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We are Julie and Andrew Haigh and live in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire. We currently share our lives with our 2 Leo's Jazz and Nando, Maine Coon cat Chip, 2 chinchilla's and a tortoise.
Since starting married life we have always had dogs. First of all Benny a German Shepherd Dog, followed by Barnsey a Rough Collie, Oscar, Bernese Mountain Dog then came along Gandalf our first Leonberger in 2004. Like they say, "one is never enough" and we brought Jazz home from Jersey in August 2008 and Nando from Pagency Leonbergers in Stoke-on-Trent in June, 2010. Sadly, we lost Gandalf in November 2009 to cancer which broke our hearts. Our dogs are part of our lives and live in the house with us.
We show our dogs lightly and Jazz qualified for Crufts 2010 and both Jazz and Nando have qualified in 2011, Nando already for 2012. We have met many new friends and acquaintances round the show ring but at the end of the day we take the best dog home.
February, 2012
We had a Gonioscopy (Glaucoma) test on Jazz last month with the result - failed - serious and extensive. We sent our result to David Williams at Cambridge University who advised us to have the Tonometry test (pressure test) her results were 31 (L) and 32 (R) with a norm being of 20. We have been advised to put her on Timolol eye drops for one week and then re-test to see if the pressure has dropped. This could result in her having the drops for life. This does not mean that she will go on to get Glaucoma but does mean that she is at risk. For this reason, we have taken the decision that she will not now be used for breeding. Our grateful thanks go to William and Mandy Moore for allowing us to use their boy last year and we have dedicated a page on our website to the magnificient Ossie. Below is an extract taken from the Leonberger Club of GB website.
Over the last year several ophthalmologists, both in the UK and abroad, have encountered Leonbergers with glaucoma. This may have many causes, but one is an inherited abnormality in the drainage pathway of aqueous fluid from the eye. Several Leonbergers have been noted to have this abnormality, known as goniodysgenesis (from gonio = angle: the space between the iris and cornea through which the aqueous fluid drains form the eye and dysgenesis: abnormal development). We need information on which animals have this goniodysgenesis in order to assess the inheritance pattern of the condition. The angle can only be assessed with a specific examination (gonioscopy). Putting the breed onto Schedule B of the BVA/KC eye scheme would highlight the concern regarding this condition, encouraging gonioscopy at eye scheme panel examination and allow evaluation of the inheritance pattern for the condition, which is as yet unclear. The breed is not on schedule B as yet, as this requires a defined collaboration between ophthalmologists, owners and breeders. We look forward to such an investigation of this concerning condition.”
After just one week on the Timolol eye drops Jazz's pressure had dropped to 17(L) and 10(R) a further week saw a reading of 9(L) and 10(R). She is now having one drop a day and re-testing in 3 months.
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