Dog Guidance Blog

My groomer has been working overtime this month. Unfortunately, it’s not just haircuts and nail trims he’s been in demand for.

Lately he’s been pulling ticks off dogs and cats like never before. Every year I hear him say, “The ticks are getting worse!” This year is certainly proving to be no exception.

I just hate ticks. They give me the creeps. Like little vampires, ticks live by feeding off human and animal blood, all the while spreading dangerous diseases.

They harbor specialized bacteria that they pass with their mouth parts to their victims during a bite. Ticks have big appetites, too.

A female tick can consume enough blood to swell to 1,000 times her original weight; so obscenely large that she falls off her victim and can no longer crawl. Even more insidiously, a tick can live without feeding for a year or more and still remain ready to latch on and take a fresh blood meal when an unsuspecting victim comes along.

There are many species of ticks and they can be found most places in the United States. Unfortunately for us they are particularly concentrated along the east coast.

If you have a dog or a cat, you need to protect it from disease-carrying ticks and their nasty bites. Here are some of the more common diseases that ticks can spread.

— Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is caused by a bacteria called Rickettsia rickettsii. Both dogs and humans are susceptible.

Symptoms of infection include fever, depression, rash, anorexia, painful joints, and sometimes death.

— Ehrlichia is a family of specialized bacteria that attack white blood cells and cause immune suppression. Symptoms of infection include fever, enlarged lymph nodes, depression, weight loss and anorexia.

Not all exposed animals will become sick but many will. Both humans and their pets are susceptible.

— Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. Both people and dogs (rarely cats) are susceptible to infection. Symptoms of infection include fever, anorexia, painful joints, and swollen lymph nodes.

— A danger to cats only, Cytauxzoonosis is a tiny protozoan (a microscopic single-celled organism) spread by the bite of a tick. This is a particularly deadly disease in which there is no readily effective treatment. Many cats infected by Cytauxzoonosis will sadly die.

— Babesia is a family of protozoans that live inside its victim’s red blood cells. Both humans and pets are susceptible to infection.

Babesia infections can cause anemia, anorexia, and a high fever. Some animals may remain asymptomatic but others can become sick enough to die.

Protect your dogs and cats

To keep your dog and cat protected from disease-carrying ticks, use a veterinary-approved topical flea and tick product such as Frontline Plus (dogs and cats) or K-9 Advantix (dogs only) every 30 days. 

Avoid over-the-counter products that are far less effective and can sometimes even be dangerous. No product is 100-percent effective, so you should still check your pets for ticks daily.

Remove any ticks you find using a pair of clean tweezers. Wash the bite area with warm soap and water and wash your hands after handling a tick.

If the tick is attached tightly to your pet, increasing the risk of disease transmission, call your vet’s office for advice about what to do next. Your veterinarian may ask to see the tick for identification purposes as different species of ticks carry different diseases.
If she does, drop it into a jar of rubbing alcohol for sanitary transport.

Dr. Melissa Wheeler DVM owns Central Carolina Veterinary Hospital and 24 Hour Animal Emergency in Burlington. For more information call 229-0060.

Source Burlington Times

Guide dogs from seven states will be showing off today at Maxwell Park in Normal as part of a convention of Pilot Dog owners. 

Angie Carnell uses her pilot dog to help her navigate State Farm Corporate South where she’s a project manager. She says her dog Kendall gives her the life she wants.

Carnell will join other pilot dog owners for obstacle and obedience competitions starting at 9:30 and going until one this afternoon. After that, visitors can listen to information about pilot dogs and stick around for Q and A with dog handlers. The group will also have raffles and prizes as it raises money for scholarships to breed, raise, train, and match the dogs with handlers.

Police dogs who worked in the aftermath of the 7 July bombings are being awarded an animals’ version of the George Cross.

Labradors Vinnie and Billy and Spaniel Jake will receive the honour for their work sniffing out possible explosives.

They represent all 14 dogs who worked in the immediate aftermath of the London terror attacks in 2005.

The dogs will receive the PDSA Gold Medal from the charity’s patron Princess Alexandra on 3 July.

The dog teams were deployed to locate possible secondary terrorist devices at the four bomb attack sites.

The animals checked access was safe for emergency services, who were preparing to tend to those left trapped or injured.

Marilyn Rydstrom, director general of the charity PDSA, said: “In the face of indescribable devastation and trauma, the dogs remained calm and steadfast.

“Their gallantry helped save lives by ensuring medical assistance reached the casualties as quickly as safely as possible.”

The PDSA Gold Medal can be awarded to “any animal that is instrumental in saving human or animal life when its own life is in jeopardy or through exceptional devotion to duty”.

PDSA, originally known as The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, is the UK’s leading veterinary charity.

Source BBC News, UK

There has been a sharp increase in complaints to Queanbeyan Council about barking dogs, it has been revealed. Acting mayor Tom Mavec says he has been approached by a number of residents who are “at their wit’s end” coping with barking dogs in their neighbourhood.

The residents say the noisy dogs are impacting upon the peace of their street.

Pet owners need to ensure that their dogs are not causing a noise problem,” Mr Mavec said.

“(But) I know that the vast majority of dog owners are responsible people who are doing the right thing by their neighbours and take steps to stop barking becoming a major problem.

The acting mayor said Queanbeyan council can advise pet owners on how to minimise the noise their dogs make.

Council has a lot of constructive advice in pamphlets which provides useful information on how to control dogs barking,” he said

“Copies of this material are freely available from the Council offices or can be downloaded from its website.”

In many instances it may only require simple things like changing feeding routines or providing them with toys to cure boredom, he said.  If the problem is more deep seated than feeding or boredom, Council also has advice on how to seek professional assistance. At the end of the day, it is the dog owner who must take responsibility for their pet’s behaviour. By being a responsible pet owner you are ensuring that everyone has a quality of life they are entitled to.

source ibnnews.org

To help your dog be trained to stop it from barking, visit the dog training review.

SAN JOSE (BCN) 

Pizza, sushi, tacos and banana biscotti; sounds like a great buffet for humans but this Saturday’s menu is for man’s best friend and the Fairmont San Jose Hotel has invited local pooches and their owners to partake.

On Saturday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. as a fundraiser for the Santa Clara County Humane Society and as a promotion for the hotel’s pet-friendly policies, the Fairmont has invited local dog owners to come on down and enjoy deluxe doggy samples available on the private dining menu for pets.

Also available on Saturday are dog walkers, who for $10 will walk visiting dogs while their human companions enjoy tea, lunch and cocktails in the hotel lobby. All proceeds from the dog walkers go to the Humane Society.

The hotel will have items that guest dogs can enjoy during their stay at the upscale downtown San Jose hotel, including beds, water and food dishes, a scooper, a doggy biscuit, a dog walking guide brochure and every dog’s favorite; a squeaky toy. Also available to pet owners are digital cameras and printing facilities to snap and print images of their pet living the good life.

To make reservations for afternoon tea or for more information call the San Jose Fairmont at (408) 998-3955.

BRADFORD, Pa. (AP) – A Pennsylvania real estate agent was checking on a vacant home, to see how much cleaning it would need before it could go up for sale — when he stumbled onto a disturbing scene.

He pried open a door that was nailed shut, and discovered the decomposing carcasses of two Great Danes. He called authorities — who found 21 other dead dogs.

A woman who bred the large dogs used to live in the home. Police say she had been cited in the past for neglecting the dogs.

Real estate agent Jack Buckles told a local newspaper he found the dogs in a small building on the back of the property. Police found the other dogs, young and old, around the property. They say they probably died months ago.

They are now searching for the woman.

An article in the courier mail this week was interesting.  Basically a company by the name of Peptech has a substance called “Suprelorin”, which can be used to make male dogs infertile.  This is means of contraception for male dogs that may appeal for their owners rather than castrating them. The dogs that is, of course.  In any case, Suprelorin is expected to become available on European veterinary shelves later this year.

When a show-quality dog is purchased, there should always be a written contract between the buyer and seller. The problem in buying your first show dog is that you often do not have enough information to know what must be included in the contract. The following issues must be addressed:

1. Request a health provision that guarantees normalcy in the hips, elbows and eyes; no blood deficiencies; no inherited diseases particular to the breed that are life endangering or will restrict breeding capabilities; no breed disqualifications or faults so severe as to effect a condition that would make it impossible or highly improbable to finish the dog’s championship.

2. If a co-ownership is involved, be exact as to the rights and responsibilities of both owner and co-owner.

3. Be specific about whether there will be a replacement of the dog or a refunding of money if the contract becomes void. Note who takes control of the dog in question.

4. If the purchase includes a “puppy-back package,” be specific as to which puppies in which litters (for example, seller gets choice of first and third puppy from first litter).

Although very dangerous behavior, car chasing is very rewarding for the dog.  Dogs love to chase anything that runs, and the faster it runs, the better.  To extinguish the behavior, you must negate the reward of the chase.  Car chasing is most often done by dogs that have the run of the property and are not exposed to many cars.

Expose the dog to traffic by making a point to walk on busy streets occasionally.  Command him to remain in a sit-stay as cars pass, and snap the collar back if he attempts to move.  You can set the dog up for a car chasing correction by having a friend armed with several cans filled with rocks, for noise effect, drive up to or past the area where the dog starts chasing.  Instruct the helper to put on the brakes as fast and noisily as possible when the dog is at a full chase.  When the car comes to a screeching halt, have the helper jump out of the car and create enormous noise and chaos by throwing the cans near the dog.

If the dog is not likely to bite, have the helper aggressively chase him home, throwing cans behind him.  Repeat the setup with different cars, and if possible, different people, until the dog refrains from chasing cars.  You can also use the corrections for car chasing when a dog acquires the nasty, dangerous habit of chasing bikers, joggers, and horseback riders.

Visit Dog Training Tips for more dog training guidance.

Uneaten food should not be left around for more than 30 minutes.  lf you feed only one or two dogs, removing the uneaten food within 30 minutes should offer no problem.  You should begin to pick up the food containers just as soon as you have completed feeding the last dog.  Pick up the feeding containers in the same order that they were put down.  Don’t get in such a hurry to get them, however, that you forget to record each dog’s food intake.

Dogs should have regular elimination times.  Dogs that are kept in relatively close confinement should be taken out for eliminations immediately after feeding.  This will establish a regular pattern.  Such a pattern promotes regular eliminations, stimulates better digestion, and increases food utilization. Perhaps equally important from the multiple dog owner’s viewpoint is the fact that a regular elimination time allows you to keep your dog well-trained to know when it is time to go, and without having accidents inside.

See nutrition for dog for more information.