« May 2009 | Main | July 2009 »
Riana Van Nieuwenhuizen of South Africa shares her home with 11 cats and two snacks dogs. The cats include four cheetahs, five lions, and two tigers. She bought the cats to save the species' from extinction, so she's not completely insane. But still, I can't see this ending well.
Read more about the cats at Mail Online.
--Spanno
Bringing home your new pet for the first time is very exciting but, along with the excitement, comes the daunting task of house training. For some young pets (most kittens) housetraining is almost instinctual, but if your new kitten does not take to the litterbox, there are a few things to check. Be sure to have the litterbox in an easily accessible, quiet location. Also, your kitten’s sense of smell is sensitive and your kitten may find scented litter too strong. Switch to an unscented litter and, to keep the litter smelling fresh, use a litter odor remover like Hartz Nodor.
Puppies need a little more training. Some things to remember when starting:
1. Do not leave a puppy without access to a potty area during the day for longer than your pup’s age in months plus one (in hours). This means a 2-month-old puppy should not be left for more than three hours without a chance to relieve itself. Puppy training pads can provide a suitable area when your puppy needs to be left alone.
2. When you are at home and awake, take your puppy outside at least once per hour. Watch your puppy for signs that once per hour is too long; some young puppies cannot wait this long. Puppy training pads can help while your puppy is loose in the house.
3. Give lots of praise when your puppy potties in the right area.
With a little guidance, you can have your new companion house-trained and a welcomed addition to your family.
--Dr. Melinda, Hartz R&D Team
---------------------
Dr. Melinda is the resident veterinarian at Hartz and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.
I use to think that despite my poor basketball skills, I'm at least better than a dog. Now I'm not so sure. Zeke here might be able to teach me a few things.
Zeke playing ball with his dad. From With Leather.
--Spanno
Lyme disease is a bacterial disease spread by ticks. While it is most prevalent in the Northeastern U.S., it has been found in almost every state. The name comes from the place where the disease was first reported, Lyme, Connecticut. Lyme disease affects people and dogs. It is rare in other domestic animals.
Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. It is transmitted by the bite of ticks, most commonly the black-legged deer tick (Ixodes species). Wooded, brushy areas outdoors are likely locations for these ticks. The tick attaches to a host and feeds on it’s blood. While attached, it can spread Lyme disease through it’s saliva. Research has shown that in most cases, the disease is not transmitted until the tick has been attached to the host for 48 to 72 hours. Lyme disease is not spread directly from one person to another or from a dog to a person.
Symptoms of Lyme disease are rash, fever, lethargy, swollen lymph nodes, loss of appetite, swollen joints and limping. Some infected dogs do not show any outward symptoms however, the disease can also cause inflammation of the kidneys, and can damage the heart and nervous system in later stages. Some cases of Lyme disease in dogs can be detected on a physical exam, but tests of blood or joint fluid are often needed.
Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics like doxycycline. Additional medications may be prescribed to help with pain and inflammation. The course of treatment is usually a minimum of 6 weeks but may be as long as 12 weeks. It is possible for the organism to remain in the body long-term leading to periodic flare-ups.
Whenever possible avoid areas likely to be infested with ticks. If you do frequent tick-infested areas, check yourself and your dog carefully for ticks once you leave. Your veterinarian can recommend some excellent tick control products that are safe for dogs.
A vaccination against Lyme disease is available for dogs. It is recommended for dogs living in areas where the disease is prevalent. Check with your veterinarian to see if your dog should be vaccinated.
Photo courtesy of Pediatric Associates of Connecticut.
--Dr. Hinson
---------------------
Dr. Hinson is a mixed animal veterinarian in Tampa, FL and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.
It seems like it would be easy to find the owner of a certain dog discovered wandering about 30 miles north of San Diego. He's a Saluki, which isn't common; he's microchipped; and he lived in Saudi Arabia with the US military.
Unfortunately, the microchip revealed nothing about the dog's owner or even the dog's name. The Department of Defense denies knowledge of the dog, as do military veterinarians working in Saudi Arabia.
The dog is neutered and healthy, so someone was taking care of him before he was found. And with the dog's military service overseas, you'd think someone would know something. I doubt they've had THAT many Salukis working in Saudi Arabia.
My guess is that the dog is a spy.
Read more about him in the Seattle Times.
--Spanno
Shandi is a very playful Lab/Rhodesian Ridgeback mix.
Photo courtesy of tropic paws' photostream.
--Spanno
The Sunset Cruise headed out of Little Dix Bay and our group was on it. As we turned toward “Bitter End” the resort at the north end of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, a colony of Laughing Gulls tagged along behind.
Some find these raucous, back-headed birds beautiful; others consider them “sea rats;” as a trainer, I saw them as an unusual (and unusually noisy) training opportunity.
Side note: I do not encourage wild animals to interact with me unless doing so poses no potential harm to them or to me. In this case, despite Hitchcock’s brilliantly terrifying movie “The Birds,” the only risk these gulls pose is pilfering from your plate if you leave it untended. This being the case, and because the gulls were already well aware of what goodies the boat carried, I decided to see what we could accomplish.
Grabbing a handful of leftover crackers, I started tossing bits – arcing them up and back, away from the boat. The birds dove and spun but, more often than not, had to land in the water to grab their prize. Entertaining as this was, it slowed down the process -- how could I do rapid repetitions if the birds had to land, eat, and then take off?
So, I decided to add in a simple cue that told the gulls that a treat was about to be launched. Stretching my arm out parallel to the water, I then dropped my hand suddenly toward my body, paused for a second, and then tossed.
The birds quickly figured out that a rapid hand drop meant food was forthcoming, just as Pavlov’s dogs had learned that a bell meant dinner was on its way. When I dropped my hand, the birds lined up in formation – anticipating my next toss.
From that position, I could easily toss treats that were grabbed “on the fly.” Perfect. Now I could move to rapid fire rewarding which allowed me to start shortening my tosses. Instead of arcing back and away from the boat, I tossed them just a few feet back. Some gulls hung back but a few were willing to trade proximity for food.
Seeing that I had lost a few, I upped the ante by tossing out bits of spring roll. The gulls noticeably intensified their efforts – as we all do when something we value is offered.
Getting them taking a treat from my hand (back to crackers because they were a larger and more obvious target) was just a matter of tossing treats progressively closer to me and then holding one big one out while I stood very still - waiting. And that worked, as you can see.
The principles of training apply whether you are training a Laughing Gull or your grinning Golden: give clear signals, reward frequently, start slow then work toward your goal in small steps, have fun. These gulls reminded me to do all of this and gave me a special vacation memory, as well.
--Sarah Wilson, MySmartPuppy.com
---------------------
Sarah Wilson is a pet behavior specialist, author, media personality, and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex. Sarah's books include, "Dogology", "My Smart Puppy", and "Good Owners, Great Dogs", all available now.
If you have even a marginally modern kitchen, those cheap ceramic bowls you got a PetSmart a few years ago probably stand out like an NBA player in Tokyo. I'm not knocking the bowls--up until recently you didn't have much of choice and they did the job. Heck, even I have them. But now we have a choice. We can replace that mismatched set with some contemporary design.
A new brand of pet products called WETNoz is shaking up the look of bowls, dishes, and even treat jars. The designs are an eye-catching mix of ergonomics and aesthetics. They're like little pieces of art.
Everything is a tad pricey but, really, what did you expect for something that looks this good? The real shock is when you realize that your dog eats out of a nicer bowl than you.
--Spanno
We have a new puppy in our house. Her name is Moose and she is crazy. We joyously welcomed her into our home two months ago and have been running circles ever since. Unfortunately, a veterinary license does not guarantee proficiency at puppy training. I can tell you all about vaccines, deworming, nutrition, pediatric disease, etc.--but when it comes to dealing with a mouthful of super sharp teeth constantly clenching onto any piece of fabric that is not glued to my skin I'm not sure what to do.
I have my clueless head in all the behavior books, my finger on the trigger of the squirt bottle and my mouth shut tight so I don’t teach our young daughter expletives. I am sure she has learned a few anyway these past few months.
Puppies are constant motion. Chewing, ripping, shredding, tearing. Two months ago, her baby teeth didn’t do much damage to the multitude of things she wanted to chew. These days, her destructive power has kicked up a gear and now in the two seconds it takes for us to react, the marks are permanent. Or a piece is missing. Or the whole thing is gone. I know it is common knowledge that puppies are destructive and I used to acknowledge my clients complaints with “Yes, puppies are a lot of work.” But now, when they tell me about the destruction, disruptions and overall delinquency, I understand. I truly understand! And while I can not buy them a new guitar, I certainly can lend them shoulder to cry on. And a trainer referral. I guess I could lend them my guitar, but some of it is missing.
--Dr. Olson
---------------------
Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.
Hair grows from tiny roots called follicles. Hair follicles contain both a long individual strand of hair (primary hair) and multiple short, fine hairs (secondary hairs). The process of shedding in cats and dogs occurs because each individual hair goes through a growth cycle and is then released. After release, it is replaced with a new hair and the process repeats.
In pets, many factors can affect shedding. Most commonly we think of the effect of day length and temperature on coats. Shorter days and cooler temperatures stimulate the follicles and result in a thicker coat. Conversely, longer days and warmer temperatures lead to increased shedding with the cycle peaking around mid-summer.
Many of our pets today live inside throughout the year, and they are not subjected to a variety of temperature or light changes. Instead of experiencing a large difference between the highest and lowest times of shedding, these cats and dogs tend to shed at a consistently high level year round. This pattern of coat turnover requires more attention through the entire year instead of only during peak shedding times.
One key in the management of shedding is good grooming. Many groomers offer shedding treatments that help reduce hair turnover for a period of time. Frequent trips to the groomer for routine bathing and brushing will help remove hairs in the final stage of the growth cycle and lessen the amount that is shed into the pet’s environment. In between grooming visits, brushing at home also helps.
On the nutrition front, the goal is to provide the nutrients necessary to keep the hair as healthy as possible and prevent premature hair separation. Hair growth may demand 30% of total protein intake, so an adequate amount of high level protein is important. Certain B vitamins like biotin and folic acid play a role in the formation of hair. Key minerals and fatty acids also help nourish the coat. A deficiency in any of these essential nutrients can result in poor coat quality, excess shedding, and slower hair re-growth.
--Dr. Hinson
---------------------
Dr. Hinson is a mixed animal veterinarian in Tampa, FL and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.
