This time last year, Jochen was in quarantine and we were both counting the days to when we would be able to bring him home. I was spending every day allowed me to visit him and stayed to the last possible second.
Since being out of quarantine, Jochen's health has been of some concern. As I wrote in my last update many months ago, it took him quite a few weeks to get back to normal. He was confused and dare I say, a little depressed as well. Lots of walks and working helped him to get his balance back. His voice took weeks to recover and even now, at times he still sounds hoarse. However I think this is a combination of the retro-pharyngeal infection he had early last year plus the strain he put on his voice barking all night every night whilst in quarantine.
He turned 9 on 19th October, 2013 and although it hurts me to say this, he has slowed down and is now a senior dog. He still loves the search work on a rubble pile and is still as good as he ever was. Naturally, however, he is not quite as flashy anymore and therefore not quite as fast either.
In late April he fitted and I thought he had had a stroke. This was of course a panic trip to the vet who thought he might have had vestibular but was not quite sure as he was a bit young for that. Also, he had recovered by that evening and I was able to take him home. Apparently it usually takes about three weeks to recover and sometimes there are still signs twelve months later. There has been no sign of any fitting since that time.
However, at the same time the vet took his blood pressure (who knew that dogs can have high blood pressure?) and it was VERY high. So high in fact that the vet took his blood pressure three times with three different cuffs. That sent me in a tailspin all over again.
Since being out of quarantine, Jochen's health has been of some concern. As I wrote in my last update many months ago, it took him quite a few weeks to get back to normal. He was confused and dare I say, a little depressed as well. Lots of walks and working helped him to get his balance back. His voice took weeks to recover and even now, at times he still sounds hoarse. However I think this is a combination of the retro-pharyngeal infection he had early last year plus the strain he put on his voice barking all night every night whilst in quarantine.
He turned 9 on 19th October, 2013 and although it hurts me to say this, he has slowed down and is now a senior dog. He still loves the search work on a rubble pile and is still as good as he ever was. Naturally, however, he is not quite as flashy anymore and therefore not quite as fast either.
In late April he fitted and I thought he had had a stroke. This was of course a panic trip to the vet who thought he might have had vestibular but was not quite sure as he was a bit young for that. Also, he had recovered by that evening and I was able to take him home. Apparently it usually takes about three weeks to recover and sometimes there are still signs twelve months later. There has been no sign of any fitting since that time.
However, at the same time the vet took his blood pressure (who knew that dogs can have high blood pressure?) and it was VERY high. So high in fact that the vet took his blood pressure three times with three different cuffs. That sent me in a tailspin all over again.