- The cartilage within the pinna is too thin to support the weight of the ear
- The ear crop was too long for the size of the ear
- The ears are “set too low” on the dog’s head
- Scar tissue formed along the ear margin
NOTE: Supplementing a pup’s diet with extra calcium in the hope that it will “build up” the ear cartilage is not scientifically or biochemically valid. Adding additional calcium above the usual balance of that mineral with phosphorus and Vitamin D has actually been shown to cause growth problems in dogs. Don’t add calcium to a dog’s diet in the misguided hope that it will “strengthen the cartilage”
A female Schnauzer about 12 years old. Her troubles began with failing eye sight and hearing. Now she has developed countless tumors across her body. There is no way to tell if this is actually pet food related but many say this could be a result of a poor diet. This dog’s owner has had her on nothing but Ol’Roy since he got her as a puppy. This dog has suffered no outside injuries but simply “developed” these problems as she aged. I don’t really think you need to see the review for Ol’Roy.
Shih Tzu Mix, four years old, “Smokey”. He has corn related fever in his ears. You can tell the ear leather is two to three times the thickness of a normal, healthy ear. No hair has been removed from the underside of the ear leather. The loss of hair is a result of the “hot spot” produced by consuming corn. Looking inside the ear you can tell, what hair is actually there, is sticky and wet due to the endless drainage from the ears. One of the pictures shows this drainage well.
Smokey always shakes his head due to the pain. His mother treats him daily with ear drops and Benedryl. Smokey eats Purina Dog Chow Healthy Morsels.
Hot Spots
This is “Cloe”, two or three years old, with corn related hot-spots on her rear and lower part of the back. She is currently on steroids and has been for some time due to allergies. This is a very common reaction to corn.
You can see the sore skin and bare spots full of fever. She can’t reach these areas herself to scratch but she can chew on these sites. Cloe’s mom reports she eats Pro-Pac made by Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A brave Jack Russell terrier named George saved five New Zealand children from two vicious pitbulls, thougn George was so severely mauled in the fight he had to be destroyed.
George was playing with the group of children as they returned home from the neighborhood store in the small North Island town of Manaia last Sunday when the two pitbulls appeared and lunged toward them.
“George was brave—he took them on and he’s not even a foot high,” Allan Gay, George’s owner, told The Associated Press. “He jumped in on them, he tried to keep them off.”
“If it wasn’t for George, those kids would have copped it.”
One of the children, Richard Rosewarne, 11, was quoted in the Taranaki Daily News on Wednesday as saying George fought with the pitbulls to keep them off his four-year-old brother, Darryl.
“George tried to protect us by barking and rushing at them, but they started to bite him—one on the head and the other on the back,” Rosewarne said. “We ran off crying and some people saw what was happening and rescued George.”
But George, aged 9, was so badly mauled that a veterinarian had to put him down, Gay said.
“The two pitbulls ripped the skin from his throat and chest and down his back,” he said, adding the tough little terrier also “had a bad heart condition.”
Gay said the pitbulls’ owner had surrendered the pair to dog control officers, and demanded they be destroyed, claiming they had launched unprovoked attacks previously.
South Taranaki District Council official Graham Young said the two dogs had been impounded, and likely would be destroyed because of the attack.
In New Zealand, owners of dogs judged to be too aggressive can be required to have them neutered and dogs involved in attacks are destroyed.
Many veterinarians, breeders, kennel clubs, some humane societies and other professional organizations recommend crate training to house train a dog. Proponents of crate training are commonly people that regularly require dogs be crated for various reasons in their daily work.
The idea behind crate training is to teach the dog to control his or her bladder and bowels while indoors by forcing it to spend the vast majority of its time confined to a carrier-type crate as sold in pet stores. The dog is let out to eliminate outdoors, exercise, and then crated again until fully house trained.
Crate training demands the owner to be attentive and available to keep an eye on the dog for signs of discomfort. A puppy must be let out of the crate to eliminate as frequently as once an hour, and even an adult dog should be given an opportunity to relieve itself and exercise at least every four hours. Unfortunately, people can easily abuse this method, leaving the dog crated while going to work or stepping out for hours at a time.
Dogs are naturally active, social animals that find security in a pack. At home, household members become the dog’s “pack.” If you house train by crate training, you can expect the dog might cry and bark for the first day at being separated and confined.
Proponents of crate training point out that once the dog has been trained, the crate door can be left open and the dog can use the crate as a “den” or bed. If the dog needs to be transported, such as in the case of travel or an emergency, it will already be used to being confined in a crate.
The traditional method to house train a dog is paper training, or litter box training. This is a more flexible method for the owner, and arguably more humane for the dog, as it allows the dog freedom of exercise and the ability to relieve itself when needed. For this reason paper training is a better option if you will leave the dog for hours at a time, such as to work, attend lengthy engagements, or even just frequently run in and out.
When you house train a dog using the paper method, the dog is restricted to an area of the house that is easy to clean until it is fully trained. This might be the kitchen or another area with a linoleum floor. Newspapers or a litter box are provided, along with a bed, toys, food and water.
When home, the dog can be let out of the restricted area as long as it is watched. The moment it begins exhibiting signs that it has to eliminate, it is brought to the newspapers or litter box. It will soon learn to use the papers or box with free reign of the house. It can then be easily taught to use the outdoors as well.
There are several advantages to house train by paper training or litter box training. If the dog is to live in the house primarily, you can leave papers or a box down when you can’t be home to let the dog out and he or she will faithfully use them. When you house train using this method you are also less restricted in your schedule, as you don’t have to be available to let the dog out of a crate.
A possible disadvantage applies to those that might need to crate their dog for other reasons later. For example, if you plan to show your dog or otherwise engage in activities that require frequent airline travel, it is smarter to house train by crate training. Otherwise, most people find a leash sufficient for moving a dog or visiting a veterinarian’s office. For infrequent moves across country, as in the case of relocation, you can always hire a service to drive your dog across country for you, if you don’t plan to do it yourself.
(Source)
Playing is an important part of your dog’s life, as well as yours. If you live in a community where dog parks exist this is a great way to exercise and socialize our dogs and ourselves. For many of us, it is a good form of people recreation.
Many parks have some of the following basic requirements, which are for the safety of both the dogs and the people enjoying the park:
- Owners must clean up after their pets
- No aggressive dogs are allowed
- Dogs must be licensed & vaccinated
- Puppies under 4 months of age are prohibited
- Spayed/neutered animals recommended
- Leaving dogs unattended is prohibited
- No smoking
- People should carry a leash at all times
- Dogs in season are not allowed
- Limited to 3 dogs per visit
- Young children should be closely supervised
Also some things to consider if you’re going to develop a dog park:
- Appropriate site selection
- Noise
- Maintenance and health concerns
- City Support
- Traffic
- Supervision of Park
A good website to find dog parks or places allowing off leash dogs
Dog parks sorted by states
Listed below are specific brands recently recalled by Menu Foods, in addition to Procter & Gamble’s recall of certain Iams and Eukanuba products. Menu Brands list of brands can also be found on their website at www.menufoods.com. Consumers can also call 1-866-895-2708 for more information.
Recalled cat foods
Americas Choice; Preferred Pets; Authority; Best Choice; Companion; Compliments; Demoulas Market Basket; Fine Feline Cat, Shep Dog; Food Lion; Foodtown; Giant Companion; Good n Meaty; Hannaford; Hill Country Fare; Hy-Vee; Key Food; Laura Lynn; Li’l Red; Loving Meals; Main Choice; Nutriplan; Nutro Max Gourmet Classics; Nutro Natural Choice; Paws; Presidents Choice; Price Chopper; Priority; Save-A-Lot; Schnucks; Sophistacat; Special Kitty; Springfield Pride; Sprout; Total Pet; My True Friend; Wegmans; Western Family; White Rose; and Winn Dixie.
Recalled dog foods
America’s Choice; Preferred Pets; Authority; Award; Best Choice; Big Bet; Big Red; Bloom; Bruiser; Cadillac; Companion; Demoulas Market Basket; Fine Feline Cat; Shep Dog; Food Lion; Giant Companion; Great Choice; Hannaford; Hill Country Fare; Hy-Vee; Key Food; Laura Lynn; Loving Meals; Main Choice; Mixables; Nutriplan; Nutro Max; Nutro Natural Choice; Nutro; Ol’Roy; Paws; Pet Essentials; Pet Pride; President’s Choice; Price Chopper; Priority; Publix; Roche Bros; Save-A-Lot; Schnucks; Springsfield Pride; Sprout; Stater Bros; Total Pet; My True Friend; Western Family; White Rose; Winn Dixie and Your Pet.
(Source)
You simply cannot expose a puppy to too many new things - people, places, and other animals. And yet this is one area where puppy owners undo the good work of many reputable breeders. When a puppy is
