No calcium supplements for pregnant bitches
By MYRA SAVANT, December 11, 2006

Ok. I will go over this calcium thing once again..... I meet with a certain amount of resistance to this information every time I post it, which gets discouraging. What I am going to say about calcium is not simply my casual opinion, it is pure scientific fact. Do you all know how dangerous tobacco is? And yet you hear of 90 year old 3 pack a day smokers who live long lives and never get cancer? They are the exception; not the rule.

Breeders who can supplement their bitches with calcium and never run into problems are the exception; not the rule. Calcium is exactly what I say it is.......and then you have your exceptions.....and the exceptions get very verbal and usually want to challenge the truth of what I am presenting to you.

I even run into breeders who say: "well, yes, I do feed the raw diet and two of my last three deliveries were c-sections, but it wasn't because of the diet. It was because of a big puppy, badly positioned puppy etc."

No, it was because of the calcium levels of your diet. That's why the bitch couldn't push out the big puppy and why her contractions couldn't reposition the sideways puppy or whatever.

Calcium is about muscle contractibility far more than it is about bones and teeth. It causes muscle to be able to contract smoothly and strongly. Oxytocin is about timing. It sets up the timing for the contractions and determines when they start and when they end. It alters the cell wall of the muscle cell to allow calcium to enter the cell and let it cause the cell fiber to contract. They work in tandem as a well-oiled and rehearsed machine.

If you supplement your bitch with calcium while she is gestating, this includes a raw diet with raw bones, puppy kibble, cottage cheese, yogurt, pet tabs or any other source of calcium, you run a high rish of altering the ph of the mother's blood.

If the ph is altered, the hormone secreted by the para-thyroid gland will do a less than efficient job of causing the release of calcium from the bones of the bitch when she needs calcium for strong contractions. The higher ph level will render the hormone from the parathyroid gland to be virtually useless. That hormone is the facilitator for releasing extra calcium out of the bones when the bitch needs it for uterine contractions.

The result will be: inertia, inability to push out a puppy, inability for the uterine muscle to contract appropriately to bring about the repositioning of the puppy for delivery.

Following delivery, the decreased calcium level will cause the mother to be unable to figure out how to mother. She may lick incessantly, bark or growl at her puppies or lie on her tummy refusing to allow them to nurse. A few days into the post partum time, she may go into eclampsia, which is a seizure disorder caused by low calcium levels.

AGAIN......these problems generally stem from the calcium that is fed to the mother while she is gestating.

If you never supplement but feed your dog a good quality, mid-priced kibble designed for all adult dogs (not puppies or gestating moms) and you do not supplement with anything, chances are very, very good that your mom's ability to pull out calcium from her bones for those times when she needs extra calcium for uterine contractions, parenting skills and production of milk.....will be intact. In other words, it is when we tamper that we run into problems. Give not a shred of extra calcium to the gestating bitch.

Keep Calsorb on hand to use during whelping to encourage stronger contractions, Give it generously to the brand new mom and you will see her parenting skills return to her within 15 minutes or so, and keep it on top of the puppy pen in case your bitch goes into eclampsia.

However.....if you simply never tamper with the calcium intake, chances are good you'll never need to supplement it at all. If you don't tamper, the parathyroid gland and its hormone will provide the extra calcium at those times when it is needed.

Just don't tamper.....no cottage cheese.

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Veterinary Cardiologist Discovers Gene for Heart Disease
Heart Disease news <http://www.health.am/cardio/cat/C280/> Apr 28, 2009

Washington State University veterinary cardiologist Kathryn M. Meurs has discovered a mutant gene in the Boxer breed that causes a type of heart disease that can be fatal in animals and humans.

Well known in the Boxer breed community, the disease is called Boxer cardiomyopathy. The more formal term is arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy or ARVC.

This is same type of heart disease that caused the sudden death of 1950s college and pro football great Joe Campanella at age 36, as he played handball with the new head coach of the Baltimore Colts, Don Shula.

In Boxers, the disease can be fatal and frequently occurs when the animals exercise or become excited. Occasionally, they perish from the disease while at rest, too.

“Dr. Meurs’ discovery of both the gene and its location is a tremendous achievement in the cardiology of humans and animals,” said Bryan Slinker, dean of WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and a recognized cardiac disease researcher. “This achievement not only helps Boxer breeders avoid this disease but it also provides an extraordinary advancement to the study of human heart disease resulting from electrical conduction defects and the resulting heart muscle changes that occur.”

The disease is well known in Boxers because the breed has the highest incidence of this form of heart disease. ARVC is also known to be an inherited disease and breeders sometimes avoided breeding to certain lines of Boxers yet were never completely sure if those lines had an increased risk of disease. Additionally, the disease tends to vary in severity between different dogs; key indications that the disease had a dominant genetic origin.

Meurs began looking at the disease as an extension of her work with inherited heart disease in cats and dogs. This work is somewhat similar to her work with breeds of cats that also suffer heart disease and for which she has also discovered mutant genes. Her lab developed a molecular probe for these mutations so that cat owners now have a mechanism for screening for the disease and breeding away from it.

Using an extremely powerful gene screening mechanism based on a massive computer chip at the Broad Institute at MIT with investigators Kerstin Lindblad-Toh and Evan Mauceli, Meurs looked at thousands of regions of boxer dogs’ DNA simultaneously. The samples were collected with participation by members of the American Boxer Club and the American Boxer Charitable Foundation and were segregated into groups of dogs with the disease and those with no evidence for the disease.

Once computer analysis identified a specific region of interest, Meurs’ lab evaluated thousands of DNA sequences in affected and unaffected dogs and identified a gene mutation in a gene that normally codes for the production of a key cellular adhesive protein. Subsequent studies done by WSU veterinary cardiologist, Sunshine Lahmers, demonstrated that the cellular adhesive proteins were located at the junction between cells in the heart.

Theoretically, the conduction defect is in some way responsible for a rapid, irregular heart beat that does not pump blood efficiently. When blood is not pumped efficiently, there may not be enough circulation maintained in the brain and other organs. This can lead to fainting episodes or even sudden cardiac death. Over time, the right, lower chamber of the heart, called the right ventricle, begins to be infiltrated by a fibrous fatty tissue and often has decreased contractile ability. This change in the heart’s tissues can spread to the wall between the heart chambers and even the left ventricle.

The structural changes that result in functional impairment is the hallmark sign seen when a post mortem examination is performed on the animal’s heart. Under the microscope, the normal muscle appears solid and dense. The affected heart muscle tissue is riddled with holes where the fibrous fatty tissue has infiltrated stretching it like unorganized lace.

Meurs’ laboratory is now near obtaining a patent on her discovery and is perfecting a genetic testing probe for the gene mutation that will be used as a clinical screening device. Shortly, Boxer owners will have the ability to take a simple cheek swab of their dog and know whether or not it carries the mutant gene. Cost of the screening is expected to be about $70 and available within the next 1-2 months.

“In many cases, after the disease is diagnosed it can be managed with medication for a long enough period of time in a dog’s life that other diseases such as cancer will be the cause of death,” said Meurs. “The medications are not very expensive and there are generic forms available, too. Average monthly costs are probably less than $100.” Meurs said that, with her lab’s service, Boxer owners and breeders will be able to identify dogs with the mutant gene and are likely to breed away from the disease.

/Source: Washington State University /

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Tail Docking Ban
Marlien Heystek - Jakkalsdans Boxers

As a breeder since 1977 of a customarily docked breed (Boxers) the current heated and emotive debate around tail docking is obviously of great interest to me. Both those defending tail docking and those opposing it claim that their arguments have a scientific basis. In an effort to reach some clarity in my own mind about the matter, I decided to try and examine the scientific underpinning of the cases made by the two opposing lobbies, particularly on the issue of cruelty.

A submission prepared by J. L. Holmes BVM&S MRCVS) appearing on the “RSCV Vets for Docking” web site (http://www.vets4docking.org.uk) in fact contains the statement: “A scientific community would be expected to defend its view with science and considered reason”. Absolutely. But do they? Just because an opinion or a belief has been published somewhere and is quoted by others does not mean it is “scientific”. Scientific studies must be conducted under controlled conditions and methods used must be free of bias. Results must be reliable (reproducible) and findings must be valid. If they are not, they are not scientific.

After wading through some of the mountain of articles to be found on the Internet pertaining to the subject, I had to conclude that neither camp actually bases its case on irrefutably valid or convincing scientific data. On the other hand, what both sides manage to do quite successfully and compellingly is to prove just how unscientific many of their opponents’ arguments are.

In a 1996 report “Cosmetic Tail Docking of Dogs’ Tails” by Robert K Wansborough http://www.anti-dockingalliance.co.uk/page_4.htm (on which Ms Monique Viljoen-Platts leans quite heavily in her article in the February 2006 issue of “KUSA Dogs in Africa”) he states quite early on: “This article aims to provide scientific information relevant to the cosmetic tail docking of dogs” but then immediately admits: "There have been no scientific studies or double blind trials conducted to compare the effects of tail docking in one sample of dogs with a similar sample of undocked dogs. Similarly, there have been no studies that measure the initial pain and the ongoing pathological pain inflicted on docked dogs". He then nevertheless proceeds with a long list of physiological and anatomical anti-docking theories presented as conclusive scientific evidence of the negative effects of docking on dogs.

On the other hand one of the mainstays of the case made by the UK Council of Docked Breeds (CDB) (http://www.cdb.org/) in support of docking is a letter from Prof. Dr. R. Fritsch, Leader of the Clinic of Veterinary Surgeons, Justus-Lieberg-University, to the German Kennel Club, which starts off as follows:

“I have been asked by the German Kennel Club to give a professional opinion on the following questions:
• Will the removal of the tail and dewclaws without anaesthetic on a four-day-old puppy, cause considerable pain?
• Is it necessary from the veterinary point of view, to shorten the tail or amputate the dewclaws of certain breeds of dogs?
The docking of tails and the removal of dewclaws in puppies less than 4 days old without anaesthetic, is not connected with any serious pain in such a way that it cannot be allowed from the point of view of the protection of animals”.

Please note that this is a “professional opinion” and not a conclusion arrived at by means of a scientific study. He does refer to two VERY old studies (1941 and 1951) which “…gives us every reason to believe that the actual feeling of pain is very low in the new-born of this group of mammals (dogs).”

Rehashing here all the arguments and counter-arguments, case studies and horror stories presented by both the defenders and detractors of tail docking would not serve any useful purpose. In the absence of convincing scientific data on which to base the decision to ban or not to ban, surely the status quo should be maintained and breeders and their veterinarians allowed the freedom to decide whether they wish to dock or not, based on their own experience and beliefs.

After almost 30 years of breeding Boxers and close to sixty litters, all of which were docked with me present, my own beliefs are obviously the result of experience, not science. Whether it is desirable or necessary to dock is of course debatable, but I am really not convinced that the procedure, when carried out correctly by a qualified veterinarian, with the use of a local anaesthetic, is cruel. The reactions of a puppy when immobilised, as it would be for docking, are exactly the same whether the tail is actually cut off or not. Is it not possible that the “escape response” of puppies referred to by Mr Wansborough actually has more to do with being restrained than being snipped? As for the dam, if half the pups in the litter are left with her while the other half are being docked and then changed around, any anxiety experienced by the bitch is greatly reduced.

One does wonder why only the dog fraternity has been targeted by the Veterinary Council and not the many thousands of farmers who dock piglets and lambs, dehorn and brand calves, castrate all kinds of animals, debeak chickens and carry out a multitude of similar painful procedures with impunity, all without the benefit of anaesthesia. Having lived on a farm, I cannot help but compare the agonized bellows and struggling of a calf being dehorned with the signs of discomfort briefly displayed by a puppy being docked.

In closing, if Ms Viljoen-Platts’ male Boxer “struggles each time he has to defecate” she should perhaps not blithely blame it on his docked tail. Boxers do NOT normally have difficulty defecating. Any dog that does, regardless of the length of its tail, should be examined by a veterinarian to eliminate the many possible causes. Obstruction, colitis, prostatitis and perianal tumours are just a few. Or perhaps his diet simply needs to be adjusted.

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Raisin Poisoning in Dogs
Laurinda Morris,
DVM Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville , Ohio
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/raisins.asp

This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at MedVet. My patient was a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix who ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't call my emergency service until 7AM.

I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal failure but hadn't seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet, and the doctor there was like me - had heard something about it, but.... Anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give IV fluids at 1 Ã,½ times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the next 48-72 hours.

The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal less than 27) and creatinine over 5 ( 1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids At the point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as overnight care.

He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values have continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn't control his vomiting. Today his urine output decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220.. He continued to vomit and the owners elected to euthanize.

This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners who had no idea raisins could be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very serious risk. Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handler's. Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern.

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Training a Deaf Dog
Bob Hopkin

Life long dog breeder and exhibitor Joseph Strauss was looking forward to the arrival of a new Boxer puppy as the two dogs already in the family – another Boxer and a Dachshund- were becoming elderly and less active.”I always enjoy exercising with the dogs on the village green or on the beach but they had lost much of their energy. When my new boxer puppy – Jamie- arrived in April I couldn’t wait to train him and go for some long walks together” he said.

Sadly, some two weeks after being introduced to his new home and family, Joseph realised that Jamie was not acting normally nor responding to spoken commands and was using the presence of other dogs to react to events around him. “I then had a suspicion that he could be deaf so tried clapping my hands behind his head and even using a loud whistle but there was no reaction so I knew it was true”. Joseph contacted the breeder in Cape Town and asked what could be done and the only suggestion was to return him and risk an uncertain fate. “By this time Jamie had touched our hearts and was riding around on the wheelchair of my friend Jacques, who is disabled, and neither of us had the willpower to exchange him” said Joseph.

Although he knew that training a dog without any aural contact would be extremely difficult, Joseph patiently worked out ways to communicate with him using his other senses. He discovered that Jamie had a better than average sense of smell and, most importantly, always kept him in sight and reacted to hand signals instantly as if he needed the reassurance to make up for the loss of his hearing.

Over the last six months Joseph has persisted and has managed to train Jamie to be house proud and to respond to commands just using visual signals. “In conventional dog training I normally use a rolled up newspaper to get the dog’s attention – never to hit him with but just to make a loud noise into my palm. In Jamie’s case I had to convince him of the importance of what I was telling him without the noise. He seems to understand that I am trying to help him and we have developed a common sign language that we both understand”. Joseph explained that the waved newspaper meant ‘Look at me and see what I am telling you’ and an outstretched finger means ‘stop whatever you are doing’”. Jamie has now learnt to watch Joseph’s movements constantly. When the two other dogs are curled up in their basket, Jamie sits patiently on the floor watching Joseph and waiting for instructions. Most dogs without this handicap listen for the sound of car keys to signal that they might be taken for a walk but Jamie knows where they are kept and waits for the sparkle of the keys being picked up to get the same level of excitement.

“He is like my shadow, he watches me everywhere I go” said Joseph.”I have taken him to the village markets to get him used to people and often they remark about what a beautiful dog he is and ask if I am showing him. I would love to do this but, unfortunately, the show rules disqualify deaf animals so it isn’t possible”. He said that the experience of raising Jamie in this situation is like helping a young deaf child to adapt to a world that expects all five senses to be functioning. “It is still a challenge and sometimes frustrating but I am a very patient person” said Joseph.

Strangely Joseph has noticed a most endearing habit that Jamie has acquired in spite of his handicap –when he is running loose on the beach he is totally uninhibited and not scared by the sound of the waves or the scream of the seagulls. “When I see how happy he is I think sometimes it can’t be so bad to be deaf” he said.

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Kennel Cough (Infectious Tracheobronchitis) in Dogs
Veterinary & Aquatic Services Department, Drs. Foster & Smith
www.peteducation.com

'Kennel Cough' is the term that was commonly applied to the most prevalent upper respiratory problem in dogs in the United States. Recently, the condition has become known as tracheobronchitis, canine infectious tracheobronchitis, Bordetellosis, or Bordetella. It is highly contagious in dogs. The disease is found worldwide and will infect a very high percentage of dogs in their lifetime.

Infectious agents involved

There are many different agents that can cause of tracheobronchitis. The most common are parainfluenza virus, Bordetella bronchiseptica, and mycoplasma. Canine adenovirus type 2, reovirus, and canine herpes virus are thought to possibly contribute to the disease, as well. Although any one of these organisms can cause symptoms of the disease, the majority of cases are the result of more than one organism.

The most common viral agent is parainfluenza virus. This common virus will cause mild symptoms lasting less than 6 days unless there is involvement of other bacteria, as is usually the case. Most 5-way vaccines and 'kennel cough' vaccines offer some protection against this virus.

Bordetella bronchiseptica is the most common bacteria isolated from dogs with tracheobronchitis. Clinical signs of infections occur 2-14 days after exposure, and if uncomplicated with other agents, symptoms will last around 10 days. However, after the infection has been resolved, the affected animal will continue to shed the bacteria for 6 to 14 weeks and can spread the disease to other susceptible animals during that time. Bordetella is one of the agents protected against through the use of intranasal 'kennel cough' vaccines. Parainfluenza and Bordetella most commonly appear together in infectious tracheobronchitis, creating a disease that normally lasts from 14-20 days.

Symptoms

The most common symptom is a dry hacking cough sometimes followed by retching. Many owners describe the cough as having a 'honking sound.' A watery nasal discharge may also be present. With mild cases, dogs continue to eat and be alert and active. Many times, there is a recent history of boarding or coming in contact with other dogs. In more severe cases, the symptoms may progress and include lethargy, fever, inappetence, pneumonia, and in very severe cases, even death. The majority of severe cases occur in immunocompromised animals, or young unvaccinated puppies.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is usually based on the symptoms and a history of recent exposure to other dogs. Bacterial cultures, viral isolation, and blood work can be performed to verify individual agents of the disease, but due to the characteristic nature of the symptoms, these tests are not routinely performed.

Treatment

There are two treatment options depending on the severity of the disease. In the most common mild (uncomplicated) form of the disease, antibiotics may or may not be used. Treating the mild case does not shorten the length in which the animal will be a potential spreader of the disease. In addition, bronchodilators like aminophylline or cough suppressants may also be used in treatment of mild cases.

In more severe (complicated) cases where the animal is not eating, running a fever, or showing signs of pneumonia, antibiotics are often used. The most common ones are doxycycline or trimethoprim-sulfa. However, many other choices are also available. Steroids or cough suppressants are not usually recommended because of the risk of immunosuppression with steroids and the need to continue to clear extra fluid or mucous in pneumonia patients. Bronchodilators and even aerosol therapy can be used. In moderate or severe cases, veterinary care should be instituted, as the resultant pneumonia could become life threatening if not treated properly and promptly.

Because pressure on the throat and trachea can make coughing worse, it is recommended that dogs with a cough should wear a head collar or harness instead of a regular neck collar.

Vaccination and prevention

The best prevention is to not expose your dog to other dogs, especially young puppies. If this cannot be avoided, then proper vaccination is the next best option. Chances are that if your dog is regularly vaccinated with a standard 5-way or 7-way vaccine, he is already being protected against several of the agents causing tracheobronchitis, mainly parainfluenza and adenovirus. However, these vaccines alone rarely provide protection against contracting the disease, although they will help reduce the severity of the disease if the animal becomes infected.

There is an injectable Bordatella vaccine, and one that is given intranasally (squirted into the nostrils). Neither vaccine will totally prevent infection with Bordatella. For the injectable vaccine, 2 doses must be given 3-4 weeks apart, and protection does not occur until 1-2 weeks after the second injection.

Do not give an intranasal vaccine as an injection, as an abscess may occur.

More commonly, for best protection, an intranasal vaccine containing both parainfluenza and Bordetella is used. Intranasal vaccines create localized immunity that greatly reduces the incidence of clinical signs and illness. The vaccine may be used in puppies as young as 3 weeks of age, only one dose is necessary to provide protection, and protection occurs as early as 3-4 days following vaccination. There are several precautions and warnings that need to be observed pertaining to this vaccine. Some dogs will develop mild signs similar to tracheobronchitis when given this vaccine. Very often, the symptoms will last for several days and the dog will recover without treatment. Dogs that are vaccinated can also shed the virus and cause other dogs to become mildly infected and show mild signs. This shedding usually lasts less than 72 hours. In addition, it takes up to 4 days after vaccination for dogs to develop protection. When you combine these facts, you will see why it is strongly recommend that a dog not be given intranasal vaccine within 72 hours of coming into contact with other susceptible dogs. Do not give the vaccine the day before a dog show, boarding, etc. Try to give at least four days before contact with other dogs and preferably 7 days. This way you will protect your dog from becoming infected by other dogs, and protect those dogs from becoming infected by yours.

In kennels where tracheobronchitis is a problem, strict hygiene with thorough cleaning and disinfection of cages and food and water containers is essential. In addition, kennels that are indoors should have good ventilation with an air turnover rate of at least 12 times an hour. Agents causing tracheobronchitis can be transmitted on hands and clothing as well as through the air, so infected animals must be isolated and handlers should wear gloves and use proper handwashing to help prevent spread. Vaccination of all animals, especially puppies is indicated in problem kennels. After initial vaccination as puppies, a yearly booster is recommended. However, some dogs that are at very high risk are vaccinated every six months.

Human health risk

Until recently, infectious tracheobronchitis was considered to not be a human health risk. Recently however, research indicates that Bordetella bronchiseptica may cause disease in some humans, primarily those with compromised immune systems. In normal, healthy adults there does not appear to be a risk, but young children and immunocompromised individuals should take precautions against coming into contact with animals that have symptoms of tracheobronchitis.

Summary

'Kennel Cough,' now more commonly referred to as 'infectious tracheobronchitis' is a widespread disease caused by several different viruses and bacteria. It is usually a self-limiting disease and most animals do not require treatment. Intranasal vaccines are effective, but due to some possible side effects are recommended for animals that are at higher risk. Infectious tracheobronchitis is a disease of dogs and wild canids, it does not appear to be a risk to healthy humans.

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