The reporter vol 4 iss 1

Direct from the shores of Lake San Marcos, CA is Benson, BISS CH ShoGun’s Coded in Cobol, who was BOB at the 2014 CSCA National Specialty.

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Birthday Greetings ShoGun's Funky Diva

Diva

4/9/2005

ShoGun's Nonsuch Tradition

Rustle

4/9/2005

ShoGun's Play That Funky Music Bentley

4/9/2005

ShoGun's King of the Swingers Louie ShoGun's Cherokee Lady Feather of Keely Snow ShoGun's Blue of the Night Bing

4/15/2010

ShoGun's Nileea Swingin On A Star Dori

5/27/2010

4/15/2010 5/27/2010

ShoGun's Zing A Little Zong

Emma

5/27/2010

ShoGun's Count Your Blessings

Charlotte

5/27/2010

ShoGun's Endeavour ShoGun's Enterprise ShoGun's Atlantis ShoGun's Discovery ShoGun's Not My Vault ShoGun’s Spice Twice Pricilla Pinkpaws ShoGun’s Ruff N Tumble ShoGun’s Miss Lilly ShoGun’s Iron Cross ShoGun’s Alice Nimbletoes ShoGun's Sundance Kid ShoGun's Pike Bishop ShoGun's Pistol Packin' Palin ShoGun's Kid Curry ShoGun's Sure Shot Moonrysn's That Girl ShoGun's Fact or Fiction

Gunner Buckley Pip Sully Mugsy

6/1/2011 6/1/2011 6/1/2011 6/1/2011 6/10/2009

Vieno

6/10/2009

Bernie Gracie Julius Alice Walter Bishop Sarah Curry Emmie Marlo Lisa

6/10/2009 6/10/2009 6/10/2009 6/10/2009 6/11/2010 6/11/2010 6/11/2010 6/11/2010 6/11/2010 6/16/2011 6/16/2006

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In memoriam

Quigley, CT ShoGun’s Blaze of Glory Quigley 3/25/2004- 10/25/2013 We lost Quigley to hemangiosarcoma and miss him dearly. Quigley was our clown, our little goofball. Rest in peace Quigley.

Kathy & Richard Marshburn

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The 2014 CSCA National Specialty was held the week of March 9th at the Lakehouse Hotel and Resort in Lake San Marcos, CA. We are pleased to say that ShoGun was well represented by ShoGun dogs or their progeny.

Best in Sweeps Benson, CH ShoGun’s Coded in Cobol, handled by Colleen McCarthy.

By: CH ShoGun’s Iron Cross - CH Shogun’s Nileea Swingin On a Star Breeder: Susan Strinden Hall Owners: Helen Marshall, Mary Miserak, Colleen McCarthy

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Best of Opposite in Sweeps Pearl, Nileea Coded in Pearl, handled by Jennifer Darcy

By: CH ShoGun’s Iron Cross - CH ShoGun’s Swingin On a Star Breeder and owner: Susan Strinden Hall

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BOS Pearl, Nileea Coded in Pearl, and her littermate BIS Benson, CH ShoGun’s Coded in Cobol

Also shown are Judge Julie Wickwire, Susan Strinden Hall, Helen Marshall and Colleen McCarthy

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Benson, CH ShoGun’s Coded in Cobol, Select Dog in the Regional Specialty shown with Judge Howard Falberg, handler and co-owner, Colleen McCarthy, Helen Marshall, and CSCA President Milford Cole

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Regional Specialty BOW and new champion Peeps, CH ShoGun’s Pistol Pack’N Palin. Shown with Judge Howard Falberg, owner /handler Christie Janusiewicz, Helen Marshall and CSCA President Milford Cole

By: Belcrum Billy the Kid - CH Shogun’s Funky Diva CD RN TD SH Breeder: Helen Marshall Owner: Christie Janusiewicz 8

Benson is now BISS CH ShoGun’s Coded in Cobol. Our thanks to Judge Jim Fankhauser.

As you can see from this photo, Helen did not expect Benson to be BISS. She is wearing a 2015 CSCA National T shirt.

Shown with Benson is Helen Marshall, Judge Jim Fankhauser, handler/co-owner Colleen McCarthy and CSCA President, Milford Cole.

BOW in National Specialty Pearl, Nileea Coded in Pearl, shown with Judge Jim Fankhauser, owner/handler Susan Strinden-Hall and CSCA President , Milford Cole.

Select Bitch Peeps, CH ShoGun’s Pistol Pack’N Palin, shown with Judge Jim Fankhauser, owner/handler Christie Janusiewicz, and CSCA President Milford Cole.

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National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic The Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic is a trade show that focus‘s on wildlife conservation, upland game bird hunting (pheasant and quail), dog training, and wildlife habitat management and restoration. In connection with the trade show, Pheasants Forever holds seminars on habitat improvement, pheasant hunting, shooting sports, wild game cooking, dog training, conservation and lots more!

The show moves around the Midwest and this year it was held in Milwaukee, WI. On the first day, they had a parade of bird dogs, some 30+ breeds, totaling 80 dogs. Clumber Spaniels were represented by Marlo, GCH Moonrysn's That Girl, handled by Helen Marshall, and Curry, CH ShoGun's Kid Curry, handled by Mary Miserak. A good time was had by all.

Next Year’s show will be held in Des Moines, IA on February 20-22, 2015

Mary wants YOU 11

Mugsy’s Corner

Here’s Mugsy watching his favorite football team. Can you guess which team it is?

Surrounded by his admirers

Helping with the chores

Gloria, Grace, Mercedes, Rosemary, Wills 12

Sorry, they’re all mine

Mugsy celebrating Helen’s birthday

We missed Detours visit We missed having Detour visit us in December but we appreciate the gift his mom, Barbara Schultz, left us; a jar of raw honey from the bees of bee keeper , Truman Schultz, Detours’s dad. M-M-Mgood.

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Charlotte, CH Shogun's Count Your Blessings CD BN RN February, 2014: Charlotte is doing well. We are trying to attend obedience class but the weather keeps getting in the way. As the snow gets deeper she seems a little less cheerful. Next trip out will come as a real shock as we just got another 8 inches this evening on top of the 14 inches this morning and 2-3 this afternoon. More snow tomorrow night and again on Monday. We still had snow from last week before this one started. Poor Charlotte. Thank God for the snow blower. She can have a path to the barn at least and play in the arena. I hope you all are staying warm. Charlotte sends wags and kisses. Chris

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Bernie, ShoGun’s Ruff N Tumble, with hunting buddy, Danny Hess.

Camilla, ShoGun’s Duchess of Ipswich at 8 years old.

Emmet, ShoGun’s Im It N Thats That, Mabel, Valhalla's Meant To Be Me, shown with her new brother Frank sleeping with the enemy.

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Items of Interest Back to Basics: 10 Great Dog Training Tips

By Dr. Becker Everyone realizes there’s a big difference between a well-mannered canine citizen and an unpredictable, outof-control dog. But often dog owners develop bad training habits without realizing it, and are left feeling confused and concerned about their dog’s uncooperative behavior.

10 Great Dog Training Tips Socialize your dog early and often. Puppies and even adult dogs need to be exposed to new places, noises, people, and other animals. As soon as your puppy is immunized, he should be given regular opportunities to socialize and have new experiences. This will go a long way toward curbing fear-based, unfriendly behavior toward other dogs.

When you give a command, try to say it only once. Repeating a command over and over tells your dog you really didn’t mean what you said the first time, and therefore she really doesn’t need to respond to your command immediately.

When correcting an undesirable behavior, give a one or two-word command and immediately redirect your dog to a more appropriate behavior. Do not yell, hit, kick, yank or jerk the leash, or “alpha roll” your pet. All you’ll teach your dog with aggressive corrections is to fear you.

Exercise patience. Your dog picks up on the tone and volume of your voice and your body language, and can sense when you’re feeling frustrated or angry. As soon as your dog feels anxious about your mood, all positive training opportunities go out the window.

Be consistent in the words you use to train your dog. Repeat the same command for a particular behavior you desire. For example, if your dog has a habit of jumping up on people, pick a one-word command like “Down” and stick with it. Don’t say “Down” some of the time, “Off” at other times, “No” now and then, and “Bad Dog” when you’re truly frustrated.

Also be consistent in what you ask of your dog. If you don’t want her on the couch, be consistent about not letting her on the couch. Don’t allow her up there some of the time or even once in awhile. It’s not mean to set reasonable boundaries for your dog, but it IS mean to confuse her by constantly changing the rules she’s expected to live by.

Lead your dog on walks rather than the other way around. Make two-thirds of each walk about keeping a brisk pace, with your dog moving beside you. Then allow him to sniff, dawdle and read his pee-mail during the other one-third of your walk.

Learn something about how dogs think. As difficult as it is to believe at times, your dog doesn’t think like a human. Her thought processes aren’t complicated. Dogs think in black and white, and they live in the moment. The more you understand about what makes your dog tick, the better equipped you’ll be to help her be a wonderful companion. Don’t be hard on your dog for being a dog.

Always, always reward your dog for good behavior, with small training treats, affection, and/or an enthusiastic “Good Dog!” This will help your pet learn the difference between doing something you like and something you don’t like.

Make training sessions short and fun. Stay calm and upbeat, and spend no more than 10 minutes per session.

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Bone Broth: The “Soul Food” Perfect for Sick Pets Who Won’t or Can’t Eat Story at-a-glance In this video, filmed in Dr. Becker’s kitchen at home, she demonstrates how she makes bone broth for her pets.

Bone broth is an excellent source of nourishment for animals recovering from illness, finicky eaters, and senior pets with diminished appetites. Dr. Becker also uses bone broth for animal hospice patients. When animals are dying and no longer interested in eating or chewing food, often they’ll still lap broth.

You can make bone broth using whatever bones you choose. For this demonstration, Dr. Becker used an organic chicken. As the bones simmer on the stove they release all their minerals and marrow into the water, and the broth that results is a healthy source of extra nourishment for pets.

When making broth you should use clean, filtered water to which you add a bit of vinegar (acetic acid) to help leech the minerals from the bones into the stockpot water. For this demonstration, Dr. Becker uses Bragg raw apple cider vinegar, but you can use whatever vinegar is in your kitchen.

Dr. Becker demonstrates two rounds of cooking bone broth. Round 1, which takes about 2.5 to 4.5 hours, removes all the skin and meat from the bones. Round 2 cooks all the bones and skin not broken down in round 1, and takes about 24 hours of simmering. Dr. Becker runs the second round of broth through a strainer to separate any remaining pieces of bone, which she discards. Never feed cooked bones to your pets.

Two important things to remember about bone broth: 1) cooked bones are choking and GI hazards; and 2) bone broth alone is not a balanced diet and should be used only as an extra source of nourishment.

For the complete story, go to: http://tinyurl.com/ll2ef2h

What You Should Know About Seizures in Dogs Epilepsy is not just a human condition – it affects dogs too. This is one case where knowing what to do in case of an emergency is incredibly helpful so today’s information is very important.

You might have heard about epilepsy as a cause of seizures. (The terms seizure, epileptic fit, and convulsion all mean the same thing.) Epilepsy is a seizure condition that has no underlying cause. Sometimes seizures can happen for a variety of reasons such as organ failure, trauma, brain tumors, and infections. However, with epilepsy these typical causes are absent. It can be difficult to predict when seizures will strike and why.

What cases a seizure? The medical explanation is that a seizure is the physical manifestation of a sudden, excessive electrical discharge of neurons in the brain. This results in a series of involuntary contractions of the voluntary muscles, abnormal sensations, abnormal behaviors, or some combination of these events. In less complicated terms, part of the brain is affected by a random firing of nerves which then causes side effects.

A seizure can look like many different things. (If you have ever seen an animal or person experience a seizure, you know it can be really scary.) Seizures vary between individuals and even between incidents and can last seconds or minutes (although it often seems like a long time). Your dog may fall on his side and may look like he is kicking or paddling. He might salivate, lose control of his bladder, and be unaware of his surroundings.

What should you do if your dog has a seizure or you see any pet having a seizure? There are very specific things owners should and should not do, and it is very important to be informed. Find out what they are at: http://tinyurl.com/jwq8sdu It is so, so important to know how to react if your dog has a seizure. Please forward this information to any dogloving friends you might have so they will be prepared just in case.

Have a great day,Dr. Jon 17

How Well Will Your Puppy Behave as an Adult? It Depends on This...

Story at-a-glance A recent study conducted at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine sheds new light on the controversial question of whether it’s better to isolate puppies until they’re fully immunized, or enroll them in puppy classes to insure they become well socialized.

The results of the UC Davis study indicate that puppies 16 weeks of age or younger that were vaccinated at least once and attended socialization classes were at no greater risk of contracting parvovirus than puppies that did not attend classes.

Veterinarians now understand the implications of unsocialized puppies who grow into unbalanced, unmanageable adult dogs. Most believe the risk far outweighs the chance that a partially immunized puppy will contract an infection at a puppy class.

A well-socialized puppy is one that has been handled from birth and accepts touching of all body parts; has been exposed to a wide range of people, other animals, places and situations; has been encouraged to explore and investigate his environment; and has been allowed to experience a variety of toys and games, surfaces and other stimuli.

Professionally run puppy classes can deliver tremendous benefits for your puppy and for the bond you share with her. In addition to puppy classes, there are several other things puppy parents can do to insure their pet grows into a balanced, confident adult dog.

For the complete story go to: URL: http://tinyurl.com/krbr2od

Ozone Therapy: May Help Kill Cancer Cells and Prolong Your Pet's Life Story at-a-glance In this video, Dr. Becker interviews Dr. Margo Roman as part of her ongoing Highlighting the Healer series.

Like Dr. Becker, Dr. Roman is an integrative veterinarian who practices in the Boston area. She offers both conventional and alternative therapies for pets, including ozone and hyperbaric therapy, which is the subject of today’s discussion. Dr. Roman has performed over 10,000 ozone and hyperbaric treatments for a variety of veterinary health issues.

Dr. Roman believes ozone is one of the most beneficial adjunct therapies we can offer animals. Ozone therapy adds oxygen to tissue, which promotes microcirculation. Bringing more oxygen into the body, especially into areas that are inflamed, alleviates that inflammation. The therapy can also reduce cancer cells, because cancer doesn’t like oxygen and doesn’t thrive in an oxygenated environment.

Dr. Roman learned about ozone therapy through treating her own horse. When she moved on to treating dogs and cats she realized the enormous range of applications for the therapy, including dental procedures, flushing the ears, eyes and skin, soaking wounds, as an enema for obstipated animals, and to flush the bladder in an animal with a urinary tract obstruction.

Dr. Roman was also able to treat a Golden Retriever with advanced cancer who had just a few days to live, giving her and her owner another nine months together. She has also used ozone therapy to treat autoimmune disease.

Dr. Roman also uses hyperbaric therapy. When added to ozone therapy, it’s like a one-two knockout punch. She gives the ozone and then puts the patient in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. She explains that the oxygen can

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reach areas that drugs can’t because oxygen can get anywhere there is tissue. She can achieve a higher percentage of oxygen by putting it under pressure, which puts more oxygen deeper into tissue.

I asked about contraindications for hyperbaric therapy. Dr. Roman replied that some patients can't go into the chamber because they are claustrophobic, or they have nasal congestion. Just like during dives, you have to be able to equalize your ears and your Eustachians. So patients who are claustrophobic or have sinus problems aren't good candidates.

I asked Dr. Roman whether she feels oxygen therapy is growing as an alternative treatment. Is she seeing more interest in it? She says she does see it growing. She has clients who hear about the treatment or read about it and call her. Or they visit www.AAOT.us and look for doctors in their area that do O3 therapy.

Thank You, Dr. Roman!

I want to extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Margo Roman for an enlightening discussion! I appreciate the work she does, and her willingness to share some great information about ozone therapy and hyperbaric therapy for animals.

For the complete story go to: URL: http://tinyurl.com/jvqtz7q

They May Have Killed 600 Dogs, But They're Headed Back to Store Shelves Story at-a-glance Not surprisingly, the same brands of jerky pet treats that are suspected of causing illness and death in thousands of pets – brands finally pulled from the market a year ago – are headed back to store shelves.

Nestle Purina’s Waggin’ Train treats and Del Monte Corp’s Milo’s Kitchen products are either already on store shelves as you read this, or will be shortly. It is utterly unclear what has changed about the jerky treats that presumably makes them safe to sell again.

In other discouraging developments, the 85,000-member American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has taken a page from the FDA playbook and is refusing to take an official position against potentially tainted treats.

A Seattle veterinarian and clinical pathologist who has stated publicly he believes the treats are making pets sick, says the search for the problem is moving too slowly and there’s been very little progress in seven years.

Recommendations for avoiding toxic pet treats include buying only treats with ingredients that have been sourced in the U.S., offering fresh human foods as treats, and preparing treats at home for your pet.

For the complete story go here: URL: http://tinyurl.com/nxzxqj6

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Glucocorticoid: Avoid This Popular Pet Drug Until You Learn Its Shocking Side Effects Story at-a-glance Many in the traditional veterinary community rely heavily on the use of synthetic glucocorticoid drugs like prednisone and dexamethasone. These medications, while extremely effective at treating a wide range of uncomfortable symptoms, don’t address the underlying condition. Equally dangerous is the fact that these drugs come with a long list of side effects, some of which are much worse than the problem they are prescribed to treat.

Pets are commonly given steroids to treat the symptoms of an inflammatory condition almost anywhere in the body. They are also prescribed for autoimmune disorders, certain types of cancers, and in cases of trauma or shock.

Common side effects of glucocorticoid drugs include increased hunger and thirst, increased urination, lethargy, restlessness, mental confusion, GI problems including ulcers, hair loss, weight gain, a potbelly, Cushing’s disease, blood clots, diabetes, pancreatitis, and secondary infections. Many pet owners and veterinarians are willing to overlook mild side effects simply because steroids seem to provide a cost-effective quick fix for a problem that may have been unresponsive to other treatment approaches.

Long term or excessive use of these drugs almost guarantees that an animal will develop significant organ disease or dysfunction. Veterinary practices that routinely use glucocorticoids have a higher than average number of pet patients with diabetes, liver disease, pancreatitis, drug-resistant infections, and other serious diseases.

If your pet has a health challenge, the goal should be to identify and treat the root cause while relieving symptoms with non-toxic therapies. Before you agree to steroid therapy for your pet, we recommend you talk to your veterinarian about how he or she plans to identify and treat the underlying condition, not just the symptoms, as well as potential non-toxic alternatives to the use of glucocorticoid drugs.

For the complete story go here: URL: http://tinyurl.com/lo8nc5v

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Caring for your senior dog Dr. Nancy Kay, DVM Caring for an aged dog can be a mixed blessing. What a glorious achievement that best buddy has become a senior citizen. However, now it is incumbent upon you to recognize and care for special medical needs created by the aging process. Age-related problems can progress so slowly that they may go unnoticed. Here are some tips for recognizing common age-related problems.

Stiffness: Pay particular attention to your elderly dog first thing in the morning. If she appears stiff upon waking, but gradually warms out of the stiffness with activity, chances are she is experiencing some arthritis pain. Talk with your veterinarian about your observations.

These days there are a plethora of ways to take the edge off of arthritis pain including supplements, anti-inflammatory medications (made specifically for dogs), acupuncture, and rehabilitation therapy (the equivalent of physical therapy for people).

Ocular changes: Have a close look at your dog’s eyes. Most over the age of ten experience a change in the normally crystal-clear lenses of their eyes that cause the pupils to become gray or cloudy. Your veterinarian can determine whether this change is caused by lenticular sclerosis (an age related condition within the lens that does not impair vision and requires no treatment) versus cataracts (opacifications within the lenses that impair vision). If cataracts are diagnosed, referral to a veterinarian who specializes in ophthalmology is warranted to determine if cataract-induced inflammation within the eyes is present. Depending on your dog’s overall health (and your budget), surgical removal of the cataracts to restore vision may be a viable option.

Decreased appetite: There are a number of reasons why senior dogs may become less interested in the food they used to eat with gusto. The explanation may be a simple one, such as an infected, painful tooth or reluctance to bend down to the food bowl because of neck stiffness. Other more serious causes include age-related organ failure or an underlying infectious or cancerous process. If you find yourself hand feeding your elderly dog or having to “doctor up” her food, time to schedule an appointment to see your veterinarian.

Increased thirst: Have you been filling the water bowl more than usual? Are you finding puddles of urine around the house? If so, your dog may be drinking more water than normal. Many different medical issues can cause increased thirst in older dogs including urinary tract infections, hormonal imbalances, and kidney or liver failure. Even if your elderly dog appears otherwise happy and healthy, her increased thirst is a “heads up” that a trip to the vet is warranted. Her urine will need to be tested, so arrival with a full bladder (hers, not yours) will be appreciated!

Urinary incontinence: Finding a puddle of urine where your dog normally sleeps is evidence that she has urinary incontinence (involuntary urine leakage). There are a myriad of causes for this messy problem in senior pets including urinary tract infections, loss of sphincter tone where the bladder joins the urethra, hormonal imbalances, organ failure, and urinary tract cancer. Medications that can be administered at home have the potential to result in significant improvement. So, if your snookums is soaking the bed, be sure to schedule a visit with your veterinarian to discuss diagnostic and treatment options.

An elderly dog is one who has entered the “final trimester” of his or her life based on anticipated longevity (breed and size dependent). Such seniors should receive a thorough veterinary health exam at least twice a year.

The sooner medical issues are detected and diagnosed, the greater the likelihood for a positive outcome.

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A Designer Dog Maker Regrets His Creation The inventor of the Labradoodle believes he created a Frankenstein.

Published on April 1, 2014 by Stanley Coren, Ph.D., F.R.S.C. in Canine Corner I was in the lobby of a hotel in Toronto waiting to be picked up and taken to the venue where I was scheduled to give a talk. A well-dressed middle-aged woman was standing nearby with a sand colored curly haired dog. As I bent down to give the dog a friendly pat, she announced to me "Molly is a purebred Labradoodle, just like the one that Jennifer Aniston [the actress] has."

It amazes me how intelligent people can refer to an intentionally crossbred dog, such as the Labradoodle, as "purebred". The Labradoodle is a cross between the Labrador Retriever and the Poodle. It avoids the negative label of "mutt" or "mongrel" because it is a deliberate crossbreeding, and those who market such pups have come to refer to them as "designer dogs", a label designed to give them a hint of sophistication and elitism. There are many designer dogs now available and the majority involve crossbreeding Poodles with other breeds. Perhaps the earliest of these appeared in the 1950s, and it was the Cockapoo, a Cocker Spaniel/Poodle cross, which never achieved much popularity. Nowadays one can find a Goldendoodle (Golden Retriever/Poodle), Schnoodle (Miniature Schnauzer/Poodle), Cavoodles (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel/Poodle), Roodles (Rottweiller/Poodle), Yorkiepoo (Yorkshire Terrier/Poodle), Shihpoo (Shih Tzu/Poodle), Maltipoo (Maltese/Poodle), Poochon (Bichon Frise/Poodle), Lhasapoo (Lhasa Apso/Poodle) to name a few. Although there are other designer dog crosses, the Poodle is frequently entered into the mix in order to provide a non-shedding coat quality and a presumed hypoallergenic trait to the resultant pups.

I was fortunate enough to be able to interview Wally Conron a few years ago. For those of you who don't know who Wally Conron is, he is the man credited with the creation of the Labradoodle. Conron was the puppy breeding manager for the Royal Guide Dog Association of Australia in the 1980s, when his boss set him a difficult task. A blind woman from Hawaii had had written to ask if they could provide a guide dog that would not shed hair, because her husband was allergic to it. To quote Conron, "I said, 'Oh yes, this will be a piece of cake. The Standard Poodle is a working dog, it doesn't shed hair so it'll be great.' I tried 33 dogs in the course of three years and 22

they all failed. They just didn't make the grade as guide dogs. Meanwhile, the woman in Hawaii was getting older and my boss was getting on my back."

Desperation drove Conron to consider an alternate course of action. The upshot was that he took his best female LabradoMeanwhiler Retriever and mated it with a Standard Poodle. This resulted in a litter of three pups. With a long waiting list for people wishing to foster guide dog puppies, Conron was sure that he'd have no problem placing their three new crossbred dogs with a family to be trained and socialized before being enlisted in the guide dog program. Unfortunately nobody would take them since everyone wanted a purebred dog. So that's when Conron came up with the name Labradoodle. According to him, "I went to our PR team and said, 'Go to the press and tell them we've invented a new dog, the Labradoodle.' It was a gimmick, and it went worldwide. It worked – during the weeks that followed, our switchboard was inundated with calls from potential dog fostering homes, other guide-dog centres, visionimpaired people and people allergic to dog hair who wanted to know more about this 'wonder dog.'"

Conron immediately discovered that since the Labradoodle is a hybrid and not a pure breed, the resulting puppies did not have consistently predictable characteristics.

Although all Labradoodles have some common traits, their appearance, working ability, and behavioral characteristics remain somewhat unpredictable. Even in the nature of their coat — the reason why the Poodle was originally part of the mix— there is lots of variability. Labradoodles' coats can vary from wiry to soft, and they may be curly, wavy, or straight. Straight-coated Labradoodles are said to have "hair" coats, wavy-coated dogs have "fleece" coats, and curly-coated dogs have "wool" coats.

Many Labradoodles do shed, although the coat usually sheds less and has less dog odor than that of a Labrador Retriever. In the Labradoodle there is also no certainty that the dog will be hypoallergenic. Conrad explains that the raison d'être for having these crosses in the first place was to prevent allergy symptoms, and that characteristic cannot be guaranteed by simply creating a Poodle cross. He complains, "This is what gets up my nose, if you'll pardon the expression. When the pups were five months old, we sent clippings and saliva over to Hawaii to be tested with this woman's husband. Of the three pups, he was not allergic to one of them. In the next litter I had there were 10 pups, but only three had non-allergenic coats. Now, people are breeding these dogs and selling them as non-allergenic, and they're not even testing them!"

He continues his lament saying, "Get on the internet and verify it for yourself. All these backyard breeders have jumped on the bandwagon, and they're crossing any kind of dog with a poodle. They're selling them for more than a purebred is worth and they're not going into the backgrounds of the parents of the dogs. There are so many 23

poodle crosses having fits, problems with their eyes, hips and elbows, and a lot have epilepsy. There are a few ethical breeders, but very very few.

"I opened a Pandora's box, that's what I did. I released a Frankenstein. So many people are just breeding for the money. So many of these dogs have physical problems, and a lot of them are just crazy.

"You know that American president Obama announced he was thinking of getting a Labradoodle. So I wrote him a letter saying what the pitfalls were. I said 'If you are going to buy a Labradoodle, check both of the parents, make sure they have a certificate. A lot of them are untrainable, and a lot of them are no good for people with allergies.' I don't know if he was listening to me but he didn't get one in the end.

"Today I am internationally credited as the first person to breed the Labradoodle.

People ask me 'Aren't you proud of yourself?' I tell them 'No! Not in the slightest.'

I've done so much harm to pure breeding and made so many charlatans quite rich. I wonder, in my retirement, whether we bred a designer dog – or a disaster!"

I finished my interview with him by asking if he has ever kept a Labradoodle as a pet.

"No way!" he told me in a shocked tone of voice. "My dogs are Labrador Retrievers – Rocky and Jazz. I only ever bred 31 Labradoodles. I'm on a pension and live in a little shoebox flat. If I'd gone into breeding Labradoodles for a living, I'd be on easy street. But there was no way I'd do it. My conscience wouldn't let me."

Stanley Coren is the author of many books including: The Wisdom of Dogs; Do Dogs Dream? Born to Bark; The Modern Dog; Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses?

The Pawprints of History; How Dogs Think; How To Speak Dog; Why We Love the Dogs We Do; What Do Dogs Know? The Intelligence of Dogs; Why Does My Dog Act That Way? Understanding Dogs for Dummies; Sleep Thieves; The Lefthander Syndrome

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These Certifications Could Offer Your Pet Lifetime Wellness – Does Your Vet Have Them?

Story at-a-glance In this video, Dr. Becker interviews Dr. Donna Raditic, clinical assistant professor at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center. Dr. Raditic created and oversees the school’s five year-old Integrative Veterinary Medicine service.

Dr. Raditic became interested in integrative medicine after working for several years in a traditional veterinary practice. She began to wonder what more she could do to help animals stay well or recover from illness and disease.

In her work with the integrative medicine service at UT, Dr. Raditic sits down with her colleagues and puts together a total health plan for each patient. It’s especially rewarding when the team gets to create a wellnessbased lifetime plan for puppy and kitten patients. It’s a method of approaching a pet’s well-being that isn’t taught in vet school, and Dr. Raditic feels very fortunate to have the opportunity to offer students, pet owners and also other faculty members the tools to embrace a proactive, integrative approach to animal wellness.

Thanks to help from the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Foundation, Dr. Raditic has also created a fellowship program for veterinary students. It is modeled after AVMA-recognized residency programs, and will involve research in the future.

For the complete story go here: URL: http://tinyurl.com/o497mrv

Beware: The Lies They're Telling to Keep You Buying Story at-a-glance Two big premium-market pet food companies, Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive, have been challenged in recent years to keep consumers buying as more small and medium-sized producers have arrived on the scene to answer pet owner demands for higher quality dog and cat diets.

These two industry giants have taken different approaches to entering the “natural” pet food market: P&G bought a smaller company already producing higher quality formulas; Colgate-Palmolive chose instead to reformulate and expand their brands. Of the two, only Colgate-Palmolive has been successful in reversing their downward trend by introducing Hill’s “Ideal Balance” and Prescription Diet Metabolic lines of pet foods, and re-launching Science Diet, claiming more natural ingredients.

Colgate-Palmolive studied changing trends in what consumers want in pet food, as well as trends in how their competitors promote their products. The company then developed new marketing strategies to reposition their products to be more attractive to consumers and more competitive in the marketplace. Apparently, it’s working.

Pet owners are buying the hype.

Here’s the reality: by necessity, no processed pet food is “natural.” Processed food is designed to be storable for long periods and convenient to use. It isn’t designed to be whole, fresh and natural – and no amount of marketing spin or clever labeling should convince you otherwise.

What you choose to feed your dog or cat is up to you, but persuasive advertising and slick product packaging should never be part of the equation. The pet food you’re considering may indeed be high quality, but you need to determine that for yourself rather than depend on what a manufacturer says about its product.

For the complete story go here: URL: http://tinyurl.com/mpzkvw8

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Proven Ways to Calm Your Dog from Storms, Separation Anxiety, and Other Phobias Story at-a-glance Sadly, maladaptive stress responses are a growing problem for companion dogs. These fear-based conditions often take the form of separation anxiety, storm and/or noise phobia, or aggression.

A chronic, prolonged fear response can cause both physical and emotional disease in your pet that can potentially shorten his life and negatively impact quality of life. Chronic stress depresses the immune system, alters blood flow to vital organs, and triggers the development of compulsive behaviors.

Signs of a fear-based reaction in your dog including crying or whining, hiding, inappropriate elimination, looking away, ears held back, pacing, shaking, and vigilance. Depending on your pet’s anxiety trigger, he may also engage in destructive behavior or self-harm.

Treatment options for dogs with maladaptive stress reactions include avoidance of triggers, desensitization to triggering stimuli, and counterconditioning (behavior modification).

There are also a wide range of calming techniques and products available to provide anxious, fearful dogs with additional support in combination with behavior modification.

For the complete story go here: URL: http://tinyurl.com/osyhvzl

Whole-dog-journal-survive-your-dogs-arousal-biting Read the article here: URL: http://tinyurl.com/qcv3ddq

Do Your Pet's Eyes Ooze a Thick Yellowy Discharge? It Could Be 'Dry Eye Syndrome' Story at-a-glance Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or KCS, is also known as dry eye syndrome. Dry eye is a condition in which the tear mixture, which consists of oil, mucus and mostly water, is absent the water. Only oil and mucus are being secreted, which is why pets with KCS have thick, yellow discharge from their eyes.

There are a number of causes of dry eye. The most common is immune mediated destruction of tissue in tear-producing glands. Other causes include canine distemper, herpes-related feline upper respiratory infection, trauma, certain antibiotics and anesthesia, and removal of the third eyelid lacrimal gland.

A diagnosis of KCS requires a Schirmer tear test to measure the amount of tear production from the tear ducts and how much is available for the eye. A low level points to KCS. Your vet may also use a fluorescein stain to check the eyes for abrasions or ulcerations. A sample of aqueous fluid may be taken to measure the bacterial growth in the eye and whether there may be an underlying infection as well.

Treatment of dry eye typically involves topical medications like artificial tears and lubricants that will be necessary in most cases for the rest of your pet’s life. If an underlying disease, allergy or infection is identified as the cause of the dry eye, it will also need to be treated.

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Owners of pets with KCS need to keep the eyes clean and free of discharge. Animals with very poor tear production will need their eyes lubricated many times each day. While these pets can become high maintenance in terms of keeping their eyes moist, it’s the only way to keep your companion feeling comfortable For the complete story go here: URL: http://tinyurl.com/madsuab

Don't Let Your Pet Have Surgery for Scary Lumps Until Your Vet Does This Story at-a-glance Today, Dr. Becker is filming at her practice, Natural Pet. She’ll be removing two masses from her dog, Violet, and discussing how to decide whether a lump or bump on your own pet requires surgery.

The first thing Dr. Becker recommends is weekly at-home wellness checks of your pet, which will help you immediately discover any eruptions on or under your pet’s skin. If you’re not in the habit of inspecting your pet’s body on a regular basis, when you do discover a suspicious lump or bump, you’ll have no idea how long it’s been there or if it is growing or changing.

It’s important to monitor any growth you find on your pet’s body to determine whether it’s getting bigger or changing. A growth that doesn’t change isn’t cause for immediate concern – you can simply mention it to your vet at your next appointment. But a lump or bump or other irregularity that is rapidly growing or changing shape, texture or color needs to be evaluated by your veterinarian sooner rather than later. And the evaluation should always include extracting cells for examination using a fine needle aspirate procedure.

Dr. Becker only advocates surgical removal of lumps or bumps when there is potential for cancerous cells, or when the mass is impinging on the animal’s comfort and quality of life. In the case of benign masses that are not bothersome to the pet, she believes the risk of anesthesia and surgery far outweighs any benefit to be derived from removing the growth. It’s important for any pet owner with an animal scheduled for general anesthesia and surgery to understand and feel comfortable with the veterinary clinic’s anesthesia, pain management and recovery protocols.

In the final 10 minutes of the video, you’ll watch as Dr. Becker and her vet tech, Ashley, prepare Violet for her procedure, surgically remove the questionable masses, and assist her through the post-surgery recovery process.

For the complete story go here: URL: http://tinyurl.com/q98uhx2

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Pyometr a: M or e Than a Uter i ne Infecti on

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Py o m et r a: Th i s L i f e Th r eat en i n g Co n di t i o n Co u l d K i l l Yo u r Do g Wi t h i n 48 Ho u rs J u l y 22, 2013 | 11, 972 v i e w s

B y D r . B e c k er Today I’ d like to discuss pyometra, or uterine disease in female pets.

Pyometra occurs most commonly in intact female dogs that have not been pregnant.

But it is also seen in unspayed cats, hamsters, ferrets, guinea pigs, rats, and rabbits.

The problem can occur at any age, but is usually seen in dogs who are six years of age or older.

Mo r e Than a Ut e r i n e In f e c t i o n It was once thought pyometra was just a uterine infection. But the condition is now recognized as a hormonal abnormality with or without the presence of a secondary bacteri al i nfecti on. It can be li fe threateni ng i f i t’s left untreated.

Pyometra is triggered by a heat cycle that doesn’ t end in egg fertilization. D ogs typically start showi ng si gns of the di sease wi thi n two to four months after the heat cycle. Ei ther an excessive amount of progesterone or hypersensitivity of the uterus to progesterone i s what causes the condi tion.

Cysts develop i n the li ni ng of the uterus and release large amounts of flui d i nto the uterus. The accumulated fluid can spark a secondary bacterial infection.

‘ Op e n ’ an d ‘ Cl o s e d ’ Py o m e t r a

S t o r y at a g l an c e Pyom etra i s a uteri ne di sease that occurs m ost often i n intact fem al e dog s si x years or ol der that have never been pregnant.

Pyom etra i s a horm onal abnorm ali ty w i th or without the presence of a secondary bacterial i nfecti on. An excessi ve am ount of progesterone, or hypersensiti vi ty of the uterus to progesterone, is what causes the condi ti on.

Left untreated, pyom etra can be l i fe threateni ng.

Pyom etra i s tri ggered by a heat cycl e that doesn’t end i n egg ferti l izati on. C ysts devel op i n the li ni ng of the uterus and rel ease l arge am ounts of fl uid i nto the uterus. The accum ul ated fl ui d can spark a secondary bacteri al i nfection.

There are two types of pyom etra, open and cl osed. In open pyom etra, the cervi x al l ows accum ul ated fl ui d and debri s i n the uterus to flow out of the body through the vagi na. At som e poi nt, however, the cervi x closes (clo sed pyom etra), trappi ng al l the excess fl ui d and w hi te bl oo d cel l s i n the uteru s. Th e fl ow of fl ui d i nto the uterus conti nues, causi ng the organ to enl arge. The uterus can eventual l y rupture and em pty al l i ts con tents i nto the ab do m i nal cavi ty, causing death wi thi n about 48 hours.

Treatm ent of the condi ti on incl udes spayi ng. If the owner wants to breed the ani m al , obvi ousl y other opti ons are avai l abl e, but they present a higher risk to the dog.

Mo s t Po p u l ar

A normal uterus in an average sized dog weighs just a few ounces. But when pyometra is present, the organ can weigh up to four pounds due to the accumulation of fluid and di seased ti ssue.

The fluid accumulation in the uterus starts leaking out through the vagina. The dog’ s natural response i s to li ck the area clean. Excessi ve li cking can i ntroduce sti ll more bacteri a through the cervi x and i nto the uterus.

The body’ s response to the secondary infection is to increase fluid production and white blood cells to the uterus, whi ch conti nues to flow out of the vagi na. Thi s is called an open pyometra, because the cervix is open, allowing fluid and accumulated debris to be flushed from the body through the vagina.

At some point, the cervix closes and the fluid can no longer flow out of the uterus.

Meanwhile, the body continues to produce more and more fluid and white blood cells.

The result is an enlarged uterus. This condition is called closed pyometra, because the cervix does not allow the accumulated material to exit through the vagina.

In worst case scenari os, the uterus can rupture and empty all of i ts contents i nto the abdominal cavity. When this happens, the animal usually dies of septic peritonitis and/or acute kidney failure from uremic poisoning within about 48 hours, even with very aggressive medical intervention.

Obvi ously, the goal i s to catch thi s condi ti on long before i t becomes thi s seri ous.

C atching symptoms early on is very important in treating pyometra successfully.

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Pyometr a: M or e Than a Uter i ne Infecti on

Sy m p t o m s Symptoms of pyometra can include lethargy, depression, fever, lack of appetite, vomiting, excessive thirst, frequent urination, a distended abdomen (due to the enlarging uterus), vaginal discharge and excessive licking at the area, as well as weakness in the rear limbs due to the enlarged uterus.

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Remember: these symptoms will be noted after a heat cycle. If your female dog has recently concluded a heat cycle and you begin to see some of these symptoms, you should seek care immediately.

Di ag n os i s an d Tr e at m e n t o f Py o m e t r a Pyometra is diagnosed with an examination of the cervix and vaginal discharge, plus X rays and/or an ultrasound to evaluate the size of the uterus and to rule out pregnancy.

Toxicity can develop rapidly in a dog with pyometra, so prompt treatment is really a very important part of successful treatment, especially if the cervix has closed. The preferred traditional treatment for pyometra is spaying. If the owner wants to breed the animal , obviously other options are available, but they present a higher risk to the dog. IV fluids are usually administered for several days, along wi th anti bi oti cs to treat the potenti ally li fe threateni ng i nfecti on. The uterus and surroundi ng areas wi ll be i rri gated to flush away pus and fluids, and to speed healing.

In cases of open pyometra, prostaglandins are sometimes administered to control cell growth, regulate hormone production, and cause contraction of the uterus to help expel accumulated fluid.

Wh y Dog s w i t h Py o m e t r a Sh o u l d B e Sp ay e d Since pyometra is most commonly seen in middle aged or older intact female dogs who have never been bred, this actually IS a condition that can be prevented by spaying your dog, unlike breast cancer, which has historically been touted as the most important reason to spay dogs.

Those of you who are subscribers to this site know that I certainly advocate rescuing pets. Whenever possible, it’ s important to preve nt any type of unplanned pregnancy. If you plan to breed your dog, I hope you are an experienced, knowledgeable, and ethical breeder who selects for health first and foremost. This also means putting the health of a cycling female before the desire to perpetuate a certai n strain of DNA. All that to say, I strongly recommend spaying a dog with pyometra to avoid recurrence of the disease following future heat cycles.

If you’re like most pet owners who don’t intend to ever breed their dog, before you have your pet spayed at an early age – let’s say, si x months – I encourage you to learn about surgical sterilization options and the risks and benefits associated with each of them.

If you decide to spay your dog, holding off on the surgery until she is sexually mature and fully mentally and physically developed can help protect her against many forms of cancers and endocrine diseases later on. [ +] Co m men t s (5)

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