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Internal Organ View	Chicken Jerky Warning	Hypoglycemia	Help with Veterinary Costs
Puppy Milk Replacement	Collapsing Trachea	Kennel Cough	Water & Dog Behavior
Natural Ear Cleaner Recipe	Dog's Temperature	Liver Shunt	Pain Assessment /Virtual Chart
Tail Docking	Taping Ears	Iron Toxicity	Developmental Stages
Skunk Spray Remedy - Paul Krebaum	Should I spay during a C-Section

WATER & WAYS IT AFFECTS DOG BEHAVIOR

People have long been advised to restrict a dog’s water during housetraining. The idea is to keep the dog from needing to urinate at times you aren’t going to let the dog out to do so. That advice needs a new look.

The complications of not providing adequate water are too great to ignore. Depriving a dog of water to aid housetraining is just too risky. It probably doesn’t work anyway, since the dog will have to try to make up for the missing water by drinking more at other times. If a dog drinks too much at once, that can cause physical problems, too, such as diarrhea, bloat, vomiting, and the housetraining accidents you were trying to avoid.

Many breeds have kidney problems. Some people with dogs live in housing without air conditioning, or don’t keep it running during the day when the people are out but the dog is home. Some dogs are crated for many hours where they will have no access to water unless it is in the crate.

The body sends waste products out through the kidneys and intestines. Water not only transports these products out of the body, but also keeps the kidneys and urinary tract cleaned to reduce the risk of infection and stone formation. Water mixed with intestinal contents helps prevent constipation.

The moral of the story is that dogs need water available as much of the time as possible. Unless your veterinarian gives specific directions on limiting your dog’s water, don’t do it. In the long run, housetraining will be the better for it, as will the dog’s health and other concerns, such as anxiety when left home alone. Imagine being thirsty for several hours every day when your body so critically needs water. This is not something we want our dogs to have to endure.

IRON TOXICITY

Iron is a chemical element that is normally important to red blood cell production in the body. It is found in a variety of supplements and vitamins. Iron toxicity typically occurs after accidental ingestion of the supplements or from overdoses of supplements.

Iron comes in a variety of forms and is indicated by the word Ferrous, meaning "containing iron." These formulations
of iron are generally found in oral iron supplements. The forms of iron that may result in toxicity are:

Ferrous fumarate
Ferrous sulfate
Ferric phosphate
Ferrous carbonate

Toxic levels of iron cause damage to the stomach and intestinal lining. It can also cause severe liver damage and heart damage. Iron toxicity is extremely dangerous for dogs. It can make the dog go into shock or a coma. It can also damage the dog's digestive system, liver, heart and cells.

Pets are more easily affected by iron overdoses than people because they do not have a way to excrete excessive iron from their bodies.

YOUR DOG'S NORMAL TEMPERATURE

A dogs normal temperature ranges from 99.5 to 102.2 Fahrenheit. An excited or nervous dog might have an elevated temperature, but it should not exceed 103.5.

INTERNAL ORGAN VIEWS

HELP WITH VETERINARY CARE

Healthy dog care

COLLAPSING TRACHEA

Collapsing Trachea PowerPoint Presentation from Dr. Bohling

LIVER SHUNT

Liver Shunt- PowerPoint Presentation from Dr. Tobias

HYPOGLYCEMIA

Hypoglycemia is difficult to diagnose even for veterinarians. Many puppies are lost unnecessarily simply because breeders know too little about it. Hypoglycemia is a metabolic disorder and death will result, unless properly diagnosed and cared for immediately. If the case is severe, the level of the blood sugar must be raised at once and the stress condition treated. Hypoglycemia usually affects tiny toy breeds and most of them outgrow this danger by 6 months of age. However, it can happen to a tiny dog even as an adult and careful attention must be paid to the diet of any toy dog.

Puppies are subject to this as well as mature toy breeds. In the mature dog, it usually when it is subjected to STRESS. It usually occurs in puppies from 4 to 5 months of age. This condition can be Brought on by stress or shock of some form.

Some stressful conditions:

Exposure to low room temperatures for a period of time or sleeping in drafts.
A puppy refuses to eat for over a period of 8 hours due to change of home and/or food.
Over-handling of young puppies and not letting them get enough rest/sleep.

Signs of Hypoglycemia

Puppy will appear limp and lifeless with the gums and tongue grayish blue in color.
Often the eyes are unfocused and barely open. They may appear to be slightly sunken in.
Temperature will be sub-normal and may shiver or tremble in the early stages.

As the conditions worsens:

Puppy either goes into a coma or convulsions.
Unless properly diagnosed and cared for immediately, death will result.

A veterinary's recommendations:

5-10 cc of a 5% solution of dextrose with added B-12. This is given subcutaneously as it provides a longer lasting action. Sometimes an injection for shock and stress may be given. Many Vets use a form of cortosteroid for the stress factor. It is produced under many trade names, but your Vet will be sure to have it on hand.
When injections are given in time, the puppy may regain consciousness promptly. If the seizure is bad or not cared for in time, the puppy may remain in a coma for days. When this happens you must feed him, keep him warm and quiet and watch for proper eliminations.

The bowels can move without help, but an older puppy may struggle to try and stand to eliminate. Check carefully for the urine because the puppy could be in trouble if the kidneys cease to function. Make sure you keep the area clean. Use a cotton ball soaked with warm water if the puppy is comatose.

Keep a Glucose Solution of honey, sugar or corn syrup with equal amounts of water ready to feed with a syringe - 10 cc, 4 times a day.

When hypoglycemia is caught in time, there is no reason why a puppy won't come out of it and never have it again if the stress factor is eliminated.

KENNEL COUGH

Kennel cough is an airborne virus, which can be carried in aerosol droplets fromt he discharge of an infected animal's sneezse or cough or via direct contact with another infected animal. Kennel cough can produce a number of symptoms including a dry, hacking cough, gagging responses, sneezing and when the virus progresses, can result in fever, nasal discharge and the coughing up of mucus. Without treatment, kennel cough can escalate into a very serious infection or even pneumonia.

Effectively handling kennel cough is much easier when treatment is administered soon after the initial development of symptoms. There are several well known and very efficient homeopathic treatments. For cleaning the home without harsh chemicals, I like using a mixture of 1/3 salt water, 1/3 water and 1/3 hydrogen peroxide. The saltwater kills bacteria and the hydrogen proxide is great for germs.

A natural recipe for kennel cough: sterilize ll the water bowls and apply 3 drops of the 3% peroxide with 2 teaspoons of honey for each 8 oz. glass and fill the water bowls. Kennel cough testimonials for this recipe.

CHICKEN JERKEY WARNINGS - FDA (The ones made in China)

December 19, 2008

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to caution consumers of a potential association between the development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products also described as chicken tenders, strips or treats. FDA continues to receive complaints of dogs experiencing illness that their owners or veterinarians associate with consumption of chicken jerky products. The chicken jerky products are imported to the U.S. from China. FDA issued a cautionary warning to consumers in September 2007.

Australian news organizations report the University of Sydney is also investigating an association between illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky in Australia. At least one firm in Australia has recalled their chicken jerky product and the recall notification stated the chicken jerky product was manufactured in China.

FDA believes the continued trend of consumer complaints coupled with the information obtained from Australia warrants an additional reminder and animal health notification.

Chicken jerky products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are intended to be used occasionally and in small quantities. Owners of small dogs must be especially careful to limit the amount of these products.

FDA, in addition to several veterinary diagnostic laboratories in the U.S, is working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA has conducted extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified any contaminant.

FDA is advising consumers who choose to feed their dogs chicken jerky products to watch their dogs closely for any or all of the following signs which may occur within hours to days of feeding the product: decreased appetite, although some may continue to consume the treats to the exclusion of other foods; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; and increased water consumption and/or increased urination. If the dog shows any of these signs, stop feeding the chicken jerky product. Owners should consult their veterinarian if signs are severe or persist for more than 24 hours. Blood tests may indicate kidney failure (increased urea nitrogen and creatinine). Urine tests may indicate Fanconi syndrome (increased glucose). Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports to the FDA have involved dogs that have died.

The FDA continues to actively investigate the problem. Many of the illnesses reported may be the result of causes other than eating chicken jerky. Veterinarians and consumers alike should report cases of animal illness associated with pet foods to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator. http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html in their state.

Original link for chicken jerky.

EAR CLEANER

Even better than any antibiotic. (IMO) I use the witch hazel myself. Clears up an infection better than the vet scripts I have tried.

16 oz. bottle isopropyl alcohol (or witch hazel)
4 tablespoons Boric Acid Powder<
16 drops Gentian Violet 1% Solution

Mix all ingredients in the alcohol bottle & shake. (make sure you shake before every application) .

Treatment: Fill ear with solution & massage gently for 30 seconds and wipe with a tissue. Fill a second time and just wipe without massaging. The dog will shake the excess out. Be careful, the Gentian Violet could stain. I use a eye dropper to fill the ear.

Treatment: 2 times per day for the first 2 weeks
1 time per day for the next 2 weeks
1 time per month thereafter

If you are concerned about the alcohol burning the inside of the ear (it could if the dog has been scratching its ear), then you can substitute the alcohol with witch hazel.

All ingredients are available at a pharmacy. The Boric Acid is usually in the First Aid section where you find the alcohol. The Gentian Violet will be the hardest to find and may need to be special ordered.

PAIN ASSESSMENT

Posture - Tail between legs, arched or hunched back, twisted body to protect painful site, drooped head, prolonged sitting position, tucked abdomen, lying in a flat, extended position. Temperament - Aggressive, clawing, attacking, biting, escaping if painful area is touched or handled. Vocalization - Barking, howling, moaning, whimpering are occasionally seen: many times painful pets will not make any noise. Locomotion - Reluctant to move, carrying one leg, lameness, unusual gait, unable or unwilling to walk or move. Other Unable or unwilling to perform normal tasks, attacks or withdraws from other animals or people, inappetance.

0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Pain Free		Hurts a Little		Hurts a little more		Hurts even more		Hurts a whole lot		Hurts like crazy!

0 = No Pain: Dog is displaying normal behavior, running, playing, eating, jumping, walking normally. Affectionate response to caregiver. Normal heart rate. Grooming normally.

1 = Probably No Pain: Dog appears to be normal, but condition is not as clear cut as above. Heart rate may be normal or slightly increased due to excitement.

2 = Mild Discomfort: Dog still eats and sleeps but may not dream. May limp slightly, have difficulty jumping or rising, or resist palpation of a surgical wound or arthritic joint but otherwise shows no other signs of discomfort. Not depressed. There may be a slight increase in respiratory rate: heart rate may/may not be increased. Dogs continue to wag their tails during interaction with caregiver. May need an analgesic.

3 = Mild Pain or Discomfort: Dog limps, has difficulty rising, seems sore after exercise or ties easily. Dog guards incision, or the abdomen may be slightly tucked up if abdominal surgery was performed. May look slightly depressed. Cannot get comfortable or may tremble or shake. Appears to be interested in food and may eat small amounts or be somewhat picky. This level of pain is common with arthritis. (NEVER give Tylenol or Ibuprofen to pets!)

4 = Mild to Moderate Pain: Pain is mild to moderate with the dog resisting touch at the operative site or injured area. May have a painful abdomen, or pain when stretching legs. May look, lick, or chew at the painful area. The Dog may sit or lie in an abnormal position and not look relaxed. may tremble or shake. May or may not appear interested in food. May start to eat and then stop after one or two bites. Respiratory rate may be increased or shallow. May whimper, may be slow to rise or unable to jump up or may let the tail hang down. There may be no weight bearing or only a toe touch on a surgical limb. Will be somewhat depressed in response to the caregiver.

6 = Increased Moderate Pain: Dog may vocalize or whine frequently without provocation and when attempting to move. Heart rate may be increased. Respiratory rate may be increased or breathing may appear deeper. Pupils may be dilated. Aggressive pain management is needed.

7 = Moderate to Severe Pain: includes signs from levels 5 and 6. Dog is very depressed and not concerned with its surroundings but usually responds to direct voice. The dog urinates or defecates without attempting to move. May cry out spontaneously or continually whimper. Occasionally, an animal at level 7 does not vocalize. Aggressive pain management is needed, pain is compromising pet's health and prognosis for recovery.

8 = Severe Pain: Signs as for level 7. Vocalizing may be more of a feature, or the patient is so consumed with pain that it does not notice another presence and just lies there. With severe trauma the dog may not be able to move or cry due to the increased pain caused by that activity and, therefore, remains motionless and extremely depressed. The dog may thrash around in the cage intermittently. With some traumatic or neurologic pain, the patient may scream when approached. Treatment is essential!

9 = Severe to Excruciating Pain: As in level 8, but dog is hyperesthetic (extremely touch sensitive). When any part of the body in proximity to the wound, injury, etc. is touched, the dog trembles involuntarily due to severe inflammatory pain. This degree of pain can cause death.

10 = Almost Comatose: As in level 9, but dog emits piercing screams or is nearly comatose. The dog is hyperesthetic/hyperalgesic (everything hurts). The whole body is trembling, and pain is elicited wherever the patient is touched. This degree of pain can cause death.

This document was partially plagiarized from Pfizer's "Managing Pain in Dogs and Cats, Small Mammals and Birds."

TAIL DOCKING

I use the banding method of docking tails as opposed to cutting. If you cut, there is a chance to cause damage to the tail structurally. You would also need a very steady hand and the ability to stitch. I use a rubber band about 1/16th inches wide cut in half. Wrap around the tail (you may want a second set of hands helping) and pull tightly. Make a second knot and clip rubber band tails off, so mother or other puppies don't mess with them. Tie the band tight at about 1/8th inch or slightly more above the top of the gold color into the black of the tail. The tail grows but the band restricts blood flow and the tail simply dies and falls off. No pain and no fuss. It usually take 3 - 5 days.

EAR TAPING

Make sure the puppy is in a safe place where if he were to wiggle away from you, he cannot get hurt from a fall. They will not hold still for this. Yorkie ears should stand erect and hopefully at 11 and 1 (like a clock). The ears should be shaved at least 1/3 or more depending on the heaviness of the coat. It will be the coat weight that makes the ears flop. I use the cream colored masking tape no more than an inch wide. You might want to even reduce the width of the tape depending upon the size of the Yorkie's ears.

Hold the ears straight and gently fold "B" in half toward "C" but not too tight. See illustration Place masking tape around the ear to form a "cone shape". Put your little finger inside the ear to make sure ear canal is not completely closed. Air needs to circulate. Do this for both ears. The final step is to make a bridge between the two ears. This is illustrated in "D". You will be overlapping the already placed tape. The tape may only stay on a couple of days. The outcome is to have erect Yorkie ears. Repeat taping as necessary. If tape stays on, leave on for 5 - 6 days, but change weekly if you have stubborn ears. Even if ears stand tape for an additional week to make sure.

To change tape, simply but carefully slip a very small pair of scissors up behind the tape from the back of the ears and cut the tape up the back. Gently pull the tape away from the ears. Let ears stand without tape for up to 24 hours then repeat taping.

DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES FOR PUPPIES

0 – 2 weeks = Neonatal
Most influenced by their mother.
Touch and taste present at birth.

2 – 4 weeks = Transitional
Most influenced by their mother and littermates.
Eyes open, teeth erupt, hearing and smell developing.
Beginning to stand, walk a little, wag, bark.
By four or five weeks, sight is well developed.

2 – 12 weeks = Socialization
During this period, puppies need opportunities to meet other dogs and people.
By four to six weeks they’re most influenced by their littermates and are learning about being a dog.
From four to 12 weeks they’re most influenced by their littermates and people. They’re also learning to play, including social skills, inhibited bite, social structure/ranking and physical coordination.
By three to five weeks they’re developing curiosity and exploring new experiences. They need positive “people” experiences during this time.

By 7 to 9 weeks
They’re refining their physical skills/coordination (including housetraining) and full use of senses.
By eight to ten weeks they experience real fear – when puppies can be alarmed by normal objects and experiences and need positive training.

By 9 to 12 weeks they’re refining reactions, social skills (appropriate interactions) with littermates and are exploring the environment, spaces and objects. Beginning to focus on people. This is a good time to begin training.

3– 6 months = Ranking
Most influenced by “littermates” (playmates now include those of other species).
Beginning to see and use ranking (dominate and submissive) within the pack, including humans.
Teething (and associated chewing).
At four months they experience another fear stage.

6 – 18 months = Adolescence
Most influenced by human and dog “pack” members
At seven to nine months they go through a second chewing phase – part of exploring territory.
Heightened exploration of dominance, including challenging humans.
If not spayed or neutered, beginnings of sexual behavior.

The chart above provides general guidelines for the stages of development.

PUPPY MILK REPLACEMENT
Myra Savant Harris' greatest puppy milk replacement

1 cup liver water (or substitute canned low sodium beef broth)
1 can evaporated Goat's milk (substitute evaporated cow's milk) DO NOT DILUTE (you can get this at vitacost.com for about $2.89 currently) There is a difference between evaporated and regular goats milk. Use evaporated milk.
1 cup whole fat, live culture yogurt
2 raw egg yolks
1 tablespoon of mayo or canola oil
1 teaspoon Karo or corn syrup
1 teaspoon of baby vitamins

Place all in a blender and blend until completely missed. Pour formula into ice cube trays and freeze. When the cubes are frozen, place in heavy weight freezer bags. At each feeding, take enough cubes to make a feeding, place them into a plastic bag with a zip lock and warm to 95 to 96 degrees (lukewarm). 10 to 12 calories per cc. No diarrhea or constipation with this formula.

SKUNK SPRAY REMEMDY Paul Krebaum 1 qt (or liter) of 3/% hydrogen peroxide Use fresh unopened bottle. Eventually hydrogen peroxide turns to water H₂O. 1/4 cup (50 ml) of baking soda 1 teaspoon (5 ml) liquid soap 1 pair of plastic or Latex gloves Bathe dog outside if possible. If not, use the bathroom with the door closed and a window open. Combine the ingredients in an open container. DO NOT STORE in a sealed bottle because it will EXPLODE. Using gloves, wash your dog with lukewarm water and the mixture while the mixture is bubbling. Work the mixture well into the future. Be sure to concentrate on the area that was sprayed. Keep mixture AWAY FROM YOUR DOG'S face and eyes. If your dog got sprayed in the face, try Tricotine Liquid Douche Concentrate or any over the counter douche. And or use vanilla extract around the eyes. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes or so before rinsing off. Rinse the dog with lukewarm tap water. Don't rinse the mixture into your dog's eyes. Use a washcloth to cover the eyes if you're rinsing the head. After bathing, check your dog's eyes. IF they are red and watering, your dog may have taken a direct hit in the face. Skunk spray won't blind the dog, but it's very painful. Contact a vet. WARNINGS: Do not store mixed mixture! Avoid getting mixture in or near the dog's eye area.

SHOULD I SPAY DURING A C-SECTION This is a very good question and the response is for normal circumstances of "should I spay her while she is already under anesthesia"? There seem to be more vets that would spay than would not. I have learned from a very knowledgeable breeder that has a network of breeders of various breeds that have pooled their information and knowledge that gives us the answer to the the reason for not spaying during a c-section is - the blood supply is being cut off from too many areas at once because of the puppies that were there and then removing the internal organs for spaying is just way too much of a shock to their little system. It also increases the risk of bleeding by about 300%. Now the argument can be made that people have been doing this for years, blah blah. That could have been more of the exception than the rule. Consequences have seem to be that the the bitch doesn't bounce back like she was before the surgery. Possibly more trips to the vet for maybe antibiotics, fluids and such that don't seem to do any good. In my opinion, why even take the extra risk?