April 2010
Shortage of Immiticide for Canine Heartworm Treatment
On December 1, 2009, Merial published an open letter to veterinarians, announcing a shortage of Immiticide (melarsomine dihydrochloride), the only drug licensed for use in treating heartworm infestations in dogs. The shortage is due to a manufacturing site transfer. The company expressed hope that the shortage will not persist beyond the first quarter of this year.
Detecting Canine Anal Sac Problems
Subscribers Only Anal sacs are located on either side of your dog’s anus, between the external and internal sphincter muscles. Depending on the dog, they range in size from that of pea to a lima bean. Sebaceous glands within the lining secrete a foul-smelling liquid. Under normal circumstances, the sacs empty on their own during bowel movements via a pair of ducts. This natural, routine emptying serves as a means of olfactory communication and establishing territory. Each dog possesses his own unique scent, which is why ritualized dog-to-dog greetings include copious rear-end sniffing. When a dog presents his rear for information gathering, the muscle movements involved in raising the tail apply pressure to the sac, prompting the release of additional scent.
Canine Sports: Herding Competitions
Subscribers Only Fetch. Drive. Flank. Come-bye. Go-bye. Way to me. Outruns. Flight zones. Pressure point. That’ll do! The sport of herding has a unique vocabulary that distinguishes it from all the other canine sports. In addition to basic obedience cues such as sit, down, stay, and come, dogs are trained to respond to cues that tell them when to start moving livestock, in which direction to move them, when to stop moving them, when and how to move them into pens, and how to use their physical presence to pressure the stock to move but not to scare them into running or stampeding. There is dirt, there is dust, there is livestock that can break bones and bruise a body, and there is livestock poop. And herding teams love it all.
Canine Kidney Stone and Bladder Stone Prevention
Humans aren't the only ones who get kidney and bladder stones. Our dogs develop these painful and dangerous conditions, too. But much of what is said and done about canine urinary tract stone disease (also known as bladder stones, urolithiasis, urinary stones, ureteral stones, urinary calculi, ureteral calculi, or urinary calculus disease), including its causes and treatment, is either incorrect, ineffective, or potentially harmful. Here's the information you need in order to make informed decisions on behalf of your best friend. Veterinary studies conducted around the world on millions of urinary stones show similar demographics. Although kidney and bladder stones can afflict dogs of both sexes, all breeds, and all ages, those at greatest risk are small, female, between the ages of 4 and 8, and prone to bladder infections.
Multi-Dog Household Aggression
Knowledgeable dog people are quite aware that not all dogs get along with each other, despite the fact that canis lupus familiaris (domestic dog) is a social species. Hey, we humans are a social species, and we certainly don't all get along! Dog-dog aggression is unhappily common in our world. As a professional behavior consultant who works with aggression cases, I probably see more than my fair share of it. By far the most difficult and most distressing presentations of dog-dog aggression are intra-pack aggression cases: dogs in the same family who aren't getting along with each other. I've had a spate of these clients in recent weeks. Even our own Lucy and Missy, a Cardigan Corgi and Australian Shepherd who don't always get along seamlessly, seem to have experienced an increase in relationship tensions this winter.
HSUS Now Selling Vegetarian Dog Food
Earlier this year, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) entered the pet food market with its “Humane Choice” brand of organic vegetarian dog food. According to the product’s marketing materials, the impetus for the move was “to give pet guardians an option to feed their dogs a complete and balanced food that is also sustainably grown and helps us in our work to combat inhumane factory farm practices.”
Walking An Excited Dog
Good things come to those who wait – and they come even sooner to those who help! You’d never guess from this photo that this young dog is active and obsessed with tennis balls. She’s learned well that in order to go out and play, she must remain absolutely calm while her harness is put on.
You contemplate taking your dog for a walk with mixed emotions. You love the idea of going for a companionable stroll through the neighborhood together, but it’s a major hassle to get out the door. When you pick up his leash he becomes the Tasmanian Devil – body slamming you, racing around the foyer, and bouncing off the plate glass door with such intensity you’re afraid he’ll crash right through it.
It Takes A Lot of Work
A neighborhood acquaintance recently asked me for training advice regarding her year-old mixed-breed dog, whose major sins are pulling on leash and jumping on people. She sounded like she was at the end of her rope with the dog. But after about the first minute of my recommendations, she interrupted me to comment, with dismay, “Oh my, you make it sound like so much work!”
