SonnyBC

not a game, but I freeze iceblocks for them

Using a low salt beef stock, put in a plastic disposable cup, 1/3 stock, put in some dry food, cut up snack foods (smackos) or even some cut up meat, top with water and freeze.

They love eating these on a hot day :)

Her pups are really missing her today, our BC is jumping on her bed growling and carrying on like the funny pup he is.. wonder what hes thinking, its either where are u? come back.. or HAHAHA I GOT YOUR BED... ITS all MINE! LOL..

:'( we are going to create a collage with photos to put up on the wall, so we can still see her smile every day :)

It was great to find somewhere I could get info and experiences on BCC, up until having this boy I didn't even know such a thing existed :/ and it is scarey to see, but so happy to find that it can be controlled, and he can lead a full and happy life. Hope they get some scientific data on the disorder, and what it really is about, and hopefully stupid breeders (like the one I got Coach from) don't keep bringing pups into the world that will be prone to the disorder.

:'( heartbreaking losing one, let alone 2 incredible members of the family, my heart goes out to you xxxooo

How do you say goodbye

How do you thank a dog for over 13 years pure love, loyality and companionship

Honestly she gave me her LIFE, everything, she gave me herself! 100%

She was mother to my children, she looked out for my children, if they strayed at the beach she would bark and round them up

If they fell and cried she would go check they were ok

My children could take food out her mouth and she would sit and give them a woeful look hoping they would give it back, but never daring to snap it back

Other peoples children could climb on her, open her mouth, pull her fur and she would just smile and love them.

Even at 13 with arthritis and in daily pain, she only ever had a smile for her family.

We will miss you my golden girl

and I owe you so much for all you have given us. I just hope we were able to give you a life, worthy of your love and devotion.

finally got photo up, though really small, but love these shots, just over 13 years between photos

Miss 14 is struggling with her being gone keeps saying that she was always there with her, shes never not had her near.

My BC is also a little sad keeps looking at her bed, and very much crying and needing to be near us today.

hehe, that's ok, usually I am the one with my foot in my mouth, its a pain of a nick name really as most people assume I am male and pronounce it Sunny :)

Trying upload a pic of my golden girl but geez its hard getting the file size down enough have the most beautiful photos, one of her as a pup with my kids (9 months and 2years) and one taken yesterday before she was put to sleep with my children 17 and 14!

Hehe, my name is Sonny (as in nick name for Sonja) my BC is called "Coach" as we got him for a running companion and he was really good at coming to the gym with us and watching us do all the hard work.

Oh SonnyBC. So sorry to hear of the loss of your beloved families Goldie It is such a difficult time for us & especially

your children. Very heart breaking RIP Miss Goldie girl

I don't know a lot about BCC. It sounds like a dreadful thing. There is another Doler, ness, who has a BC with it. She is lovely. A fountain of knowledge & may be able to inform on this wickedly cruel ailment. So very sad when we know how BC's love to be active

I have a BC called Sonny as well. Great choice of names :p

Sorry guys haven't been back, been going through some tough times, having to put my 13 1/2 y.o. golden retriever to sleep :'( (she had a stroke) damn hardest thing I have had to face, and the kids are taking it really hard, as I got her when they were babies and she has been part of their whole lives to this point.

My BC is doing GREAT, the vet didn't originally test for CL, but I asked specifically and it was done, it all come back clear!

Vet says probably BCC, (though cannot be 100% sure, though really the symptons are there)

Sadly I see the parents owners selling another litter of pups so obviously she didn't listen or care about BCC, though she says mum and dad have never done that, though shes a bigger lady who doesn't walk or play with her dogs so probably why she hasn't seen signs.

He hasn't had a full collapse for over a month! he tends now to stop himself, he gets to a point and will take his toy (ball, football) and lie under a nearby tree for a few minutes, when that happens I give him some time then end the play, he gets a drink, if its hot a hose down. And hes left to rest.

Also have started running with him (slow steady), he copes really well, no collapse with runs (up to 8km) not game to try further though.

Sonny BC,

I don't know the reason she died other than she had a massive growth in her about the size of a football. The vet thought it was either an enflamed liver/kidney or another form of growth. Apart from the collapse she used to have bouts of incontinence as she got around 6 years of age. The only way mum picked it up was she was doing a lot of bowing type stretches and mum took her to the vet. After and ultrasound and xray - we found the growth. She was put on pain meds and we were told she about about 24-48 hours. To look at her you would not know she was so sick. We did not do a PM in favour of bringing her home and burying her in her favourite sleep hole.

I don't think the EIC caused her to die, although I did not think it helped. By this stage though, we did control the amount and severity of episodes. I stopped competing with her when she was 2 years old and she just became the house lounge lizzard on retirement.

Ty and so sad for your loss , we have a 13 year old golden retriever who took a turn last year (just age) and we were told it was getting close to time to say goodbye, but over a year later and shes doing better than ever, just the thought of saying goodbye was devastating.

hubby took him for a run today (he got up while I was still sleeping) took him for 7-8km including a big hill. He loved it and didn't have any sign of collapse.

I think we need to be changing the ball play for runs instead (need to get my lazy butt running again)

Also definitely not an isolated incident and not just related to the hotter weather, even with watching him closely hes had at least 3 episodes this week. And that's being super careful :'(

I notice in intense play, he closes his mouth (mentioned about) he gets into focus mode, and is that highly focused on the play. I have tried different ways to get him to relax between throws (by ignoring him, calling him over, doing obedience work, food (though he isn't food orientated))

I think its partly overheating, overexcitment and wonder at brain swelling (his blindness and deafness in the dazes), though not heat stroke, he does recover in 5-10minutes, and is usually wanting more play within that time.

I have a video of his daze, so may look at uploading it to that site. He is a little different than the other videos I have seen as he does just walk/stumble and does not seem to hear or see, and will walk straight into things.

It has been many years since I have had a dog with EIC (Exercise Induced Collapse)/BCC. (gee. just worked out it is now 10 years ago). Sadly my Jemma died when she was just 8 years old

Back then, it was not well known in BC's. They had just found the condition in Labs in Canada. I have nothing down from her, and while I have kept abreast of some of the new research - I am not fully up to date.

• In Jemma, the attacks started about 18 months of age and continued until she died. Although Once I learnt the signs, I could in most cases prevent an attack, or at least limit the severity/length of time of an attack
  
• I have found not always exercise triggered an episode. Jemma LOVED to please and also do tricks - if she got worked up or excited, she could bring on an attack.
  
• I also found once an attack happened, the next one could be quick to follow. YOU need to allow time (dependant on each dog) for the "toxin" in the muscles to exit the system ( I will use "toxin" in this case as a descriptive only).
  
• I also found exercising in or through water reduced episodes.
  
• Only exercise in the coolest part of the day if possible near water
  
• If an attack happens - immediately get the dog to lie in a water or keep water flowing over the stomach area to cool the dog down. Remove any toys or stimulus. Keep the dog calm
  
• Keep your dog lean - if the dog is fat/carrying excess weight get the weight off. Jemma LOVED her food and if she was more than "working dog" thin, this increased the chances of an attack
  
• Learn the signs - Mine was Jemma's tongue would start to go a very dark red/purple colour - if this happens - cool the dog down and keep them calm.
  
• Always carry a bucket and water with you in the car - now you can buy those collapsible silicon ones that fold flat. I cannot tell you how many times that saved me.
  
• Realise now that there will be activities (EG: possibly dog park) that you will no longer be able to do. Your dog now has a medical condition - so you will need to modify your activities/sports/games etc to allow for this.
  

I first learnt about it from a working sheep dog trailer (this is back in 2003). He had a working BC (not related to pedigree BC's at all)who was a short coat who suffered EIC. When he trialed, he would keep two 20L buckets of water at the gate. IF the sheep were overally difficult - he would withdraw the dog. If the dog showed signs of an impending attack he would withdraw from the run and dunk her in the buckets. I know of other working sheep dogs who have the condition, so before some go off on pedigrees - it is not just a pedigree dog related issue.

Clipping a BC does not help the heat/heat stress. The coat is a double insulator and will act both ways to keep the dog warm and also cool them. I live in a super high paralysis tick area as well (currently we are pulling up to 6 off a day). I do not clip my dogs. They are on tick preventative as well as twice daily physical checks. I also run three clam shells of water in my yard for them to dig and cool themselves down if needed. Clipping the coat changes the texture and function of the coat.

TY lots of useful info

With Jemma, can I ask how she died, did you feel it was due to BCC,

we have a shell in the backyard under a shed downpipe that he likes to walk in, and we hose him down after each play as it seems to help him cool down.

I haven't been game to try him on a slow run at all, even a short one, since the attacks started as I fear being out and not having access to water for him. I take a bottle with me on our walks to pour on him if needed. When at the beach once he starts fatiguing he takes himself into the water, though he also tries to drink the water, so I am thinking I need to have water with me then as well.

Though hes supposed to be pure BC, his parents don't have papers (that I am aware of), so I cannot even say if hes 100% pedigree or even if theres a mix somewhere in there. The breeder (not registered) has been told of his collapses and is ignoring me. really curious if he has any siblings with the issue as shes breed her 2 for a few years and I know of at least one other litter last year from the same 2 parents.

My understanding was that there wouldn't be other neurological issues like irrational fear of the trees/shadows etc as you have described - I am happy to be corrected - but I have seen that with CL and that starts showing signs around the 12 to 18 month mark.

Hoping its just a behaviour/personality thing, hes a very timid dog

My understanding was that there wouldn't be other neurological issues like irrational fear of the trees/shadows etc as you have described - I am happy to be corrected - but I have seen that with CL and that starts showing signs around the 12 to 18 month mark.

for some reason my posts are not appearing.

Hoping vet is checking for Cl he took blood, but did say he would not send it off for DNA tests, so I don't know, will find out next week, and still request the Cl test.

Where I am dogs are a part of life, its not a big town, its a community and dogs are quite accepted everywhere and most farmers bring them into town with them. Safety risks are really quite low, most dogs are trained, working and quite socialised and brought into town from puppyhood. Its not really an issue walking around the main town block with him, and most people who work in town actually know him and are happy to meet with him each time they see him. (hes got quite a reputation for stealing hearts as hes such a sookie boy)

He has never collapsed while walking around town and spends a lot of days with me at work as I prefer to have him near me to watch him then at home where he does play with neighbours dogs often and has a higher risk of excitement and collapse.

I can see the degeneration with his behaviour and obedience, and lead him and take out of the situation immediately if we are outside around town, and at work he has his own area he can be.

as for the vet, he says has dealt with it before and on looking at the video said it was almost certain BCC(he deals with a lot of working dogs) but usually they are put down if it happens, as they no longer are able to work , he did take blood tests, but would not do a dna test, he did suggest there might be other neurological issues, as there are a couple unusual behaviours he has (scared of shadows as it gets dusk, he will be shaking and nervous walking near a tree in the dark, even though hes been there many times, so there maybe a vision and nuerological disorder) he suggested just watching him for deteriation and being careful with the intense activities and try to stop before a collapse. Basically just watching and waiting as hes only 12 months old, the next 6 months are important.

His basic checkup, temp, heartrate/beat, breathing all seemed fine.

Generally yes, he wont leave my side for any reason, dogs cars people.

There are paths around though that is mostly away from all the traffic, more park like and more grassy, so its not that often we will be around the actual busy areas but when we do walk through now and then he is brilliant. (I lead him if there is any safety risk to him or anyone, until we got him I was always really strict with leading as our golden retriever will wander and follow her nose without thought)

Though I will stop and have him lie with other dogs usually as though he wont go near them or move, you can see other owners struggling to hold their dogs back that has been our biggest issue, other dogs in the area

Wondering if there is a way to train them to relax, he gets into the serious focused posture, and I notice hes that focused he doesn't pant a lot (so really is not cooling down between throws)

Today I sat down, and called him over (which is usually cuddle time) but he was still totally focused on ball play. and still standing over his ball, ready posture, and serious/not panting.

I find on long walks, he gets to about 30minutes, and is super obedient (I can walk him around and through town and traffic unleaded and he will obey perfectly), but after about 30minutes I find I have to lead him as his response slows, if I say sit, wait, to cross a road, it takes a couple times for him to. (so I lead him for safety) but at that point he stops being so responsive to me.

Hes been clipped (we live near a river and paralysis ticks are very common so a spring shave was a must)

I think he actually gets hotter quicker since being shaved (but could be the warmer weather too), so do wonder if shaving is right or not for heat. (heard both sides of the argument over the years with my golden retriever, who also gets shaved once a year in spring)

Still waiting to see how his coat grows back, that was a huge worry, hes black and white but had the golden brown tinge and was incredibly beautiful (most people keep saying hes a girl because of his looks) will be anxious to see how his fur grows back as most dogs seem to have a change in fur after their first shave)

I do have an vet appointment later today, not too worried he will have an episode at the vet, it is definitely exercise induced, its after an episode I didn't want to run to the vet as I wanted him to stay calm rather than hype him up again.

So long as we go in when hes rested.

Did have a play with him today, though kept it short, poor boy was trying so hard to keep the play going could see he was wearing quickly.

Ness he is a big boy! hes 23.9kg and is the same height as my golden retriever, he is very muscular though, hes always been kept very active (we bought him as a running companion), I worry that the activity levels might have been part of the cause of this that maybe he was too active during his growth stages. (usually he gets 30-45 min twice a day activity, whether its a steady paced run of about 5-6km, or ball play, or walking, or ball play at the beach)

I did message the breeder (though shes only breeds her 2 pets and is not a professional breeder) a bit worried as she doesn't seem to care and its made me realise that that's how genetic issues spread and are hard to breed out when people still breed without knowledge or concern of the breed)

Ty, yep I did find those research pages, looking at those videos helped.

Definitely terrifying I took a video of him yesterday, he goes blank and just walks mindlessly(stumbling) and seems to not hear or even see (he went headfirst into a spikey grass tree), I got some on video. He also knocks into things. And then collapses, and lies flat.

The first few times I was going to take him to the vet, but he recovers quite quickly so I just kept him comfortable and calm, thought taking him to the vet might bring it on again.

Hes probably had it about 7-8 times now in the last 2 months.

Being only 12 months old, he still craves activity, will still play a little ball with him, just cut it down to 4-5 throws with lots of snuggles (he loves cuddles as hes the biggest sook)

Ty Ness

sorry to be a bother, with the cool coats, they stay wet when you pack them away? don't they get smelly or moldy?

Definitely can see the change in pace, and the trotting, also starts drifting his back legs to one side on the way back, which is when we usually stop.

Though sometimes that is still too late as he will drop not long after that.

Will be getting one of the cool coats to try, particularly on our walks, hes super energetic and I cannot see him happy not being active.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/border.collie.collapse/

is this the fb group, would love to join

Have a vets appointment for tomorrow, so definitely getting it checked out.

looking at videos online, I am fairly sure its the BCC, you can see when he starts faltering, and on walks about 30min in its like his brain stops working (hes super obedient but suddenly will start not obeying or take a few times to obey, so I know to stop and let him recover) walking is not too bad, its the ball chasing that gets him to the point really quickly. He also recovers quite quickly (5-10min)

Just hoping it can be controlled well :)

The last couple times we hosed him down (he loves water), but hoping to control it so it doesn't get to that point, though online says they are not in pain.. I am sure looking at them that its not comfortable for them at all.

We also live where its super humid :/

What is a cool coat?