Barking Mad Quiz Night

A review of sorts – Barking Mad Charity Quiz Night

On the evening of Saturday 6th April, Broom village hall was packed.  Just over one hundred of us, friends, villagers and customers of Barking Mad, turned out for quiz night.  The hall was set, and in we all trooped (with food and alcohol aplenty), for an evening of quizzical fun and fund raising.    

We were ‘Team Doggie Style' (aka Friday 12.30 class), and you might have noticed us industriously and quietly setting up our table; Burgeoning with champagne, vodka jelly, table confetti, Tia Maria profiteroles, candles, cocktails, and all manner of other luxurious party nibbles and other essential quiz team paraphernalia.  A quiet and unassuming bunch, we dressed in a befitting manner (tuxedos, suits, tweed and evening dresses) and chose a table near the back of the hall where we blended in inconspicuously. The scene was set and the quiz was on!  

All in, there were seventeen teams and the quiz kicked off with a picture round of 'name the celeb with a dog', followed by a written round of 'cat' related questions. Then there were a number of rounds of general knowledge and trivia covering all sorts of topics – from books, to sport and music.  Questions were asked and we even managed to answer a few (and with a modicum of success).  

The night was going well and the volume and high jinx got higher. The charity collection buckets were passed around, and the raffle was in such demand that tickets sold out before sales even got to our part of the hall! Some fantastic prizes had been donated and the tickets went like hot cakes.   A game of  'heads or tails' was played and the lucky winner bagged a cash prize.  (Alas, this was not me; I did manage to get down to the last three and can now conclude that standing on a chair at the front of the hall did nothing to aid my attempt to scoop the cash bounty.  I will employ better tactics next time)!

The atmosphere was good and the quiz rolled on to its end with ‘team Aguilera’ coming out on top (69 points).  Well done guys!  In second place were ‘team confused.com’ (66 points) and in third place ‘team 2Tired’ (65 points).  We,  ‘team Doggie Style’, came in 6^th, which isn’t half bad (all things considered).

All in all, a very successful and enjoyable evening; Big thanks to all the organisers, to Les for co-ordinating (and trying to keep some order), to all who donated raffle prizes, to those who helped setting up/clearing away - and to all who attended and took part.  We raised a total of £583.63 for a very worthy cause - St Johns Hospice in Moggerhanger.  A job well done and a great night out to boot!

Check out the photo's on the Barkingmaddts Broom Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/barkingmaddts.broom?fref=ts

You might just find a picture of your own smiling face posing reluctantly with a small yellow Easter Chick on your head!

Donna Armitage

‘Team Doggie Style’

Friday 12.30 Class

Agility Competition Results

The sun finally graced us with its presence after a long cold winter and what better way to celebrate than with a bit of healthy agility. We had a great turnout for our agility competition and all the owners and dogs put in a great performance.

There were no clear rounds so the result was decided on fewest faults and time. Huge congratulations to the winners Caroline and Reggie who completed the course in 42.4 seconds with just one fault. Reggie was also the oldest dog there so clearly putting his juniors in their place.

Second place went to Richard and Misty also with just the one fault and a time of 52.6 seconds, despite being distracted by a sneezing horse behind the hedge! A very close third place went to Maureen and Rusty with one fault in 54 seconds. Judith and Ruby were fourth with one fault in 55.8 seconds and in fifth place was Diane and Daisy with one fault in 59.4 seconds.

And here are the full results for all the competitors:

Owner Caroline	Dog Reggie	Faults 1	Time 42.4
Richard	Misty	1	52.6
Maureen	Rusty	1	54.0
Judith	Ruby	1	55.3
Diane	Daisy	1	59.4
Roy	Abbey	2	54.3
Shelagh	Chip	2	57.6
Barry	Barney	2	60.3
Lizzi	Charlie	2	61.0
Helen	Robbie	2	61.6
Nicky	Skye	2	NT
Jon	Brig	3	53.1
Shelagh	Orla	3	54.1
Jane	Biddy	3	56.3
Karen	Freckles	3	60.7
Bea	Biddy	3	61.1
Robert	Penny	3	61.8
Karen	Mabel	3	62.6
Roy	Jet	3	63.7
Shelagh	Mika	3	64.2
Gill	Buddy	3	NT

Lamb Cupcakes

Lamb Cupcakes

Makes 12

500g minced lamb

200g brown rice

50g porridge oats

1 beaten egg

Preheat oven to 180c/350F/Gas 4

1/ Lightly grease cake tin 

2/ Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well together

3/ Spoon a heaped teaspoon of mixture in each hole of the cake tin

4/ Bake for 30 minutes till cooked through

Leave to cool completely before treating your pooch to some home baking! (Will keep for about 5 days in the fridge)

Source: ‘Dinner for Dogs’ Henrietta Morrison

Book Review by Halima (with Alfie)

With Spring arriving (!) and the days getting longer, we can start to think about lazy days in the garden, reading a good novel. Here's a great one to get you started:

Second Chance by Elizabeth Wren -

Faced with a looming empty nest, a marriage that's gone a bit stale and the dreaded menopause knocking at her door, Deena Munger feels like shes completely lost her way in life.

To the astonishment and umbrage of her family, Deena decides to raise a Guide dog. Suddenly the introduction of 'Heloise' a playful, boisterous labrador puppy turns her world upside down.

This is a lovely easy read that will not only have you feeling sympathy for Deena, but will also make you laugh with the all too familiar 'ructions' of family life.

A great 'coffee break' book.

Halima

New Promo Video

Check out our new video that will be playing in Elizabeth Smiths Vets

What is Bloat and why do I need to know about it?

Bloat is a very serious health risk for many dogs. 

Recent research suggests its the second leading killer of dogs, after cancer.  It is frequently reported that deep-chested dogs, such as German Shepherds, Great Danes, and Dobermans are particularly at risk.      

If you believe your dog is experiencing bloat, please get your dog to a veterinarian immediately!  Bloat can kill in less than an hour, so time is of the essence.   Call your vet to alert them you're on your way with a suspected bloat case.  Better to be safe than sorry!

The technical name for bloat is "Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus" ("GDV").  Bloating of the stomach is often related to swallowed air (although food and fluid can also be present).  It usually happens when there's an abnormal accumulation of air, fluid, and/or foam in the stomach ("gastric dilatation").    Stress can be a significant contributing factor also.  Bloat can occur with or without "volvulus" (twisting).  As the stomach swells, it may rotate 90° to 360°, twisting between its fixed attachments at the esophagus (food tube) and at the duodenum (the upper intestine).  The twisting stomach traps air, food, and water in the stomach.  The bloated stomach obstructs veins in the abdomen, leading to low blood pressure, shock, and damage to internal organs.  The combined effect can quickly kill a dog.

Be prepared!  Know in advance what you would do if your dog bloated.

If your regular vet doesn't have 24-hour emergency service, know which nearby vet you would use.  Keep the phone number handy.

Symptoms

Typical symptoms often include some (but not necessarily all) of the following:-

• Attempts to vomit (usually unsuccessful); may occur every 5-30 minutes.  This seems to be one of the most common symptoms & has been referred to as the "hallmark symptom"
• "Unsuccessful vomiting" means either nothing comes up or possibly just foam and/or mucous comes up 
• Some reports say that it can sound like a repeated cough
• Significant anxiety and restlessness
• "Hunched up" or "roached up" appearance
• Bloated abdomen that may feel tight (like a drum)
• Pale or off-color gums. Dark red in early stages, white or blue in later stages
• Heavy salivating or drooling
• Foamy mucous around the lips, or vomiting foamy mucous
• Unproductive attempts to defecate
• Looking at their side or other evidence of abdominal pain or discomfort
• May refuse to lie down or even sit down
• May stand spread-legged
• May curl up in a ball or go into a praying or crouched position
• Apparent weakness; unable to stand or has a spread-legged stance, especially in advanced stage
• Accelerated heart rate

Causes

It is difficult to determine why bloat affects some dogs and not others, but it is thought the following MAY have an effect:-

• Stress
• Activities that result in gulping air eg rapid eating
• Eating dry foods that contain citric acid as a preservative
• Eating dry foods that contain fat among the first four ingredients
• Insufficient pancreatic enzymes, such as Trypsin (a pancreatic enzyme present in meat)
• Dogs with untreated Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) and/or Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) generally produce more gas and thus are at greater risk  
• Dilution of gastric juices necessary for complete digestion by drinking too much water before or after eating
• Eating excess gas-producing foods (especially soybean products, brewer's yeast, and alfalfa) 
• Drinking too much water too quickly (can cause gulping of air)
• Exercise before and especially after eating
• Heredity
• Build &Physical characteristics.Having a deep and narrow chest compared to other dogs of the same breed

Reducing risk of bloat

• Avoid highly stressful situations.  If you can't avoid them, try to minimize the stress as much as possible.  
• Do not exercise for at least an hour (longer if possible) before and especially after eating
• Do not permit rapid eating. 
• Feed 2 or 3 meals daily, instead of just one
• Use a specially designed foodbowl to slow down eating
• Make meals a peaceful, stress-free time
• Feed a high-quality food
• Avoid excessive brewer's yeast, alfalfa, and soybean products
• Promote "friendly" bacteria in the intestine, e.g. from "probiotics" such as supplemental acidophilus. This is especially a concern when antibiotics are given since antibiotics tend to reduce levels of "friendly" bacteria.  [Note: Probiotics should be given at least 2-4 hours apart from antibiotics so they won't be destroyed.] 
• Don't permit excessive, rapid drinking

Breeds At Greatest Risk

Afghan Hound
Airedale Terrier
Akita
Alaskan Malamute
Basset Hound
Bernese Mountain Dog
Borzoi
Bouvier des Flandres
Boxer
Bullmastiff
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Collie
Dachshund
Doberman Pinscher
English Springer Spaniel
Fila Brasileiro
Golden Retriever
Gordon Setter
Great Dane
German Shepherd
German Shorthaired Pointer
Great Pyrenees
Irish Setter
Irish Wolfhound
King Shepherd
Labrador Retriever
Miniature Poodle
Newfoundland
Old English Sheepdog
Pekinese
Rottweiler
Samoyed
Shiloh Shepherd
St. Bernard
Standard Poodle
Weimaraner
Wolfhound
Sighthouds
Bloodhounds

Home Made Liver Cake Microwave Recipe

HOME MADE LIVER CAKE MICROWAVE RECIPE

1lb Liver

1lb Granary Flour

3 Eggs

Herbs (optional)

1 teaspoon Oil

Splosh of Milk

Liquidise liver with the eggs, milk and a little oil in a blender.  Add the flour and mix well.  Put into a microwavable dish/cake tin and microwave for 10 mins on full power.  When cool, cut the cake into small pieces and freeze.  Remove from freezer and defrost as required.