Some pregnant dogs will also produce an enormous amount of colostrum and milk by this time. This causes her nipples to be easily expressed. However, just because your dog is expressing milk from it’s nipples it does not necessarily mean that she is going to whelp soon. It could simply be the result of abdominal pressure from the pregnancy.

Using Temperature As A Reading Of Impending Whelping

Many dog breeders prefer to depend on a matron’s temperature to determine whether they are soon to whelp. It is a method that has been used for many years. However it is somewhat controversial due to many veterinarians who are adamant that temperature readings may not be accurate.

A dog’s temperature is normally ranged between 100° and 102°. When dog breeders want to use temperature as a way to notify them that pups may be on the way, they look for a sudden drop in temperature of about 2° to 3°. The reason why many veterinarians and dog breeders do not agree with this method is because the pregnant dog is prone to erratic temperature changes during the last week of carrying.

If you insist on using temperature as a way to notify you of impending whelping then be sure to keep accurate records of your dogs temperature as her due date approaches. By keeping meticulous records of the history of your dog’s temperature, you can better determine of whether the sudden drop in temperature is a real sign that she is going to give birth or if it is a false alarm. And as always, if there is a sudden increase or decrease of temperature that is out of the normal range, call your veterinarian immediately for further investigation.

Why should you prepare nutritionally before your dog is even pregnant? Most of the time female dogs will not even show signs of being pregnant until a least five weeks. By supplementing vitamins and minerals and other nutrients to her diet as a standard practice, you are assuring that her body is getting everything it needs during that time that you did not know she was pregnant. Those 4-5 weeks are vital to supplying good nutrition to the litter.

Your pregnant dog may go through periods of time when she does not want to eat. She will enter into a hunger strike that can last for days and days at a time. The good news is that this is a normal characteristic of a female who is experiencing major hormonal changes. Unfortunately, even missing one or two meals can be detrimental to the dogs health. This is where supplementation can really make a difference.

Although it is not recommended to replace food with vitamin pills and powders, it is definitely a benefit to be able to add whatever vitamins and minerals she is missing from her hunger fasts. For those times when she’s not eating it is totally acceptable to replace for normal food with something a little more enticing, such as a dog treat, and mix it with the appropriate supplementation powders.

Consider feeding your dog raspberry leaves. While it may seem like a new natural health supplement idea, this is actually an old health practice that has gone on for ages. Many old-timers who were successful dog breeders would chop up raspberry leaves so that they’re pregnant dogs would eat them with their food.

What do raspberry leaves do? It is said that raspberry leaves will help your pregnant dog to keep up with the proper amount of contractions needed for a proper delivery. Whether or not this will truly help your dog, you can do no harm by adding this plant to your dog’s diet. You can find raspberry leaves in dried form in almost any health food store.

Yes, it is quite acceptable to crush your dogs tablets if needed. However, you must be careful not to minimize the effects of the particular supplement in question. In other words, some vitamin and mineral supplements are time released and these time released capabilities only last if the tablet is intact. So if you crush up a time-release supplement and feed it to your dog mixed with her food, you may be diminishing the effects by as much as 80%.

Your best bet is to go out and purchase a powder form so that you can rest assured that your dog is getting the appropriate dosage and experiencing the intended nutritional effect in her system. Remember, your dog’s health is at stake, especially if she is pregnant.

“Is it possible for my pregnant dog to overdose on a harmless vitamin or mineral supplement?”

First of all, you need to discard the notion that store-bought supplements can be harmless. Regardless of how healthy and normal a supplement may be (like a vitamin for example), there is always a chance of an overdose which may lead to serious illness.

And secondly, to answer your question directly – yes – your dog can overdose if you start the supplementation in higher amounts than her body can handle. Anything that is added to your dog’s diet should be done so in moderation.

Be conservative in dosages in the beginning because if it is overdone, supplementation can be disastrous. To be on the safe side, always give your dog the amount that you would a small 5 or 6 pound dog (like a Chihuahua). Then slowly move up and increase the dosages weekly until you have hit the recommended amounts at the label advises to give your dog at whatever particular size and situation (pregnancy) she is in.

Di-calcium phosphate tablets and vitamin/mineral supplements can be found in most any veterinarian hospital as well as a few specific grocery outlets. Health food stores have been known to carry all types of animal supplements as well.

“How do I know what dosage of supplement to administer to my pregnant dog?”

Every type of additional supplement that can be found for dogs will also have labels that cater towards the pregnant dog. There are many supplements that are specifically designed for matrons as well as puppies. And it is important to know that all prenatal dog supplements undergo thorough lab testing before they are marketed and released on the shelves. You’ll also notice that each label has very specific instructions on how often to give each supplement to your pregnant dog, as well as the dose size at each sitting.

“What forms do these prenatal supplements come in?”

Just like vitamins and minerals for people, prenatal dog supplements are sold in both powder form and tablet form. Many people get overly concerned about which form is better but the truth is that it is an individual choice that depends on the dog and you as the owner. Whether it is power or a tablet, all quality is the same.

Some dogs are just not able to have tablets put in their mouth and swallowed, therefore, mixing a powder in their food can be an easier way. Speaking from personal experience, my Chihuahua has absolutely no problem with gulping down a tablet when I place it in the back of his throat. For this reason alone, I opt for buying tablet forms when it comes to supplements. However, I would have no problem with using powder form if that is what my dog was better at ingesting.

Rabies. Rabies is a scary disease that is spread mainly through the wild animal population in an area. The signs are foaming at the mouth and behavior uncommon to the animal. However, Rabies can be difficult to diagnose and any abnormal behavior in a dog should be viewed with suspicion. Vaccination for Rabies are State of California, Los Angeles County, and City of Long Beach laws.

Canine Distemper. Canine distemper is a disease that attacks the nervous system of a dog. It usually causes death and can affect dogs of all ages. Since puppies are the most common victims of this dreadful disease, the vaccination program every three weeks is designed to help prevent distemper. Distemper is a virus that can develop pneumonia as secondary bacterial infection takes over the body. The distemper virus attacks the brain within a few weeks and death or euthanasia is generally the outcome. Vaccinations are very effective in preventing this disease.

Canine Hepatitis. Canine Hepatitis is a viral disease which affects the liver. Fortunately, Hepatitis is rarely seen to day due to the effectiveness of vaccinations. Most all distemper vaccines are combined with hepatitis vaccine to control most diseases.

Leptospirosis. Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that usually affects the kidneys and other organs of the body. If the kidneys are affected the puppy usually dies. Leptospirosis like hepatitis is not seen often. The bacteria is most often carried in the urine of rats. The disease was seen more often in farm dogs that could be exposed to rat urine. Distemper vaccine does not always have leptospirosis vaccine included.

Parvovirus. Parvovirus is an intestinal virus in dogs. The virus can remain in the area for months and can be transmitted on your shoes or other articles. Your dog does not have to be around a sick puppy to get parvo virus. The symptoms include depression, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. The treatment is aggressive supportive care with I.V. fluids and medicines for vomiting. Without proper veterinary care this disease is most often fatal. Vaccinations are generally very effective in preventing the disease. dogs over one year of age rarely will contract the disease, but vaccinations are recommended as an insurance that the disease will not strike your dog.

Parasites. Intestinal worm checks are tests done on a dog’s bowel movement to see if there are any worm eggs present in the dogs’ body. In South Georgia we see hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, coccidia, tapeworms, and Giardia. Only two of the six worms common to Georgia can be seen without the aid of a microscope. Hookworms can be spread through a dog’s feces or can penetrate the dog’s skin, or travel through the milk to nursing puppies. They attach to a dog’s intestines to feed on the blood. Hookworms can cause major blood loss which is sometimes fatal to puppies. The baby stage of hookworms are called sandworms. These baby worms can penetrate the skin of people and migrate under the skin causing a human health hazard.

Roundworms can be spread for mother to puppies or through soil that has eggs in it. They can cause bloated bellies and diarrhea and vomiting. Roundworms can be transmitted to people also and can cause some serious health problems relating to loss of sight. Whipworms can cause diarrhea, weight loss and dehydration. They are very hard to detect and also to eliminate. Whipworms do not lays eggs very often so they can be overlooked during the worm checks performed by a veterinarian.

Heartworm. Prevention of heartworm disease is very simple. Heartworm preventative for dogs is usually started between 2-3 months of age and the preventative is given once each month for life (a daily heartworm preventative is also available). Heartworm originally was confined to the Southeastern United States, but since heartworms are spread by mosquitoes the parasite has been diagnosed in the Southern California area. Due to our climate in coastal Southern California, the preventative should be given all year long. Heartworms are the most life threatening parasite dogs can have. The microfilia (baby heartworms) are deposited in the dog’s body by a mosquito bite. These baby worms grow and move to the heart where the damage to your pet’s health is done. Symptoms of heartworms do not show up sometimes for years. but early tests performed by your veterinarian will diagnose the disease before much damage is done. Your dog should be on the medication every month for life with once yearly testing to make sure the preventative is doing it’s job.

Again it didn’t come as a surprise to learn that of adults bitten the biggest majority were male.

family-walking-dogs

Dog bites are a largely preventable public health problem, and adults and children can learn to reduce their chances of being bitten.

Before you bring a dog into your household:

* Consult with a professional (e.g., veterinarian, animal behaviorist, or responsible breeder) to learn what breeds of dogs are the best fit for your household.
* Dogs with histories of aggression are not suitable for households with children.
* Be sensitive to cues that a child is fearful or apprehensive about a dog. If a child seems frightened by dogs, wait before bringing a dog into your household.
* Spend time with a dog before buying or adopting it. Use caution when bringing a dog into a household with an infant or toddler.

If you decide to bring a dog into your home:

* Spay/neuter your dog (this often reduces aggressive tendencies).
* Never leave infants or young children alone with a dog.
* Don’t play aggressive games with your dog (e.g., wrestling).
* Properly socialize and train any dog entering your household. Teach the dog submissive behaviors (e.g., rolling over to expose the abdomen and giving up food without growling).
* Immediately seek professional advice (e.g., from veterinarians, animal behaviorists, or responsible breeders) if the dog develops aggressive or undesirable behaviors.

To help prevent children from being bitten by dogs, teach the following basic safety tips and review them regularly:

* Do not approach an unfamiliar dog.
* Do not run from a dog or scream.
* Remain motionless (e.g., “be still like a tree”) when approached by an unfamiliar dog.
* If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still (e.g., “be still like a log”).
* Do not play with a dog unless supervised by an adult.
* Immediately report stray dogs or dogs displaying unusual behavior to an adult.
* Avoid direct eye contact with a dog.
* Do not disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.
* Do not pet a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first.
* If bitten, immediately report the bite to an adult.

But just running inside for a quick errand can be deadly to your pet – even if the weather isn’t all that hot.

In one fatal incident Battle responded to, the temperature was only in the 20s. A woman stopped at home, parked in the shade and came out after what she said was 15 minutes. By the time officers got there, the shade had moved, turning the car into what officer Eve Russell calls “a solar-powered Easy-Bake oven.”

Everyone’s opened a car door and been amazed by how much hotter it is than outside – but you may not realize exactly how hot a car can get. Check out the numbers at the website mydogiscool.com, a program of United Animal Nations. When it’s 22 C, a car in direct sun can reach an internal temperature of 47 C. Even in the shade, a car can be five to 11 degrees hotter than outdoors, and cracking the window has almost no effect.

Veterinarian Cate Rinaldo, a volunteer with United Animal Nations, points out that dogs don’t have sweat glands all over their bodies like humans do, so the main way they can cool off is by panting, which isn’t very efficient.

Once a dog’s body temperature gets over about 41 C – normal temperature is around 38 – the result is “everything from nerve damage, heart problems, liver damage, systemic organ failure, and it happens fast, within a matter of minutes,” she says.

Summer is also vacation season, and the Washington officers are often called to cases where people travelling with their dogs tried to use the car to extend their stay by a few hours.

“They check out of their hotel at noon and they still want to go to the zoo or a museum, and they leave Fluffy in the car,” says officer Ann Russell.

Remember that one more museum isn’t worth the risk to your pet’s life – and that cars are not the only place where dogs can get overheated. Rinaldo says that before she was a vet and knew of the dangers, one of her dogs collapsed from heat exhaustion after playing off-leash on a 24-degree day.

That dog survived, but not all are so lucky. One 32-degree day in the San Bernadino mountains, Andy Hoodward of Orange, Calif., was flagged down by a couple carrying their dog in a backpack.

“The woman explained that they had set out hiking in the morning, but a couple of miles in, the dog had become lethargic, unresponsive and would neither walk nor drink,” says Hoodward.

The couple were also in bad shape, and Hoodward drove them to a ranger’s station, but it was too late for the dog, which died on the trip.

And officers say anyone can be the victim of inattention or miscalculation. Officer Ann Russell tells of one woman who worked with autistic children and was a volunteer guide dog puppy raiser – “the most responsible person you can imagine,” she says. In an emergency with one of the children, the woman accidentally left a puppy in a car and it died.

Even indoors, it can get too hot for some animals. Battle tells of an elderly, overweight beagle that died of heat exhaustion in his own home; sadly, the house did have central air-conditioning but the owners hadn’t left it on since there were no people home.

Be especially careful if you confine your dog to a crate or one area of the house and he’s not free to seek a cooler spot. If you leave your dogs outside, even on a patio or deck, make sure they have shade all day and remember that the sun moves. Use a tarp or awning to shade the spot, and perhaps reconsider whether your dogs might be happier indoors.

“Go out there barefoot and step on the concrete where your dogs are,” says Battle. “It’s not as comfortable as you think it is.”

http://www.mydogiscool.com/

What to do if you see a dog locked in a hot car

What if you see that someone else has left a dog in a hot car?

Humane officers say that in many situations it is perfectly fine to leave a dog in a car, but if you have any doubt about the temperature or whether the animal is in distress, don’t hesitate to call. Zita Macinanti, Director of Humane Law Enforcement at the Washington Humane Society, says that rather than take a chance, “It’s better to waste our time.”

If you don’t know who to call, officers say it’s OK to call 911.

When you call, remember:

-Leave contact information in case officers need more information; being able to contact you can make all the difference in finding the car in time. They will never give out your name, so you don’t need to fear repercussions.

-If you can’t stay, try to find someone local, like a clerk in a nearby store, to notify of the situation so they can direct officers. If you can’t leave a phone number, ask if you can provide the number of the store.

-If you see the owner return and the car leaves, call officers back and let them know so they can attend to other animals that need their help.

Although the dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are partially (red-green) color blind and are not capable of interpreting street signs. The human half of the guide dog team does the directing, based upon skills acquired through previous mobility training. The handler might be likened to an aircraft’s navigator, who must know how to get from one place to another, and the dog is the pilot, who gets them there safely.

In several countries, guide dogs, along with most service and hearing dogs, are exempt from regulations against the presence of animals in places such as restaurants and public transportation.

Potential guide dogs come from various sources. Some organizations breed and raise their own puppies, while some rely on “foster families” to raise the puppies until they are ready for formal training. Also, some dogs are rescued from shelters, although any dog heading for a career as a guide dog must be sound and desensitized to most public situations.

When dogs become old enough to start training, most guide dog “schools” will conduct a test to analyze the dog’s potential for guide dog work. If the dog passes this test, they continue on to harness training, where they learn to help a person move around safely, including such achievements as navigating curbs and avoiding overhead obstacles. The dogs may be taught additional skills, such as retrieving items for their handler.

At the end of approximately two to three months of individual training, visually impaired students that have applied and are accepted begin to work with their own guide dog under the instruction of the school or an individual instructor. When the newly-created team has finished their training, they are certified and released on their own. Depending on the organization, follow-up training to ensure the dog is still doing his or her job may or may not be required.

Guide dogs are usually allowed in stores, on public transportation, and other public places, which might seem to go against rules that strictly prohibit the presence of dogs. Guide dogs are usually allowed in any place that is open to the public. Regulations and policies vary worldwide:

In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits any business, government agency, or other organization that provides access to the general public from barring guide dogs, however, religious organizations are not required to provide such access. Any group, including religious groups, with 15 or more employees may not deny employment to a blind person that uses a guide dog unless doing so would place an “undue burden” on the employer. The Fair Housing Act requires that landlords allow tenants to have guide dogs in residences that normally have a no pets policy and no extra pet fees may be charged for such tenants. Individual state governments decide whether guide dogs in training are allowed to enter into public places.

In South American countries and Mexico, it depends solely upon the good will of the owner or manager, although often in the more touristy areas, guide dogs are welcomed.

In Europe, the situation varies. Some countries have laws that govern the entire country and sometimes the decision is left up to the respective regions.

In Israel, it is an insult if any transportation operator or business owner or manager refuses entry to a guide dog.

In Australia, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 protects guide-dog users. Each state and territory has its own laws, which may differ slightly.

In Canada, guide dogs are allowed anywhere that the general public is allowed.

Hearing dogs help their handlers become aware of important sounds such as doorbells, smoke alarms, passing traffic, a ringing telephone, or an alarm clock. They also can work outside the home, alerting to sounds such as sirens, fork lifts, people coming up from behind, and a person calling the handler’s name, among other things.

Hearing dogs may be trained professionally in as little as three months; however, most are trained for closer to a year. The dogs are most commonly trained to recognize a particular sound, and then physically alert or lead their handler to the source of that sound. Other dogs may be taught to paw the owner for some sounds, and for other sounds, paw or jump on them but not lead them to it (for example, in the case of a fire alarm). Dogs that may become hearing dogs are tested for proper temperament, sound reactivity, and willingness to work. After passing initial screenings, they are trained in basic obedience and exposed to things they will face in public such as elevators, shopping carts, different types of people, and so on. Only after that period of socializing are they are trained in sound alerting.

While many hearing dogs are professionally trained, there is a growing number of deaf or hard of hearing individuals who undertake the challenge of training their own hearing dog.

Hearing dogs often wear a blaze orange leash and collar to identify them. Some also wear a cape or jacket, which may or may not be orange.

In the United States, Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 allows hearing dogs, along with guide and service dogs, access to anywhere the general public is permitted to go; state laws also provide for access. There are fines and also criminal penalities for interfering with a hearing dog team or denying access to a hearing dog. The same penalities apply to a person trying to disguise a dog as a hearing dog illegally. Not all hearing dogs work outside the home.

The AKC registered just over 900,000 dogs in 2003. Beyond maintaining its pedigree registry, it also promotes events for purebred dogs, including the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official forming of the AKC, and the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship.

The Kennel Club (UK) The Kennel Club (“KC”) in the United Kingdom is a kennel club based in London, England. It the oldest of the world’s all-breed kennel clubs and one of the most prestigious. It is also the largest in the United Kingdom. It was the first official registry of purebred dogs in the world, and its annual registrations in the early 2000s average 280,000. The club was founded on the 4 April 1873.

The club’s signature event is the prestigious and world-famous Crufts dog conformation show, held annually since 1948, which attracts competitors from all over the world. It also holds the much-smaller Scruffts for nonpurebred dogs.The Kennel club’s official objective is “to promote in every way the general improvement of dogs”.

Australian National Kennel Council The Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC) is the peak body in Australia responsible for promoting excellence in breeding, showing, trialling, obedience, and other canine-related activities and the ownership of temperamentally and physically sound purebred dogs by responsible individuals across Australia.

Canadian Kennel Club The Canadian Kennel Club (or C.K.C.) is the primary registry body for purebred dog pedigrees in Canada. Beyond maintaining the pedigree registry, the CKC also promotes events for purebred dogs.

C.K.C. is not the only Canadian registy of purebred dogs, but it is the one most Canadians are familiar with.

For a dog to be registered with the C.K.C., the dog’s parents must be registered with the C.K.C. as the same breed, and the litter in which the dog is born must be registered with the C.K.C. Once these criteria are met, the dog is eligible to be registered as purebred by the C.K.C.

Kennel Union of Southern Africa The Kennel Union of Southern Africa, formerly the South African Kennel Club, is the national kennel club for the republic of South Africa. It was founded in 1891 through the merging of the Southern African Kennel Club of Port Elizabeth (founded 1883) and the South African Kennel Club of Cape Town (founded 1889), ranking it among the world’s oldest kennel clubs.

According to the official website, KUSA is a fully federated member of the Federation Cynologique Internationale and has reciprocal agreements with bodies such as the Kennel Club, London and the American Kennel Club, which are not members of the FCI.

KUSA has nearly 200 affiliated breed clubs. KUSA currently promotes two developing South African breeds, the Africanis and the Boerboel.

United Kennel Club (United States) The United Kennel Club (or UKC) is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. According to the website, the club records 250,000 registrations annually. (By contrast, according to American Kennel Club records that club registered just over 900,000 dogs in 2003.)

Verband für das Deutsche Hundewesen (VDH) (German Kennel Club) Verband für das Deutsche Hundewesen (VDH) is Germany’s Kennel club for dogs and represents the world federation Fédération Cynologique Internationale.

The VDH is for the protection of interests of dog owners in Germany. As the country wide controlling body, the VDH represents 167 member organizations with more than 650,000 members. In addition, there are over 250 different breeds of dog in the VDH, which are under the strictest breeding controls.

Written by: Kevin Hart