Welcome to the AKC Specialty Club Florida PON Fanciers!
Letter from the President:
12.30.09
For what it is worth and this is not meant to be a medical
treatment in any form but is the experience I had with one of the
nine rescues I handled this year - and I learned a lot from the care
for this PON. One should question their vets if their PON is
discovered to have diabetes as my experience with two cases this
year and the two different vets treating them was totally off base
in the beginning. The vets automatically assume it is genetic and
both of these cases it was environmental.
This is a six year old male that had lived on a golf course and
walked and played on the course daily. It turns out and has been
proven with tests that the chemicals used to treat the golf course
were causing severe damage to the PON in spite of the statements
from the staff at the club house. He would walk on the treated grass
then lick his feet thus ingesting the chemicals. The chemicals
caused severe liver damage and also damage to his pancreas
(pancreatitis). The damage to the pancreas caused inadequate insulin
production and thus Diabetes. He came to me taking 26 units of
insulin twice daily and was being treated for the liver problem with
Ursodiol and Denamarin. I forgot to mention that he was almost 65
pounds also and had developed cataracts and loss of sight. Now you
have the background:
I immediately put him on a diet to get his weight under control and
in a week's time we were able to reduce his insulin from 26 units
twice daily to 12 units twice daily and he had lost 4 pounds and his
sugar is testing perfect. Not being on the golf course and
continuing to pick up the toxins from there we were able to drop the
Ursodiol and Denamarin and put him on milk thistle and that cleaned
up his liver and it has began to regenerate and the liver functions
improved amazingly in a short period of time. I am still working on
his weight and am keeping him on the milk thistle and have added
CO-Q 10 (50mg - each meal)and when he is back to a normal weight
range of around 45 pounds we will move to the sight problem and have
the cataracts removed. He is presently running and playing with my
gang and having a blast with digging in the toy box and is a totally
different PON from the one that came for help. Watching the
improvement in him has made my year. There is hope that he can
someday be free of having to even take the insulin and be a normal
PON again as he is a true sweetheart - never give up on a medical
wreck! You too, could be amazed someday and the personal reward is
priceless.
All the best for the New Year.
Bill Gilchrist
10.29.09
Now that the show time for PONs has been posted as 9:30AM in Brooksville on November 7th, we can say that the PON party and picnic will start anytime you can get over to Panther Bend after the PONs have finished in the ring. The menu for the picnic lunch will be courtesy of Meg and will be her special roasted Iguana if she can catch enough in the next week - otherwise it will be a dull, normal picnic of beer, wine, soft drinks, chili, roast beef, ham and turkey sandwiches and dull stuff like that. The food is ok but service is terrible - self service... Dress is casual and if you want to stomp through the forest and along the river please dress accordingly and no turkey hunting - they are to often confused with professional handlers. Fishing is allowed - trout and bass but you have to clean your own catch. Great chance for those of you wishing to be introduced to the breed and see a total mix of PONs and what you would be in for with a PON running your household. Tall PON stories are allowed because most are true anyway - loud laughing is allowed also as the only neighbors you would disturb is a few wild boar or bears. If anyone needs further information or directions please feel free to call my cell: 954.829.5632. See you there on Saturday, November 7th. All are welcome. Bill
Previous Post: 09.10.09
The Central Florida Polish Lowland Sheepdog Fanciers Club is going to have supported entries at the Saturday and Sunday shows, November 7 & 8 in Brooksville. Club sashes will be distributed to all PON exhibitors at these shows. Our club will be holding a PON Party/Picnic on Saturday (November 7th) at Panther Bend and the fee is $1,000 per person unless you e-mail me and give me a head count so we can plan the food & drinks - then the fee is $0.00. (intervault@mindspring.com) If you have a GPS - put in Florida, then Dade City - then put in Running PON Lane and then click go and it will take you to the North entrance - you want to use the South entrance by the historical marker and that will take you to the village. If you do not have a GPS then call me at: 954.829.5632 for directions. It is 1 1/2 miles South of SR50 on US 301 on your left just South of the Withlacoochee River bridge. US 301 & SR 50 is about 5 miles East of I-75 & SR 50 which is near the dog show grounds. Leaving the show grounds on SR 50 go East toward Orlando and you will run into the intersection of US 301 on your left. Hope to see all the PONs there for a fun day - humans also.
The following weekend, our club will have supported entries at the Ocala Shows, November 14 & 15. Hope to see everyone at both shows!
All the best,
Bill
PS: We are rescheduling the PON Specialty and will put up information on this site as soon as details are firm.