Archives for June, 2010
MAINTAINING PET CALM DURING 4TH CELEBRATIONS. As we near the noisy 4th of July holiday it is important to take precautions to safeguard our pets from the man-made summer storms brought on by carnivals and parades! The loud noises and bright flashes of light can send both cats and dogs fleeing. We create these fearful explosions and we need to experience them with Cesar’s calm energy in order to keep our companions calm, too. Also, remember the normal body temperature of a dog is between 100 and 102 degrees. So stay calm and help pets keep their cool!
SENIOR PETS NEED NEW HOME. An owner of two senior dogs passed away on the Memorial Day weekend, leaving a Norwegian Elkhound age 11 and a Border Collie mix age 13. Both dogs are said to be very good with children. If you can help– karefreedals@yahoo.com. Nancy.
IS IT PATRIOTISM OR PET FOOD SAFETY? A worker at our local Del Monte pet food plant was ordered to remove an American flag sticker from a cap she wore during work. She was told that stickers of all kinds had to be removed so that they did not fall into the product and cause contamination. Of course, it was the “American flag” which was newspaper-emphasized. As one pet owner who suffered through the food recall I believe all possible contaminating problems should be eliminated–even patriotic symbols Patriotism has nothing to do with the issue of food safety. Another canine headline recently discussed a dog that is eluding his family and their well-meaning friends in a bid for freedom. An animal communicator might message that this “run away” is just escaping from an unhappy home life!
PET STORE AND INTERNET PUPPY SALES. Wholesale breeders are covered by the Animal Welfare Act but the pet stores they supply are exempt from the act. Large-scale breeders who sell animals over the Internet meet the definition of a retail pet store and so are not obligated to comply with federal welfare guidelines either. The Puppy Uniform Protection Act (PUP) attempts to close this loophole.
BETTY WHITE FUND HELPING VICTIMS OF OIL SPILL. The Betty White Fund set up by the Morris Animal Foundation in March 2010 is now part of the effort to help animals affected by the oil spill.
RUMOR CONTROL. According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council, reports of resistance coming from heartworm infection appear to be caused from a compliance-related failure rather than product failure.
FURTHER OLD-AGE CHALLENGES. Even though my senior citizen, Cagney, has an indoor X-Pen built for two it has become too small for her increasing energy and good health. In a not too subtle frustration she paces, bangs, and yells. She does not understand that she is confined because of her diminished eyesight and uneven gait plus arthritis–in short, for her safety. We are having a quality-of-life dilemma!
DOG PARKS NEED VETS–NEW PARK RANGERS? Canine flu (CIV) is inactivated on the hands of a person washing with soap and warm water for over 20 seconds or by application of a hand sanitizer. It can be inactivated by laundering with detergents and on solid surfaces by most disinfectants. CIV is spread by aerosol transmission and animals not showing clinical signs. Interspecies transfer of this virus–it crossed over from horses– is an important part of a new characteristic and researchers believe it NOW will be difficult to predict the evolution of all viruses in dogs. CIV is not fatal but there is no vaccine shield. Now more than ever it is important to avoid contact with dogs that are not routinely and carefully vetted. For example, veterinarians in the State College area can tell when a newcomer has joined a dog park–their clinics are filled with coughing canines. So, although your dog park dog’s romp may seem like a Harry Potter dream it may result in an expensive visit to the vet. Dog parks must be carefully monitored. One of the most successful dog parks in the state is in Philadelphia and is watched over by the reknowned veterinarian behaviorist, James Serpell. Does your dog park have a vet (park ranger)?
Jun 28, 2010 | | Uncategorized
Although JUNE IS PENNSYLVANIA SHELTER APPRECIATION MONTH, summer months can be important in all states during August, September, and October, due to an ASPCA opportunity to compete in an Animal Shelter Challenge. Shelters will work to increase lives saved over last year and be eligible for a $100,000 first prize. $25,000 will be awarded the shelter engaging the most community members. Wouldn’t a similar challenge be a worthy fund raiser to benefit local pets in need of homes as well as all area shelters? Also, there has been a welcome increase in the number of puppy mills forced to close due to non-compliance. The dogs and puppies in these kennels CANNOT BE EUTHANIZED according to the newly enacted dog law. There should thus be MORE DOGS IN THE RESCUE POOL.
THERAPEUTIC DIETS. I have not tried any of the Purina Veterinary Diets but I did have the good fortune to be able to hear an interview with Chad Reese on the topic. According to Reese, the research that is part of the development of these 24 therapeutic diets has influenced the other Purina products–those sold over the counter. Reese also spoke highly of Purina”s probiotic supplement–Fortiflora. Fortiflora is for dogs with acute enteritis, diarrhea caused by stress, antibiotics and diet change as well as soft stools. Fortiflora is also for cats.
CAMPUS CANINES. Dogs will be allowed on some college campuses this fall! Entering students at some universities are being allowed to bring their home companions to help ease the transition to the collegiate scene. According to a recent press release there are even dormitories set aside for students with pets. It wasn’t so long ago that Penn State was having a problem with students dumping dogs when they left for home over the summer break. And, also the Danville SPCA had a policy of not adopting pets to college students! Perhaps the administration is drawing a line of distinction between the family pet and one newly acquired while a student? Wonder if these canines will be allowed access to the library and classrooms?
KEEPING CANINES COOL (Notes from a veterinarian) . Due to their hair/coat, when it is very warm it is most effective to run water over the dog and place it in front of a fan–getting the dog wet is not the point, it is to have the water evaporating. Immersing a dog in a bath tub or pool doesn’t work either–the wet hair acts as an insulator. On muggy days most dogs will be comfortable in front of a fan at medium speed. ( I use inexpensive box fans placed on the floor where the dog is resting.) In most situations it is only necessary to place a dog in a cooler environment or in shade. The veterinarian advises carrying RUBBING ALCOHOL and placing it on the pads. Replace as the alcohol evaporates. The vet also says to take the dog’s temperature AND WRITE IT DOWN and take it every 3 minutes–he finds the digital thermometers unreliable. It is IMPORTANT TO STOP ALL COOLING EFFORTS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE BEGINS TO DROP. The temperature will continue to drop once it begins and can get dangerously low. He also cautions against giving a panting dog a lot of water. It is enough just to give him enough to keep his mouth cool so the panting is most effective. THIS WILL PREVENT BLOAT FROM HAPPENING. AND IT IS IMPORTANT IN THE CASE OF HEAT STROKE TO GET THE DOG TO THE VETERINARIAN FOR IV RE-HYDRATION.
IN HOT MUGGY WEATHER WATCH YOUR DOG–ESPECIALLY HIS TONGUE. It gets larger as he approaches a need for help.
HELPING DOLPHINS. Most of us associate dolphins with smiles and training. NOW, however, Sarasota is preparing for the impact of the oil spill on these wonderful creatures. No one knows what happens to dolphins trapped in a spill. No such study has been done. Thus, thanks to the Morris Animal Foundation biologists are measuring the amount of foreign contaminants in the bloodstream and blubber of individual wild dolphins for possible comparison before the spill–getting ready to help before it is needed! The wild card will be the winds in the next few months and now is the time to prepare for the unknown.
Jun 20, 2010 | | Uncategorized
According the the AKC, the MOST FAMOUS TDI DOG WILL WORK FOR SUSHI: RUFUS, the famous ten-year-old Westminster Best in Show legend continues his career in therapy at the Ronald MacDonald House and Walter Reed Army Center, and in “Reading With Rufus” programs and helping to destroy the “bull breed stereotypes”. (Rufus has the most perfect egg-shaped head!) The Sushi-loving champion is called by his owners “the god of mischief who gets anything he wants”. His owners state, however, that they refuse to allow him to drive! It is heart-warming to see older dogs strut in the spotlight. Most of us remember the latest star–Stump the Sussex Spaniel–who came out of retirement to a win at Westminster.
Marmaduke is the dog of the media this summer. You might say he lives perpetually in Pennsylvania as the official Commonwealth canine. Great Danes are gentle and intelligent. Unfortunately they have short lives. One of the most famous Dane people was Lina Basquette, a salty and savvy ex-Ziegfeld chorus girl turned handler. (From the reviews I have read of the movie, Lina would have been an exciting addition.) Also a real plus–Dottie Davis would be an interesting program speaker for any dog organization due not only to her life with this majestic and marvelous breed but her life in the rings with famous dogs and judges.
Although Cagney’s show and therapy dog days are in her past, she has successfully completed her course of treatment for pneumonia and heart disease and is once again wagging her tail. The lessons from this latest bout were mine and include –know and respect YOUR limits in time, space, and emotional and financial resources. And, take care of YOURSELF. Not a selfish demand. Your quality of life affects your dog’s. I also found that as she progresses to full health it is important to allow her to make choices. If she doesn’t want to eat we don’t try to control amount or content. And, we have even found that varying the kinds of bedding allows her to make a choice between sheepskin or just bare floor, head on a pillow or no. I think it is important when her body seems to fail her that she be allowed to have as many options as she can with safety.
Long nights allowed us to review books and I discovered THE DOG CHAPEL: WELCOME ALL CREEDS, ALL BREEDS by Stephen Huneck. It is available through Amazon, both used and new, for under $15. The chapel really exists in Johnsbury, Vermont. Huneck was a folk artist specializing in woodcuts. I also discovered one long evening a book published by HSUS on Spanish phrases and words to help animal control professionals be more effective in communication. I send the classical magazines and journals to Connie for distribution to club members but there are still so many. I am putting together boxes of magazines and hope to find a venue at which to sell them.
NEW TITLE OFFERED: A new title, GRAND CHAMPION, will be offered this month at all AKC-sanctioned shows. Competition will be judged during the Best of Breed and it is open to all champions participating in this event. Grand championship points are awarded at the judge’s discretion to the following placements: Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, SELECT DOG AND SELECT BITCH. The ribbon color for this new title is deep green.
Jun 11, 2010 | | Uncategorized
The Lackawanna Kennel Club is looking for match show judges for breed, obedience, and rally competition. The All Breed Match is on September 25th and the contact is Peg Setzer at 570-842-9895. This is a friendly club and would be a good event at which to gain some needed experience in the world of judging. Judging is education. Judging gives you a chance to help others–especially newcomers with their dogs–and the process itself teaches you about dogs. The other judges who make up the judging panel become invaluable allies and mentors. And, probably the best teachers–the professors–are the ring stewards. Dottie Davis and Doreen Slaybaugh are among the best and we are indeed fortunate in being able to watch them manage a ring. I can’t begin to count the number of people over the years who have entered a match show just to learn under Dixon and Connie Cuff when they were fortunate to have them as judges. The late great Ann Rogers Clark wrote about how much she learned from an eminent English Setter judge, Virginia Tuck, about grooming that breed when she was judging. By the way, the English Setter is the symbolic logo dog of the Lackawanna Kennel Club and the new logo was just designed by an AKC artist.
Of course before you go to a dog show you bathe and brush your dog to make him look his best and you should think about what to wear. Always wear comfortable and safe shoes. And, of course, pockets are a must for holding bait and toys! As an exhibitor whose footwear betrayed me I once slipped on wet grass when showing a Springer in a ring judged by Ellsworth Howell (Howell Books). I ended up on my back in an adjoining ring filled with Poodles. I will never forget the under-view of parading Poodles! What you wear should be chosen to respect your dog, the judge and the others on the judging panel. At a match show, washable tailored slacks are apparel to build on but a skirt is best if it is of an appropriate length. This is still considered a polite sport with good manners and a match show is the dress rehearsal. I remember the eminent judge, Bill Kendrick, loved the color blue and low-cut blouses so the handlers tried to influence him by wearing blue (low-cut is much harder to pull off and not very comfortable!). There are always fashion mistakes in the world of dogs so be prepared to learn and not become part of the next “worse dressed match show list”.
NEW SPECIALTY RECOGNIZED. Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation have currently been recognized by the AVMA. Although at present there are only 27 members– given the growing demand for pet rehabilitation– membership is expected to reach over 400 in the next two years and will be divided into two areas–equine and canine. It seems just yesterday that veterinarians made house calls on horseback accompanied by a companion dog. Who could have dreamed that this threesome might be considered a future logo!
JAMES HERRIOT. Probably the most famous stories of this early era were written by the Scottish veterinarian, James Herriot. Herriot was invited to visit the U.S. by Dr. Fred Gunther who began his practice in Danville (Leighow Veterinary Hospital); a colleague of Dr. Herriot’s, Brian Sinclair, was later interviewed by Dr. George Leighow, who captured some of these early, early days on tape for WCNR. Readers may re-live these early days of veterinary medicine–before all the specialties–in the books by Herriot,, beginning with All Creatures Great and Small, and in the PBS TV series of the same name.
Jun 07, 2010 | | Uncategorized
To help when help is needed suddenly, the Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) has set up the BETTY WHITE Wildlife Rapid Response Fund to help quickly fund research in the care of health emergencies. Betty White, as most of us know, is a dedicated wildlife lover and MAF trustee. She has pledged to match up to $25,000 in donations to the fund. And this brings us to Ellen DeGeneres, to Octo-mom, to Barbara Walters and to Sara Palin. These women have endorsed the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)–an organization viewed negatively by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) as well as many, many wildlife and farming organizations. Before playing FOLLOW THE CELEBRITY consider that two of the most exciting MAF research efforts at the University of Florida involve the development of a one-time affordable contraceptive vaccine that at present has been found to be effective for two years in both male and female cats and a drug that has proven to be effective in birth control in dogs. Lesson: in today’s economy we need to be especially careful what groups we support and what they are doing with our money.
Another grain of salt–this time about the popular outcry for mandatory spay-and-neuter legislation. University of Pennsylvania professor James Serpell said, “The thing about mandatory spay-neuter is that those who are most willing to have their pets spayed or neutered tend to be responsible people and their dogs are nice animals. So what are we doing — taking these dogs out of the breeding population?” This results in fewer dogs able to be trained to do search and rescue, detect drugs and roadside bombs; dogs to guide the blind and to help returning veterans, listen and encourage children to read and bring smiles to seniors in nursing homes–as well as sleep in our beds! . As spay/neuter laws spread it is believed that IN TEN YEARS THERE WILL BE NO DOGS. Where will we find a replacements for family dogs?
Sprinkle a little salt on the story on the Bloomsburg group newspaper headlines advocating yoga for dogs. This is a very old idea; in fact, the book, “Yoga for Dogs” by Brilliant and Berloni has been on sale in paperback for $3.00 for many years. May we suggest the newest sport for owners and their dogs is SOCCER! David Beckham and his Bulldog Coco are prominently found in pictures making front pages nationally. Where are these local stories and pictures–will soccer playing dogs be part of the local playground scene?
More grains of salt–but not too much. Did you know that kennel inspectors are being called “building inspectors” since they seem to know more about the shelter than the condition of the dogs being sheltered? And, second, although pistachios are touted as having multiple health benefits for us, they are poisonous for dogs!
Jun 02, 2010 | | Uncategorized