Some people prefer to trim their cavaliers paw hair as it gets very long and can easily become matted and dirty during walks.
8. Even though they have gorgeous fur, they do shed so grooming is a must if not you might just see balls of fur being blown across your floor.
9. They are quite intelligent but when it comes to training they are eager to please or just get the treat out of your hand.
10. They have remarkable eyesight and smell so you had better hide those treats away in an air-tight container!

Cavaliers and epilepsy

So I've written a post about chihuahuas and pyometra so I thought it would be a good idea to write about Cassies dilemma with epilepsy.

Last summer we noticed Cassie just wasn't acting her usual self then suddenly she started moving her front paws frantically in front of her like she was trying to swim. What was even more worrying was that she looked like she had gone blind and deaf; she wouldn't answer to her name or respond. We called the vet straight away and they had a look at her.

The vet was pretty certain Cassie had an epileptic fit. If you have witnessed your dog having a fit then you will know how frightening it can be. However, it's not something to worry too much about as fits and seizures aren't uncommon in dogs but you must contact your vet when they occur. The vet reassured us that many dogs will only experience a fit once and never again.

Unfortunately a few weeks later Cassie started acting strangely again, this time she refused to lower her head and didn't seem comfortable lying down. Once again we rushed her straight to the vets (our vets are amazing!). Now there is a condition in Cavaliers known as syringomyelia (SM) where the brain becomes too big for the skull (see syringomyelia here). However, the vet did some physical tests, bending the head to see any discomfort etc. and Cassie was absolutely fine.

What we were told was that we had actually seen the final stage of the seizure, and that there were three stages:

1. The beginning: mood changes, dizziness, headache, nausea...
2. The middle: confusion, shaking, tremors, stiffening and loss of consciousness...
3. The final stage: the transition back to normal which may take hours...

It has been over six months since Cassies last seizure but there is no saying if she will have another although our vet thinks this is likely. If she experiences more seizures they are easy to treat through medication.

Here are some facts about epilepsy in dogs:

• When your dog fits they will actually be unconscious so they cannot hear you or respond
• Most dogs become stiff, fall onto their side and make running movements with their legs
• Sometimes they will cry out and they may lose control of their bladder
• Most fits in dogs last between 1 and 3 minutes
• Seizures in some dogs are triggered by particular events or stress.

Top tip: Bone Treat

We have a problem that our supermarket sells mini treat bones with dried chicken in them but the medium bones are plain. The small bones are too tiny for cassie but she has absolutely no interest at all in the plain ones.

These bones are amazing for cleaning teeth. So how to solve this problem? Try stuffing soft treats into the knots. The treats I think work best are natures menu treats :)

Check out Morgana enjoying the bone stole from Cassie

Strange sleeping positions

Any dog owner out there probably has to retrace their steps and maybe tilt their head a little when watching their pup sleeping... I know I'm no exception especially with my two little troubles...

Morgana today...

Cassie always likes to sleep with a teddy...

 

I  guess Morgana does love cheese lol...

The dangers of lying on the sofa...

Morgana fell asleep sitting up...

Dog harnesses: when should you use them? Which are the best?

If you have seen the video of Cassies first walk (http://youtu.be/SxASFg6vYI4) you can begin to understand the problem we have when it comes to walkies. Morgana, being the chihuahua she is, was just naturally a little lady and went to the toilet where she was supposed to and walked perfectly outside but Cassie... that was a different story.

Cassie walking? She would be like a horse and pull you along the road, instead of you taking her for walks it would be the other way round. She is deceptively strong. Cassie and Morgana had the same harness as puppies (one in pink and the other red as seen in the video) and Morgana never had a problem with this harness but we noticed when Cassie pulled it caused her to wheeze because of the pressure around her neck and we knew this was hurting her and her neck.

So we did a little research and we found some good reviews about the 'non-pull dog harness'. The harness was easily to put on and worked straight away and stopped Cassie from pulling almost completely and her panting and wheezing stopped. It might not be the prettiest harness ever but it was a miracle. It works by gentley tightening across the chest when the little trouble pulls.

 
Some people might want to use a 'choke' collar to prevent pulling but I personally believe the non-pull harness has the same effect without the distress. I have recommended this harness to other owners who are taken for walks by their little monsters and I have heard nothing but praise about this harness. Now that Cassie walks with hardly any pulling at all we don't use this harness as much, so we have managed to buy her some pretty harnesses.

So to conclude, the luxury furplast dog harness is perfect for dogs who do not pull (though the little diamonds do come off quite easily). If your dog pulls please give the non-pull dog harness a go it may work for your dog, it could be your quick simple solution too.

Please use a harness if your dog pulls, has a short muzzle or is a small dog as their windpipes are more delicate than the larger breeds.

Check out these links for some harnesses:

Non-Pull Dog Harness from PetPlanet

Padded and Puppia Dog Harnesses from Pet London

Product Review: The Puppy Pen

When buying a puppy there is the typical list of things to get before you bring your little furbaby home.

The obvious list includes;

The essentials

• Puppy food- it is best to stick with what they have been weaned onto because what you will come to realise is that puppy tummys can get upset easily. So ask the breeder or who you are getting your little bundle of joy from what food they are currently eating. If you want to switch its best to wait a while and slowly introduce the new food mixed with the old over a period of a week or so, that means slowly increasing the new food and decreasing the old.
• Bowls- water and food bowls are very important. Remember that the puppies and dogs have to have access to water at all times.
• Puppy pads- the little cutie will need to go to the toilet somewhere and until they have all their jabs no going outside!
• Puppy bed including blankets

Should you buy a crate?

Now most breeders and pet shops will recommend that you buy a crate when you buy a new puppy, I personally do not like the idea of crates. When we got Morgana she was placed in a crate and my heart nearly broke seeing how terrified she was inside it so she was never put in one again. To be honest my hamsters cage is bigger and much nicer than some of these crates. However, this meant that when we got home Morgana could run rampage in the living room. If you're interested to see what she got up to check out her first night at home http://youtu.be/iAdfp3OkIbE. So everyone went into overdrive trying to find something that could work. So we found the perfect solution: the puppy pen.



The PetGear Puppy Pen can also be collapsed so it is portable, it comes with a bag to put the collapsed pen in, as well as a waterproof base in case of any little accidents. There is a zip panel for access in and out for the little pup. The pen is big enough to put a bed in with some space to move around and unlike a crate this would keeps warm during cold weather. 

I think Cassie liked her puppy pen

This pen is perfect for puppies and small dogs. I would definitely recommend that all owners looking for a way to enclose their new puppy to get a fabric puppy pen.

There are a few on amazon...

Pet Gear Portable Pen Pink

Medium Portable Play Pen

Cassies first toy

Just found this video from a year ago of Cassie Bears first day with us and her favourite toy :)

Cassies first day at home

Anyone who has had a chihuahua will know how hyper and demanding they can be. It didn't seem right to just have one dog, Morgana seemed to be lonely without her brothers and sisters. It took a couple of weeks of convincing but my mum gave in and our search for the new addition began. At first I was set on getting another chihuahua but my older brother was pretty determined to get a beagle. It was when we were walking Morgana that we came across a king charles cavalier and we knew straight away that cavaliers were definitely for us. Morgana was quite scared of the bigger dogs because she was tiny but a cavalier was the perfect size. 

Luckily enough the breeder of the cavalier we fell in love with had a litter available but there were only two girls left. One little girl had huge puppy eyes and didn't have the typical cavalier spot on the top of her head, whilst the other little girl just seemed to enjoy jumping on her sister. The choice was pretty easy and we reserved the first one straight away. As soon as it came to bringing her home it seemed that all puppies liked turning into little gremlins. Cassie seemed to think that my hair was a toy!

However, unlike Morgana this little cutie really liked her sleep! The differences between the girls is still pretty obvious, Morgana is a little diva who thinks she is the size of a horse whilst Cassie isn't happy unless she is having a cuddle or eating and loves to wag her tail.

The story of Cassie and Morgana

As well as Snoopy and the fish...

The rule which my family grew up with was strictly- no pets in the house! Apparently this rule didn't apply to younger siblings. It was only on my 18th birthday five years ago that I brought Snoopy home, though everyone refers to him as the furry slipper he is actually a long haired syrian hamster. Unlike most other hamsters he likes to be very vocal in the middle of the night and I am pretty sure he thinks he is the hamster version of superman the way he climbs in his cage, I really don't think he realises how old he is now.

After my mum got used to the hamster she decided to treat herself and buy a biorb (she had an aquarium when she was younger). Now we don't just have guppies but fish I can't even pronounce. It wasn't long before we had Morgana, the chihuahua, running around and of course she needed a friend so it only took a couple of months before Cassie, the king charles cavalier, came along. And so the adventures of these teeny tiny troubles began...