Just had a phone call from a lady wanting to know what would be the best 'dog sling' for her 12 year old Pomeranian for when she gets tired? Presumably it's for carrying the dog hands free. The dog is 4 kilos. 'Not too cumbersome' is the ladies plea. Easy for her to carry when the dog isn't in it and the dog is walking. Preferably dog facing forward when carried like a Baby Bjorn rather than a dog bag.
Any suggestions, preferably under £30 - we don't like easy tasks here!!
May issue
May issue
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Monday, 22 February 2010
Sight for sore eyes
We have a two-year-old Scottish Terrier who presented with what we thought was a problem with her eyes. After a number of consults with a vet we were referred to an eye specialist, who in turn gave us the diagnosis of corneal ulcers, then punctuated kyritonitus and finally immune deficiency.
Her treatment consists of a steroid and an immune suppressant - these she was on for a period of six months. When we were advised to reduce the meds the symptoms became aggressive once again and after more consults have been told that she could well be needing the meds long-term.
Our concerns are the long-term use of the meds and how her body will cope as her heat cycle has already been affected. Is there any alternative to the meds and we would be very grateful for any other suggestions that we could look into for her lifelong comfort. I know that I'm going to be biased but she is the most wonderful dog, full of fun and character.
Lynne Vaughan, by email
I would imagine your Scottie has an immune-mediated condition rather than deficiency, given that she is needing immunosuppressive therapy. The mainstay of most immune-mediated disease in conventional veterinary medicine is, sadly, often high levels of corticosteroid which will have other effects within the body as well as controlling the condition in question. One of these is, indeed, interference with the seasons.
The eye specialist will, however, have been fully aware of the other effects of immunosuppressive therapy when he recommended it. Many decisions we make in life are a balancing act, weighing up the pros and cons, assessing the risks relative to the advantages of a particular course of action. This treatment will therefore have been advised as being the most likely to control your dog’s condition whilst being aware of potential adverse effects. This is why reducing the levels of medication was tried once the condition had improved, in the hope that your dog’s condition would stabilise on lower doses and thus reducing the risks of side effects.
Alison Logan, vet
Her treatment consists of a steroid and an immune suppressant - these she was on for a period of six months. When we were advised to reduce the meds the symptoms became aggressive once again and after more consults have been told that she could well be needing the meds long-term.
Our concerns are the long-term use of the meds and how her body will cope as her heat cycle has already been affected. Is there any alternative to the meds and we would be very grateful for any other suggestions that we could look into for her lifelong comfort. I know that I'm going to be biased but she is the most wonderful dog, full of fun and character.
Lynne Vaughan, by email
I would imagine your Scottie has an immune-mediated condition rather than deficiency, given that she is needing immunosuppressive therapy. The mainstay of most immune-mediated disease in conventional veterinary medicine is, sadly, often high levels of corticosteroid which will have other effects within the body as well as controlling the condition in question. One of these is, indeed, interference with the seasons.
The eye specialist will, however, have been fully aware of the other effects of immunosuppressive therapy when he recommended it. Many decisions we make in life are a balancing act, weighing up the pros and cons, assessing the risks relative to the advantages of a particular course of action. This treatment will therefore have been advised as being the most likely to control your dog’s condition whilst being aware of potential adverse effects. This is why reducing the levels of medication was tried once the condition had improved, in the hope that your dog’s condition would stabilise on lower doses and thus reducing the risks of side effects.
Alison Logan, vet
Friday, 19 February 2010
Rehab advice
My three-year-old black Labrador, Pepper has had an accident and severed her tendon on her right front leg. The tendon had to be retrieved from further up the leg and was reattached. Her paw is slightly floppy. I am looking for advice on what physio and exercise she should be having. She has the physique of a working Lab, very slim and active.
Anita Doyle, by email
Hydrotherapy – supervised swimming exercise - instantly springs to my mind as being ideal because it is non-weight-bearing and will help build up the muscles. Referral is often required via your vet to ensure that there are no reasons why Pepper might not be a good candidate for hydrotherapy.
As a side issue, do make sure Pepper does not gain bodyweight during her enforced restricted exercise. She may be slim at the moment, which will all help with the healing process, but a Labrador often only has to look at food to gain weight, especially if she has been neutered! Pepper needs a good plane of nutrition for tissue healing, but her joints do not need to be overloaded with excess weight.
I do hope Pepper makes a good recovery, especially as she is so used to being active.
Alison Logan, vet
Anita Doyle, by email
Hydrotherapy – supervised swimming exercise - instantly springs to my mind as being ideal because it is non-weight-bearing and will help build up the muscles. Referral is often required via your vet to ensure that there are no reasons why Pepper might not be a good candidate for hydrotherapy.
As a side issue, do make sure Pepper does not gain bodyweight during her enforced restricted exercise. She may be slim at the moment, which will all help with the healing process, but a Labrador often only has to look at food to gain weight, especially if she has been neutered! Pepper needs a good plane of nutrition for tissue healing, but her joints do not need to be overloaded with excess weight.
I do hope Pepper makes a good recovery, especially as she is so used to being active.
Alison Logan, vet
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Buying a pup from next door
I am thinking of getting a Labrador off my neighbour as he thinks his dog is pregnant. Both parents are KC registered and I was wondering how old they need to be before they can leave their mother and have there vaccinations and when they can go outside for socialising with other dogs and to ear different sounds,
Thanks
Sarah, by email
Dear Sarah
First thing, try to discover if the two Labradors have been tested for Hip Dysplasia and eye problems as this is not a breed to take a gamble on. Hip replacement surgery will cost approx £5,000 so at the very least insure your pup immediately with a very good insurer and get cover for life as many of the cheaper ones won’t pay out for both hips to be replaced.
The other thing to consider is if the two Labs are closely related – was this an accidental mating or a planned one?
With reference to socialisation I suggest you go to this website
There are some great free downloads that will tell you about what needs to happen when. Look out for Before you get your Puppy and After you Get your Puppy.
Most pups leave home at eight weeks, but sometimes experienced people are able to take them at six weeks. Most vaccines are effective at 12 weeks but you still should start doing some careful socialisation before then – but do read Ian Dunbar’s free downloads on the above website, they really are amazing and you won't go far wrong if you follow his simple advice!
I hope this helps
Best wishes
Beverley Cuddy Editor
In addition to Beverley’s sound advice, I have a few points to make. Firstly, and most importantly, do make sure you are making the decision to take on a puppy for all the correct reasons – are you being ruled by your head or your heart? Are you in a position to take on a puppy work-wise, for example?
Any puppy is a huge commitment, in time and financially, but especially so a Labrador retriever. They can be a real handful for the first eighteen months or so, speaking from experience – full of well-intentioned mischief and great fun but they do need a great deal of patience and careful training.
Elbow scoring is an additional screening programme which is recommended before breeding so you should check on that. As well as conditions covered by screening programmes, it is also important that the parents are in good health and not suffering from, for example, epilepsy. Do they have good temperaments. Have you seen both dam and sire? Quite simply, do you like them, both visually and as characters?
With regard to vaccination, check with your local veterinary practice on the schedule it follows. Some vaccine manufacturers have an early finish of ten weeks of age, with your puppy covered to go out on the ground in the big wide world just a week later, ie potentially at just eleven weeks of age. This often needs, however, a first vaccination at 6-8 weeks of age so you need to plan ahead.
I always recommend the owners of puppies to carry them around wherever they can, strength of arms permitting! The more a puppy can experience in the way of sights and sounds from a young age, the better adjusted he or she is likely to be. A daily car trip, even if just five minutes around the block, is also advisable. The school run can be a great chance for not only travel in the car but also meeting children.
Likewise, some veterinary practices run puppy socialisation classes, often once puppies have received their first vaccination. They provide a chance for the puppies to mix as well as some early basic obedience training and general help and advice with caring for your puppy. A chance to ask those niggling questions which crop up!
Following on from Beverley’s pertinent question as to whether or not the mating was intentional: how old is the dam? When was she last vaccinated, which will determine the level of temporary protection conferred on her pups? Is the dam being wormed during pregnancy? Is she being fed a diet suitable to pregnancy? Is she in good body condition?
Think it all through carefully.
Alison Logan, vet
Thanks
Sarah, by email
Dear Sarah
First thing, try to discover if the two Labradors have been tested for Hip Dysplasia and eye problems as this is not a breed to take a gamble on. Hip replacement surgery will cost approx £5,000 so at the very least insure your pup immediately with a very good insurer and get cover for life as many of the cheaper ones won’t pay out for both hips to be replaced.
The other thing to consider is if the two Labs are closely related – was this an accidental mating or a planned one?
With reference to socialisation I suggest you go to this website
There are some great free downloads that will tell you about what needs to happen when. Look out for Before you get your Puppy and After you Get your Puppy.
Most pups leave home at eight weeks, but sometimes experienced people are able to take them at six weeks. Most vaccines are effective at 12 weeks but you still should start doing some careful socialisation before then – but do read Ian Dunbar’s free downloads on the above website, they really are amazing and you won't go far wrong if you follow his simple advice!
I hope this helps
Best wishes
Beverley Cuddy Editor
In addition to Beverley’s sound advice, I have a few points to make. Firstly, and most importantly, do make sure you are making the decision to take on a puppy for all the correct reasons – are you being ruled by your head or your heart? Are you in a position to take on a puppy work-wise, for example?
Any puppy is a huge commitment, in time and financially, but especially so a Labrador retriever. They can be a real handful for the first eighteen months or so, speaking from experience – full of well-intentioned mischief and great fun but they do need a great deal of patience and careful training.
Elbow scoring is an additional screening programme which is recommended before breeding so you should check on that. As well as conditions covered by screening programmes, it is also important that the parents are in good health and not suffering from, for example, epilepsy. Do they have good temperaments. Have you seen both dam and sire? Quite simply, do you like them, both visually and as characters?
With regard to vaccination, check with your local veterinary practice on the schedule it follows. Some vaccine manufacturers have an early finish of ten weeks of age, with your puppy covered to go out on the ground in the big wide world just a week later, ie potentially at just eleven weeks of age. This often needs, however, a first vaccination at 6-8 weeks of age so you need to plan ahead.
I always recommend the owners of puppies to carry them around wherever they can, strength of arms permitting! The more a puppy can experience in the way of sights and sounds from a young age, the better adjusted he or she is likely to be. A daily car trip, even if just five minutes around the block, is also advisable. The school run can be a great chance for not only travel in the car but also meeting children.
Likewise, some veterinary practices run puppy socialisation classes, often once puppies have received their first vaccination. They provide a chance for the puppies to mix as well as some early basic obedience training and general help and advice with caring for your puppy. A chance to ask those niggling questions which crop up!
Following on from Beverley’s pertinent question as to whether or not the mating was intentional: how old is the dam? When was she last vaccinated, which will determine the level of temporary protection conferred on her pups? Is the dam being wormed during pregnancy? Is she being fed a diet suitable to pregnancy? Is she in good body condition?
Think it all through carefully.
Alison Logan, vet
Is there doggie Viagra?
I hope you can help me. I have a male Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who I would like to use on my bitches but even though he has sired two litters (the last one 18 months ago) now he does not show any interest when the bitches come into season. Even though I put him 24/7 with a bitch who is in season and she does all she can to get him interested nearly begging him to take her he does not try to mate her. He is 4 years old and I know that he is slightly over weight for a Cavalier but he was the same weight when he mated before and one time he wanted the bitch so much he broke the cage door off its hinges to mate her but now no interest. My question is there a doggie equivalent of Viagra or can you suggest any tablets both convention or Homeopathic that will make him randy and want to mate. If you could give me a reply by email I would appreciate it as I live in France and although I would love to be able to get your magazine (as I find your magazine is the only one who speaks its mind and doesn't disappear up the KC rear end like other so called Dog magazines) I find it impossible and if you just publish your reply I would miss it.
Steve Anderson, via email, France
Steve Anderson, via email, France
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Food assistance
In three weeks I will be collecting my 10-week-old miniature Australian Labradoodle puppy. When she is old enough she is going to be trained by a charity to be an alert dog for me... to tell me when my blood sugar is getting low, as I have no warning symptoms.
I would like to be able to feed her a raw food diet as it seems the most natural to me... but as she will be with me everywhere, it would be awkward giving her raw meaty bone when away at a conference or somewhere like that!
Is it possible to feed her both cooked and raw? Would this upset her digestion? My friend's Labs, fed on dry food, get diarrhoea when given too many meaty bones.
I read the article on organic food in your magazine this month (we ourselves eat organic food ). I was thinking of the Orijen pet food plus some chicken wings and meaty bones.
Perhaps you could advise me also about Nature's Choice. Would that be easy to feed not at home?
Thank you!
Liz Brownlee, by email
Richard Allport, alternative vet, says...
While I am a strong advocate of a healthy raw food diet, there is no reason why you shouldn’t sometimes feed a good quality commercial food. Orijen. Lily’s Kitchen, Fish4Dogs, Prize Choice, Nature’s Menu, Darlings Real Dog Food, are all good examples (there are others).
Some of these (like Lily’s Kitchen, Orijen and Fish4dogs) are wet or dry processed food, but of sufficient quality of ingredients to be totally acceptable as a back up to a raw food diet. Some (like Darlings and Prize Choice) are packs of raw food, either ready to be frozen or already frozen. As long as you have access to a fridge when you are away, these would be ideal.
Natures Choice is a kibble with quite a high proportion of rice; the protein source is turkey meal. While better than many dry foods I’m not certain I’d recommend it as a suitable alternative. I’m not sure if you are confusing this with other similar named foods such as Natural Choice, Prize Choice, Natural Balance and so on. The only complicated thing about natural feeding is the confusing names of the various foods out there in the market place!
Catherine O'Driscoll, Canine Health Concern, says...
It’s wonderful to hear that you will be repaying your service dog with real food. This will keep her healthy and extend your partnership for many years to come – and you’ll be unlikely to waste a lot of time at the vets, treating illnesses that come from malnutrition. So good choice!
Depending on how long your conferences last, you could put frozen chicken wings in a cooler box and they’ll be good for a few days. When we travel with Edward, we also include blocks of frozen Darlings pet food – this is good quality raw meat mixed with some vegetables, herbs and vitamins, so it’s ready to go (http:www.darlingsrealdogfood.com).
Some hotels will allow you to put frozen food in their freezers, so it’s worth asking. We also find that most places have a supermarket or butchers nearby, so if you run out of the frozen stocks you’ve brought with you, it’s possible to nip to the shops.
However, if your conference is in Timbuktu, Nature’s Choice is a good stop-gap. You only have to open the package and tip
it in a dish. Although feeding dogs raw might seem daunting at first, it seems very easy once you get in the swing.
As for changing the food and upsetting your dog’s digestion, I have always fed my dogs a variety of foods, including
leftovers from my own meals. Maybe getting them used to a variety of food when they’re young has helped. Some dogs,
though, are allergic to certain foodstuffs, which might be the case with your friend’s Labradors (although this is unusual
for Labs). I’d want to know more about them before drawing any conclusions on this.
Good luck, and wishing you many happy years with your new friend.
Jackie Marriott, UK Raw Meaty Bones www.ukrmb.co.uk, says...
It may well be tricky for you to feed your dog raw food, because I suspect that those who train the dog will refuse to feed her raw and may well insist that she isn’t, once she’s handed back to you, her guardian. I suppose that depends on the organisation - I have been informed that Canine Partners for Independence will not allow their dogs to be fed raw, neither will Guide Dogs for the Blind.
However, to give some general advice. It’s best not to mix raw with cooked/processed, because of possible digestive issues. As our name implies, we recommend feeding raw meaty bones...that is, large lumps of meat wrapped around a small amount of bone, plus some organ meat.
We recommend feeding large pieces, so that the dog really has to work at the food and in the process, gives the teeth and gums a good cleaning at every mealtime. Clean teeth and gums are paramount to the health of pet carnivores.
Chicken wings are very boney, offer very little teeth cleaning as they are eaten in seconds and may pose a choking hazard for larger dogs. They are only really suitable for cats and toy dogs. For larger dogs we recommend joints of meat, rabbits, whole chickens, turkey drumsticks, cuts of pork, lamb neck, lamb shoulder etc plus some organ meat, especially liver and for smaller dogs chicken quarters, chicken drums, lamb shanks and smaller joints of meat, again with some organ meat.
Natures Choice and Orijen are just brands of processed pet food and in our opinion no better or worse than any other. The ingredients are cooked, so in our opinion are entirely in the wrong form and consistency - and particularly with Natures Choice, many of the ingredients are completely unsuitable to feed to a pet carnivore.
I think you need to do some research before jumping in at the deep end! I would suggest you read either (or both) of Tom Lonsdale’s books - “Raw Meaty Bones’ and “Work Wonders”. I’d also recommend you have a look at http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html as that site provides a huge amount of knowledge and information which you may well need at some stage, to answer the doubters and to defend your feeding choices, especially to members of the veterinary profession! Obviously check our site out too:)
http://www.ukrmb.co.uk
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/RawMeatyBones
I would like to be able to feed her a raw food diet as it seems the most natural to me... but as she will be with me everywhere, it would be awkward giving her raw meaty bone when away at a conference or somewhere like that!
Is it possible to feed her both cooked and raw? Would this upset her digestion? My friend's Labs, fed on dry food, get diarrhoea when given too many meaty bones.
I read the article on organic food in your magazine this month (we ourselves eat organic food ). I was thinking of the Orijen pet food plus some chicken wings and meaty bones.
Perhaps you could advise me also about Nature's Choice. Would that be easy to feed not at home?
Thank you!
Liz Brownlee, by email
Richard Allport, alternative vet, says...
While I am a strong advocate of a healthy raw food diet, there is no reason why you shouldn’t sometimes feed a good quality commercial food. Orijen. Lily’s Kitchen, Fish4Dogs, Prize Choice, Nature’s Menu, Darlings Real Dog Food, are all good examples (there are others).
Some of these (like Lily’s Kitchen, Orijen and Fish4dogs) are wet or dry processed food, but of sufficient quality of ingredients to be totally acceptable as a back up to a raw food diet. Some (like Darlings and Prize Choice) are packs of raw food, either ready to be frozen or already frozen. As long as you have access to a fridge when you are away, these would be ideal.
Natures Choice is a kibble with quite a high proportion of rice; the protein source is turkey meal. While better than many dry foods I’m not certain I’d recommend it as a suitable alternative. I’m not sure if you are confusing this with other similar named foods such as Natural Choice, Prize Choice, Natural Balance and so on. The only complicated thing about natural feeding is the confusing names of the various foods out there in the market place!
Catherine O'Driscoll, Canine Health Concern, says...
It’s wonderful to hear that you will be repaying your service dog with real food. This will keep her healthy and extend your partnership for many years to come – and you’ll be unlikely to waste a lot of time at the vets, treating illnesses that come from malnutrition. So good choice!
Depending on how long your conferences last, you could put frozen chicken wings in a cooler box and they’ll be good for a few days. When we travel with Edward, we also include blocks of frozen Darlings pet food – this is good quality raw meat mixed with some vegetables, herbs and vitamins, so it’s ready to go (http:www.darlingsrealdogfood.com).
Some hotels will allow you to put frozen food in their freezers, so it’s worth asking. We also find that most places have a supermarket or butchers nearby, so if you run out of the frozen stocks you’ve brought with you, it’s possible to nip to the shops.
However, if your conference is in Timbuktu, Nature’s Choice is a good stop-gap. You only have to open the package and tip
it in a dish. Although feeding dogs raw might seem daunting at first, it seems very easy once you get in the swing.
As for changing the food and upsetting your dog’s digestion, I have always fed my dogs a variety of foods, including
leftovers from my own meals. Maybe getting them used to a variety of food when they’re young has helped. Some dogs,
though, are allergic to certain foodstuffs, which might be the case with your friend’s Labradors (although this is unusual
for Labs). I’d want to know more about them before drawing any conclusions on this.
Good luck, and wishing you many happy years with your new friend.
Jackie Marriott, UK Raw Meaty Bones www.ukrmb.co.uk, says...
It may well be tricky for you to feed your dog raw food, because I suspect that those who train the dog will refuse to feed her raw and may well insist that she isn’t, once she’s handed back to you, her guardian. I suppose that depends on the organisation - I have been informed that Canine Partners for Independence will not allow their dogs to be fed raw, neither will Guide Dogs for the Blind.
However, to give some general advice. It’s best not to mix raw with cooked/processed, because of possible digestive issues. As our name implies, we recommend feeding raw meaty bones...that is, large lumps of meat wrapped around a small amount of bone, plus some organ meat.
We recommend feeding large pieces, so that the dog really has to work at the food and in the process, gives the teeth and gums a good cleaning at every mealtime. Clean teeth and gums are paramount to the health of pet carnivores.
Chicken wings are very boney, offer very little teeth cleaning as they are eaten in seconds and may pose a choking hazard for larger dogs. They are only really suitable for cats and toy dogs. For larger dogs we recommend joints of meat, rabbits, whole chickens, turkey drumsticks, cuts of pork, lamb neck, lamb shoulder etc plus some organ meat, especially liver and for smaller dogs chicken quarters, chicken drums, lamb shanks and smaller joints of meat, again with some organ meat.
Natures Choice and Orijen are just brands of processed pet food and in our opinion no better or worse than any other. The ingredients are cooked, so in our opinion are entirely in the wrong form and consistency - and particularly with Natures Choice, many of the ingredients are completely unsuitable to feed to a pet carnivore.
I think you need to do some research before jumping in at the deep end! I would suggest you read either (or both) of Tom Lonsdale’s books - “Raw Meaty Bones’ and “Work Wonders”. I’d also recommend you have a look at http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html as that site provides a huge amount of knowledge and information which you may well need at some stage, to answer the doubters and to defend your feeding choices, especially to members of the veterinary profession! Obviously check our site out too:)
http://www.ukrmb.co.uk
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/RawMeatyBones
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Walking the dog - what to wear - and where to walk?
I am new to dog ownership and I am fast realising my wardrobe is completely unsuitable for all-terrain all-weather dog walking!
I need some suggestions as to where to go to find stylish dog walking clothing that is practical and gorgeous in equal measure! I have my dog with me all day - so I need something that is smart casual enough to be good for work and walking!
Also - footwear! I really don't want to have to wear Wellies. Are there any less clunky alternatives?
And any good books, websites on best places to walk?
I travel quite a bit in my work and my lovely Jack Russell will be coming with me - so
would love to have some places to look for good places to walk, dog friendly pubs etc.
Hannah Quinn, London
I need some suggestions as to where to go to find stylish dog walking clothing that is practical and gorgeous in equal measure! I have my dog with me all day - so I need something that is smart casual enough to be good for work and walking!
Also - footwear! I really don't want to have to wear Wellies. Are there any less clunky alternatives?
And any good books, websites on best places to walk?
I travel quite a bit in my work and my lovely Jack Russell will be coming with me - so
would love to have some places to look for good places to walk, dog friendly pubs etc.
Hannah Quinn, London
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