Resources for Dog Owner, dog care information, natural dog care

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals OFA
Information and pictures on Hip Grades

New Treatment for Parvo is promising high success rate...
read more here about Tamiflu, the wonder drug for parvo!

Is it a Stroke?
Stroke vs. Heart Attack...

RESOURCEFUL LINKS
VETINFO
A veterinary Information site for cats and dogs. Very informative. Highly recommend!
The BARF diet
"Raw food diet for dogs"
This is a photo step-by-step "how-to" presentation of the way I prepare raw meals for my dog and my cats. I am presenting it here, along with related articles, so that it may be helpful to others in designing their own raw food preparation....
The Pet Advocates Town Hall
PET WEB LIBRARY
This site strives to provide informational materials on some of the most common medical concerns of pet dogs & cats.
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
The Poodle Museum
This website is full of color photos and information on poodles.
Dog Owners Guide
The online magazine for all pet and showdog owners.
Laughingdogpress.com
Hilarious website for dog owners!
American Kennel Club
Pet Education.com
Health info for all pets. Click here for info on Whipworms (Trichuris vulpis)

Here are some links to Christian resources that I am familiar with and would personally recommend.....
http://www.joanwanderson.com/
Lots of angel testimonies, that she collects and compiles.
The Story of Encouragement

For Your Information!
Emergency Stress Kit
for Mrs. O'Poodles' pups
Very often, puppies/dogs will exhibit symptoms of stress when traveling, entering a new home or life style.
Even a change of water or slight change of food can be stressful.
Although I make every effort to assure that my puppies are free of intestinal parasites and/or protozoa (cocci)...dreadful critters are sometimes harbored in secret in the intestinal tracts of otherwise healthy pups. Fecal checks are done before the puppies are transferred to their new owners and the appropriate remedies are given if needed.
However...not all stow-aways are detected through a microscope...and wouldn't you just guess...they pop out from hiding when an animal is undergoing the stress of meeting his new family and adjusting to the major changes of a new home with new rules. And the alarming trail that they leave is called DIARRHEA, sometimes with a bit of blood.
Some of the possible critters that cause this bit of BAD NEWS are coccidia...easily treated with Sulfatrim (see below)
Giardia or Whipworms are also common offenders with the evidence of bloody diarrhea, and can be stopped with Flagyl and/or Panacur.
.....trimethoprin/sulfamethoxazole...(Sulfatrim, Bactrin, Septra, Cotrim) treats coccidia, respiratory, wounds and more.
.....metronidazole (Flagyl) is another effective med for an inflammed intestinal tract..often the case with diarrhea..it also is an antiflagellate...kills flagellated critters like giardia; also other intestinal infections as well as parasites .
.....fenbendazole (Panacur)...wormer for round, hook and whip worms.
I am making it a policy to send an emergency 3 day supply of these three meds with the pup/dog when delivered or shipped. I also insist that you consult with me by phone before giving any of these meds, as I may direct you to contact your family vet. At any rate, the pup will probably settle in without diarrhea and there will be no need.
Why would my pups have coccidia, whipworms or giardia? Usually they don't...however, my adult dogs are not imprisoned in cement and chain link jail cells that are easy and sure to sterilize every day.
Unlike many standard poodles, they are allowed to run free within the confines of a small field, with trees, grass, creek bottom and lots of soil (good old dirt), where they can carry on with their happy dogpack lives, playing chase, digging deep holes in the dirt and getting very muddy in the winter, and discovering their status in dog world. Two of my males just have to put their front feet in the water bucket...before they drink! In the summer, plastic wading pools are available for laying down in the water and getting cool...they LOVE IT!
However, it is difficult to keep the above named critters at bay, when the adults engage in such dog behavior as mud baths and playing caves and getting everyone's water muddy with their now nice and cool feet!
The soil harbors cocci, giardia and whipworms as well as more critters...they are ingested by the dogs when licking their feet or drinking "foot water". Adult and healthy dogs will harbor these critters with no manifestation of the disease process. Their immune system keeps them in check. The pups have an immature immune system until around 4 months old, so they sometimes will have episodes of infestations...thus, we medicate! If one shows signs of diarrhea, we examine stools to identify the offenders, and then treat all of the pups and house dogs appropriately and at once. Sometimes, the blasted critters manifest only after arriving in their new homes. Thus the emergency stress kit!
My personel Vet endorses this practice and I confer with him very closely with all of my puppies and any potential problems.
Below are links to read more about: COCCIDIA, GIARDIA, WHIPWORMS, ROUNDWORMS, HEARTWORMS, EARMITES, EAR INFECTIONS, FOOD ALLERGIES, SKIN ITCHING, ANAL GLAND IMPACTION, and much more.
PLEASE, please read the article on BLOAT...know the symptoms...prompt treatment can save your pet's life!

DOG HEALTH ARTICLES AND IMPORTANT INFO

Learning more about Bloat
NOTE from Mrs. O'Poodles..."Please, my poodle family...arm yourselves with emergency information on the symptoms of bloat. I hope that you never experience such a misfortune, but if you do...it would behoove you to know the symptoms, have a first aid kit ready and emergency vet's numbers on hand...every minute is critical. Be prepared...read the articles below...please!"

To honor our Dog Sophie - Here is a copy of a flyer we are handing
out......to pet food stores....groomers, etc.
SAVE YOUR DOG!! BECOME INFORMED ABOUT "BLOAT" (GDV)!
Could you recognize the symptoms? If not, your healthy dog could be dead in 8 - 12 hours, or less.
Become informed now!! Ask your vet. Go to your dog books. Visit the
internet. Just a few of the web sites that can inform are:
http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm
http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/bloat.html
http://www.adoptagolden.com/k9stuff/vetcorner/bloat.htm
http://www.adoptagolden.com/k9stuff/vetcorner/bloat.htm
The beginning symptoms are not exceptional. You may have seen them in your dog before. It's the combination that must alert you, and even then you have very little time to get your dog to the vet. It is an emergency! Here are a few typical symptoms. (But not necessarily all....and all do not
necessarily occur):
Licking the air, attempts to vomit (usually unsuccessful); may occur every
5 - 20 minutes. (has been referred to as the "hallmark symptom") Doesn't
act like usual self. (Perhaps the earliest warning sign and maybe be the
only sign that almost always occurs.) Significant anxiety and restlessness. Bloated abdomen that may feel tight like a drum. (However, many times this symptom never occurs or is not apparent.) Gagging. Heavy salivating or drooling. Vomiting foamy mucous. Whining and pacing. "Hunched up" appearance. May refuse to lie down. Drinking excessively. Heavy or rapid panting. Shallow breathing. Apparent weakness. Accelerated heartbeat. Finally, collapse and death in 8 to 12 hours or less.
The causes are wide and vary from study to study. They include some of the following: Eating from elevated food bowls, rapid eating, stress, heredity, and size, shape, and age of your dogs. (Larger and older dogs at
greater risk)
Preventions are also wide and vary from study to study. Mostly they talk
about diet, what sorts of foods to use, which ones not to use, when and
when not to feed, when and when not to allow them to drink, exercise and
eating, and more along those lines. Check with your Vet., go to the
internet, go to the library, just find out what should work best for your
dogs.
KNOW YOUR DOGS! SAVE THEM FROM THIS RAPID KILLER BY KNOWING WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND BY KNOWING WHAT TO DO! IT'S TOTALLY UP TO YOU.
( Now go hug your dogs and thank them for being with you.)
**IN MEMORY OF SOPHIE, 1992 - 2002**
Greg White

FOOD POISONS
Did you know that chocolate,raisins and onions are just some of the foods that can poison dogs? Click here to read the list that Vetinfohas provided including the info you need to know concerning these foods.
You will find Vetinfo's alphabetical index listings all conditions pertaining to dogs at this link....http://www.vetinfo.com/dogindex.html

INFORMATION ON TAIL DOCKING AND REMOVING DEW CLAWS
Why it's done and Pain felt by puppies
http://www.cdb.org/what_is.htm

NO MORE COLLARS!
I always keep collars on my dogs. It makes it easier to grab them, throw a
leash on them when we are off to dog class and I know they always have ID on them should they jump the fence and get lost. Our fence in the front yard is only three feet high, a regulation height where I live, and our dogs, a
Border Collie named Jenny (2 1/2 years old) and a Belgian Tervuren named
Tasha (8 months old), are tall enough to jump the fence if they so choose.
While we were away on holidays it snowed. Actually it stormed (as all you
Manitobans will know!) and we came home from Cuba to a foot of snow on the ground and -30 degree temperatures. The fence was now shorter than ever and they could practically stepped over it if they wanted to. I didn't think about keeping collars on them, it was only natural. I was glad they had them on because I knew they would be returned to us if they were ever lost.
Yesterday was my first day back to work. My husband had been transferred
out of town to work, so I was alone for the week. Unfortunately, as I found
out at lunch time, he'd taken the house keys with him! I was locked out. I
finally tracked down my brother who had the spare set, and an hour later I
was in and let the dogs out to pee. My poor girls had been inside a long
time and were very glad to be outside. All their pent up energy was spent
wrestling together in the snow. I settled in front of the TV to eat lunch
when I heard a funny noise. I turned the TV down and there it was again - a muffled crying from the yard, something terrible was happening to the dogs! I raced outside and didn't feel the -25 degree cold. I ran from the front of the house to the back, and there in the middle of the yard was Jenny, seemingly hanging on to Tasha's neck (Tasha was on her back), and not letting go. At first I though they were fighting and yelled at Jenny to let
go. As I dove down on the snow in front of them, I felt a chill to the bone, but not from the cold. Tasha's eyes were glazed over, and her tong was lolling and purple. (I am shaking as I write this!) Jenny's bottom jaw was twisted around Tasha's collar and Tasha was chocking to death! She must have grabbed Tasha's neck and got a hold of her collar, as dogs do when they play, but at the same time, Tasha flipped over on her back in a submissive position, and the collar twisted, trapping both of them. Jenny tried to break free and every time she did Tasha would make a chocked whining sound, which was luckily loud enough to alert me from inside. She was wearing a rolled leather collar and I knew that it would be impossible to cut in time to save her life. Besides that, it was too tight on her neck and on Jenny's jaw to get sissors or a knife around it.
Every second took her closer and closer to death and away from me. I knew
I could do nothing, but had to try. The buckle was in Jenny's mouth
unfortunately, but luckily it was open and I was able to get it partially
undone. She stood still while I tried - she must have know I was trying to
hekp. I couldn't get it undone any further - it was just too tight. I
screamed for help like I have never screamed before! No one came. It was
close to 2:30 pm and I knew all the neighbors must be at work. I began to
hyperventilate in panic. I was watching my puppy die and there was nothing I could do about it! I jumped up still screaming for help, and knew I had to
try to cut that collar. When I stood up and Jenny must have realized that
there was nothing I could do, she took matter into her own paws. She yanked and yanked, Tasha gurgled a scream as best she could all the while, which was now a lot quieter than what she had initially, by a miracle of God,
Jenny got free. She jumped away, and tail between her legs, ran, trying to find somewhere to hide. Tasha, to my amazement, jumped up, stunned. She was alive! The light in her eyes returned, but her tongue was still lolling and purple. I was so relieved - and shocked she was on her feet, but knew we weren't out of the water yet. I had to get them to the vet's. I didn't know what kind of injuries they'd sustained. I ran into the house, both dogs by my side, and couldn't remember the vet's number. I tried to look it up in the phone book, but couldn't remember the name. "To hell with it", I thought, "Just GO!". I scrambled into my coat, put leashes on the dogs, and got out to the car.
It seemed to take forever to get the vet's office, which was across town.
I considered running red lights to get there quicker, but decided wisely
against it. Finally we pulled up and I got them inside. I explained as best
I could what happened, all the while sobbing my heart out, and was
immediately taken into an examining room.
I looked down and realized that I was bleeding too. I had a big gash on my
thumb. Tasha bit me when I tried a second time to get the collar loose. It
must have been the last bit of energy she had. Don't know how I got free. I
didn't feel it at all. On closer examination, there was blood all over my
yellow and black jacket.
It wasn't until we were in the examining room that I realized Tasha was
bleeding. There was blood everywhere she put her nose. I thanked God I was already at the vet's office and I hadn't realized it until then! The vet
finally came in and examined them both. Tasha would have a bad bruise on her neck and her lips were bruised and eyes were blood shot. She had a nose bleed from being chocked as the blood simply didn't have anywhere to go. Jenny's jaw was ok too. No broken teeth or bones. I finally was able to
catch my breath and stop gasping. We were all ok. I didn't care at all the I
would probably need stitches, as long as the dogs were alright, I was too.
I took them home and called into work - I would not leave them alone for
the rest of the day. Every time I looked at Tasha I realized how close I
came to loosing her, and I began crying, out of relief, shock and a sense of
helplessness. I cried for an hour and a half. I told her how much I loved
her, and how sorry I was that I couldn't help her; how glad I was that she
was alive. I cuddled Jenny, who, being a very sensitive dog, thought it was
her fault. As I patted her head, my fingers came across some encrusted fur
and she winced. I looked down and she had a perfectly round puncture on her temple. Tasha must have bit her while trying to get free. Both the vet and I had missed it. It luckily wasn't bleeding too badly, and I got out my first aid kit and cleaned her up. We had all done our fair share of bleeding
today. I cleaned myself up as well and realized it wasn't as bad as it
looked. I wouldn't need stitches. I bandaged up this morning though, and my hands are stiff.
I have taken the dog's collars off and they will not wear them again
around the house. They will wear them only when we go for walks or to class.
Several months ago the very same thing happened to a man my husband plays flyball with and who trains in obedience with me. He didn't find his dogs as quickly though, and by the time he'd found them and sawed through the nylon collar, his female lab was dead. He administered mouth to nose resuscitation, and miraculously revived her. At the time we all agreed that it was a one in a million chance of that happening, but now I know better than that.
I dog proofed my house long ago, they have lots of toys, I am careful
about what they eat, and we take them to obedience class, flyball, agility,
conformation and play canine disc with them. They are like children to us.
Never in a million years would I have though this could happen. Please, if
you have more that one dog, take this story to heart.
Sarah Sobry

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals OFA
Hip Grades
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The phenotypic evaluation of hips done by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals falls into seven different categories. Those categories are normal (Excellent, Good, Fair), Borderline, and dysplastic (Mild, Moderate, Severe). Once each of the radiologists classifies the hip into one of the 7 phenotypes above, the final hip grade is decided by a consensus of the 3 independent outside evaluations. Examples would be:
Two radiologists reported excellent, one good—the final grade would be excellent One radiologist reported excellent, one good, one fair—the final grade would be good One radiologist reported fair, two radiologists reported mild—the final grade would be mild The hip grades of excellent, good and fair are within normal limits and are given OFA numbers. This information is accepted by AKC on dogs with permanent identification (tattoo, microchip) and is in the public domain. Radiographs of borderline, mild, moderate and severely dysplastic hip grades are reviewed by the OFA radiologist and a radiographic report is generated documenting the abnormal radiographic findings. Unless the owner has chosen the open database, dysplastic hip grades are not in the public domain.
Excellent
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Excellent (Figure 1): this classification is assigned for superior conformation in comparison to other animals of the same age and breed. There is a deep seated ball (femoral head) which fits tightly into a well-formed socket (acetabulum) with minimal joint space. There is almost complete coverage of the socket over the ball.

Good
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Good (Figure 2): slightly less than superior but a well-formed congruent hip joint is visualized. The ball fits well into the socket and good coverage is present.

Fair
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Fair (Figure 3): Assigned where minor irregularities in the hip joint exist. The hip joint is wider than a good hip phenotype. This is due to the ball slightly slipping out of the socket causing a minor degree of joint incongruency. There may also be slight inward deviation of the weight-bearing surface of the socket (dorsal acetabular rim) causing the socket to appear slightly shallow (Figure 4). This can be a normal finding in some breeds however, such as the Chinese Shar Pei, Chow Chow, and Poodle.

Borderline
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Borderline: there is no clear cut consensus between the radiologists to place the hip into a given category of normal or dysplastic. There is usually more incongruency present than what occurs in the minor amount found in a fair but there are no arthritic changes present that definitively diagnose the hip joint being dysplastic. There also may be a bony projection present on any of the areas of the hip anatomy illustrated above that can not accurately be assessed as being an abnormal arthritic change or as a normal anatomic variant for that individual dog. To increase the accuracy of a correct diagnosis, it is recommended to repeat the radiographs at a later date (usually 6 months). This allows the radiologist to compare the initial film with the most recent film over a given time period and assess for progressive arthritic changes that would be expected if the dog was truly dysplastic. Most dogs with this grade (over 50%) show no change in hip conformation over time and receive a normal hip rating; usually a fair hip phenotype.
Mild
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Mild Canine Hip Dysplasia (Figure 5): there is significant subluxation present where the ball is partially out of the socket causing an incongruent increased joint space. The socket is usually shallow only partially covering the ball. There are usually no arthritic changes present with this classification and if the dog is young (24 to 30 months of age), there is an option to resubmit an radiograph when the dog is older so it can be reevaluated a second time. Most dogs will remain dysplastic showing progression of the disease with early arthritic changes. Since HD is a chronic, progressive disease, the older the dog, the more accurate the diagnosis of HD (or lack of HD).

Moderate
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Moderate Canine Hip Dysplasia: there is significant subluxation present where the ball is barely seated into a shallow socket causing joint incongruency. There are secondary arthritic bone changes usually along the femoral neck and head (termed remodeling), acetabular rim changes (termed osteophytes or bone spurs) and various degrees of trabecular bone pattern changes called sclerosis. Once arthritis is reported, there is only continued progression of arthritis over time.
Severe
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Severe HD (Figure 6): assigned where radiographic evidence of marked dysplasia exists. There is significant subluxation present where the ball is partly or completely out of a shallow socket. Like moderate HD, there are also large amounts of secondary arthritic bone changes along the femoral neck and head, acetabular rim changes and large amounts of abnormal bone pattern changes.

See also:
Hip Dysplasia By Breed and Rank (OFA)
The PennHip method of diagnosing hip dysplasia - New x-ray technology for assessing canine hip health (Dog Owners Guide website)

Class Action Law suit
You may be a party to a potential class action lawsuit arising from the misrepresentation of the need for vaccinations for your pets.
If, within the last four years, you have paid for any of the following pet vaccinations without receiving adequate disclosure, you may have a claim for damages. The vaccines include the following:
1) Annual vaccination for canine distemper, parvovirus, and feline distemper, rhinotracheitis, calcivirus
(Scientific studies indicate that repeat administration of these vaccines provides no beneficial effect.)
2) Corona virus vaccination.
(Scientific studies indicate dogs over 8 weeks old are not susceptible to this disease.)
3) Leptospirosis or Lyme disease vaccination
(Research indicates these diseases are rare to non-existent in Texas and many other parts of the country.)
4) Feline Aids vaccine, Feline Infectious Peritonitis vaccine, or Giardia vaccine
(Scientific studies have shown these vaccines to be ineffective.)
If you have paid for any of the above vaccinations in the last four years and would like information concerning your rights, please send an email to:
Roy R. Brandys or John Sawin
Childress Duffy Goldblatt, Ltd.
petvaccine@childresslaw.net

Critter Fixer Pet Hospital
Bob Rogers DVM
5703 Louetta Spring, Texas 77379
The Law Firm of Childress Duffy Goldblatt, Ltd. of Chicago, Illinois, has agreed to investigate and pursue a potential class action lawsuit arising from the misrepresentation of the need for pet vaccinations. If you have paid for pet vaccinations in the last four years without adequate disclosures, please email the Firm at petvaccine@childresslaw.net.
Every year over 30 thousand dogs and cats in the U.S. die from adverse reactions from unnecessary vaccines. It has been ten years since the article first appeared in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association entitled “Are we Vaccinating too much?” in which and Dr Ron Schultz stated, ”Clients are paying for something with no effect except the risk of an adverse reaction”.
Since that time the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Feline Practitioners, and the American Animal Hospital Association as well as twenty- two schools of Veterinary Medicine in the U.S. have endorsed reductions in the numbers and frequency of vaccinations recommended for pets. More and more research has confirmed that most vaccines are unnecessary and potentially harmful. And yet 90% of the Veterinarians in the United States have ignored these guidelines, and continue to give vaccines, which have been proven to be unnecessary and potentially harmful.
My efforts in the last six years to promote change have been met with frustration. I have written to every State Board of Veterinary Medicine in the U.S. I have been before the Texas State Board six times. After I appeared before the Texas Sunset Committee, a group of 12 Senators who over- see the State Veterinary Board, they ordered the Board to crack down on unnecessary vaccines. They have not. The Attorney General’s office in Texas has agreed that it is unlawful for a Veterinarian to obtain a fee by the misrepresentation of the benefit or necessity of vaccines. And yet the misrepresentation of vaccines to the public and the harming of our pets continues unchecked.
We need your help. I feel that a class action lawsuit is the only way pet owners can get fair and ethical treatment for our loved ones.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bob Rogers

Is It A Stroke?
This might be a lifesaver if we can remember the three questions!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify.
Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster for the stroke victim.
A stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say any bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
1. Ask the individual to smile.
2. Ask him or her to raise both arms.
3. Ask the person to speak a simple sentence.
If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
After discovering that a group of non-medical volunteers could identify facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the general public to learn the three questions.
They presented their conclusions at the American Stroke Association's annual meeting last February.
Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage.
Is It A Heart Attack?
A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people, you can bet that at least one life will be saved.
Read this . . . It could save your life!!
Let's say it's 6:15 PM. and you're driving home (alone of course), after an unusually hard day on the job. You're really tired, upset, and frustrated. Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw.
You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home.
Unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far.
You have been trained in CPR, but the guy that taught the course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself.
HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE
Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.
However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously.
A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest.
A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.
Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating.
The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm.
In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital.
Tell as many people as possible about this.
It could save their lives!!