Slaughter of Dogs in China - GREAT NEWS!!!!

I've received the following e-mail fom IFAW about the dog cull in China, reproduced below.
See my previous post of Wednesday 16th September.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great news!

Thanks to the immediate response of our supporters, the dog cull in Qinhuangdao has been averted.

The details are still coming in - but it's clear that the government in Qinhuangdao felt the pressure from IFAW supporters around the world. Public notices and government web site postings announcing the cull have been taken down.

If you ever wondered whether one person can make a difference - well, this is proof that they can! Every email, message, and dollar sent had a direct effect on averting a widespread, unnecessary and cruel slaughter.

We will be keeping a close eye on the area until we are convinced that no dogs will be harmed in the future. Many locals sent their pets away to friends and family in order to protect them, and we want to make sure Qinhuangdao remains a safe place for them to return.

You see, local government officials often resort to dog culls because China has no rabies prevention program or animal welfare legislation. A single case of rabies can create a panic - leading to calls for a mass dog slaughter at anytime.

That's why it's so important for IFAW to establish vaccination and sterilisation programs within China to control overpopulation and disease - before more culls are called for.

Your donation is critical to developing these programs and ending dog culls once and for all.

I'm so proud of what we were able to achieve for these dogs. I want to thank all of our animal friends like you for helping to prevent such tragic and needless suffering, and for making today such a wonderful day for animals.

Sincerely, Fred O'ReganIFAW CEO

P.S.
With IFAW's support, the first draft of national animal welfare legislation for China is being completed. If passed into law this will permanently ban the dog culls we have been campaigning against. Help support this legislation by donating now to protect animals around the world from cruelty and exploitation.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

What a wonderful result.

The Gentle Art of Medicating Your Dog, or How We Got Our Dog to Take Her Medicine

Many pet dog owners have faced the difficult task of getting their dog to swallow its tablets or other medicine.
Some dogs are easy - they just chew them up or swallow them whole. Others are more difficult, to say the least!

Olive, our female greyhound, is very aware of her tablets. She is an old dog (now 13 years) and is on daily tablets - 3 in the morning and 4 at night. We have had to try various subterfuges to get her to take her medicine.
We've found that the size of the tablet makes no difference.

The methods we've tried are :

• Hide them just under the top layer of her food. We found the tablets at the bottom of of an otherwise empty food bowl!
• Put them in her mouth and gently hold her mouth shut for a moment. She spits them out, and you then get wet (expensive) tablets which start to disintegrate.
  
• She has dried food, so we added some tinned meat. Hide the tablets inside the meat. This worked for a while, but she soon got wise to that!
• Hide them inside some meat and offer as a treat. Worked a few times - but she soon worked out how to eat the meat and spit out the tablets. Quite a trick!
• We've tried sardines, tuna, tinned meat chunks, freshy cooked chicken, sausages etc. They all worked for a while. Freshly cooked chicken skin still works - wrap it around the tablet and she eats the lot. Sausages whch haven't gone cold still work too. Hiding them in a good sized ball of tinned Chappie Original (fish-based) works , but she does refuse them sometimes.
• Cheese is very good. You need a cheese which is easily moulded. But our Olive became suspicious after a while!
  
• Our latest trick is to use Winalot Shapes. We smear them with butter, stick the tablet to it, and then cover it with some more butter. You have to be careful with crumbly tablets as they tend to break up. This works everytime (so far!). I guess that any small biscuit will do.
• I have been told that hiding the tablets in peanut butter works well. We haven't tried this yet.
  

I think that the best approach is to use one of the methods a few times and then change to something else. This should fool most dogs, I think.

Of course some medicines are in liquid form. You can just mix that into the top layer of food. I've found it a good idea to put something very tasty and smelly on top, just to mask the smell of the medicine.

If anyone out there has found a good way of getting their dog to take its medicine please let me know!

Slaughter of Dogs in China!!! Act Now to End this Appalling Massacre

A few days ago I received an e-mail from Fred O'Regan of IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare).

It was about the horrific enforced slaughter of dogs in China.

I was going to create a post straight away, but I was so upset about what I had read and seen, that I couldn't bring myself to do so.

The slaughter is underway, but better to be a bit late than never to do someting about it.

The e-mail from IFAW is reproduced below. Images are from IFAW. Personal data has been removed.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Fred O'Regan, International Fund for Animal Welfare fred@ifaw1.org

Subject: Urgent: Dog Slaughter Set to Begin Tomorrow: Help Us Stop it

Date: Saturday, 12 September, 2009, 6:57 PM




Help Us Stop the Qinhuangdao Dog Slaughter Before it Starts

Dear Trevor, I've just received an urgent report that another city in China is planning a mass cull to slaughter any unregistered dogs, strays, and even registered family dogs that are over 14 inches (35cm) tall. Dog owners in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, are even being told to kill their own dogs, or else their dogs will be beaten to death by the police and the owners will be charged a fine. Can you imagine being forced to kill your own dog to save it from a more brutal slaughter?

Unless we can stop this now, the Dog Death squads could be roaming the streets tomorrow – beating, stoning, and killing dogs – some right in front of their owners.You might remember the attached e-mail I sent you recently about a similar cull. We found out too late for many of those dogs, but this time we have a chance to stop it before it starts. I need you to do two things right now:

1. Send an e-mail to the Chinese Ambassador in your country. So you can act quickly, I've written an e-mail for you - click here to review and send it.

2. Make a donation to help IFAW end dog culls in China and to protect animals around the world from similar cruelty. It’s crucial that you act quickly –according to the government notice, the police will begin combing the streets tomorrow to kill dogs. Please send your message now, and then forward this e-mail to as many of your friends as possible urging them to help us stop this slaughter.

In addition to working to stop this cull, IFAW is helping draft China's first national animal welfare legislation that will prohibit culls like this. And we're developing a rabies vaccination and sterilization program that we can offer to rural communities to humanely prevent rabies and control dog populations.We’ve stopped culls like this in other Chinese cities, and we can stop this one too!
Please send your message of protest today.
And then please make a donation to help us continue our efforts to help save animals around the world from cruelty and exploitation.Please act now to save these dogs - make it the very next thing you do. Thank you,Fred

You can help us end bloodbaths like this and protect dogs in China from future culls






A death squad pursues a terrified dog.





Please help stop the slaughter.



Dear Trevor, A massive cull in the Chinese city of Hanzhong has claimed the lives of more than 30,000 dogs - and now we need your help to make sure that it never happens again.

The local government ordered the mass slaughter of all dogs as the result of a few cases of rabies deaths. Dog killing squads are stalking the streets, mercilessly beating dogs to death with sticks and rocks.

Friendly dogs - even healthy family pets - are being slaughtered right in front of their owners. Can you even begin to imagine how you'd feel if that happened to your dog?

IFAW has pleaded with government officials to stop the killing - and now we turn to you.

Please help us stop these cruel and massive slaughters once and for all.

Horrifying scenes of cruelty

Some of the pictures from culls like these are so horrifying that I can't even show them to you. And I hate having to describe this, but I think you need to know the truth about what's happening.In one series of pictures, several small and fluffy white dogs - you can just tell they're used to snuggling on the laps of their loving owners - are trapped in a makeshift cage. One by one, the dogs are pulled out with a pair of long metal tongs, and brutally beaten with a stick. And then - even though it appears that some of the dogs may still be alive - they're tossed into a pit to be burned.I can't even imagine the pain and terror these poor dogs endure when the fire is set.So many dogs will suffer slow and painful deaths...we must stop this cruelty now!

What we're doing and how you can help

We have received so many messages in the past few days from animal lovers like you inside and outside China - pleading with us to step in and stop the slaughters like the one in Hanzhong City.

• I assure you, IFAW is working to end these culls:
  We've already contacted local authorities in Hanzhong City to urge them to end the slaughter. Now you can help by contacting the Chinese Ambassador in your country.
• IFAW is creating an emergency rabies vaccination fund so that we can offer rural communities in China an alternative to mass slaughters like the one in Hanzhong. Please give generously to our emergency rabies vaccination fund.We're working with the central government to pass animal welfare legislation in China that will ensure the humane treatment of all animals. IFAW has already helped major cities like Beijing establish dog regulations that mandate humane vaccination and population control.
  

We CAN stop culls like this

We recently joined with concerned animal lovers in China to stop a similar mass slaughter in the city of Heihe by pointing out that the killing of dogs that have rightful owners is a violation of the basic rights of a citizen - owned dogs and cats are considered the "personal property" of Chinese citizens, and should be protected under China's Constitution.

Plus, it has been proven that rabies can be effectively controlled by a well-managed vaccination program. In fact, a humane vaccination and neuter program in Chennai, India, has dramatically reduced rabies cases there by over 95%.

So we must act now to stop the killing!
Please click here to contact the Chinese Ambassador in your country to call for an end to mass slaughters like this and to encourage China to pass legislation that protects all animals, including companion animals.

And then please donate what you can today to help us set up an emergency vaccination fund to help cities in China establish rabies prevention programs, help eliminate these mass dog culls once and for all, and to continue our mission to protect animals around the world from cruelty.

The slaughtered dogs of Hanzhong City deserved a better fate. Please help us ensure that dogs in other communities in China are protected from similar mass killings.Thank you so much for your help,

Fred O'ReganIFAW CEO

p.s. I have to tell you, the images of this dog slaughter keep me up at night. If you've ever enjoyed the companionship of a dog, then you know that they truly are members of our families. Please help us protect family pets by donating to our vaccination fund and our anti-cruelty campaigns around the world.
Please forward this e-mail to your friends, family, and colleagues who care about animals as much as you do.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, I felt pretty sick after reading that.
I've contacted the Chinese embassy. Please do the same.
e-mail your friends with this information please.
Something can be done. If we all act, a huge amount can be done.
Thank you.

Working With Dogs ~ A Career With Animals ~ Have YOU Got What It Takes?

Do You Fancy a Career with Animals? Would you like to Work with Dogs?
Have You Got What It Takes?... Find Out Here!

This a rewrite of a post I did last October plus extra material.

So, you would like to work with dogs. Good for you!
But working with dogs (or any other animal) isn't just a nice job - it's a way of life.
I worked full time in dog rescue and also as a zookeeper, so I am speaking with the voice of hands-on experience!

And this is what it takes :

• Complete commitment and Total Dedication
• A Compassionate and caring nature
• Infinite Patience
• A strong sense of responsibility
• Physical fitness and stamina
• Good powers of observation
• Attention to detail
• A willingness to learn
• The humility to realise that you are never going to know everything about animals
• Good communication skills and People skills
• Courage (mental, physical, and emotional)
• Being prepared to do unpleasant jobs
• You may have to make difficult decisions - including life & death ones.
• Be willing to undergo further education & training
• Even more dedication!

You must also :

• Know your strengths
• More importtantly, know your weaknesses
• Be mentally, physically and emotionally robust

The welfare of a dog comes before your needs.....If an animal's welfare is compromised you stay until it is sorted - even if you have made plans to go out!

Good observation, even of something apparently insignificant, can mean life or death to a dog!

Most work with dogs is badly paid! You won't get financially rich, but you will become rich in many better ways.

Some things like communication and people skills can be learnt, others like observation and physical fitness can be improved by practice.
Other things are down to your personality.
Knowledge comes with experience and training. You may have to take one or more courses and obtain qualifications. Learning is a lifelong activity!

Working with animals isn't an escape from working with people. You will be part of a team. You will also have contact with the authorities and the general public.

Think long and hard, do some voluntary work with animals. Appropiate work experience can be an eye-opener! It will also show a potential employer that you are dedicated.

I will give you two real examples of observation and dedication :

1) On observation. A stray female dog was brought in just as I was locking up for the night. When I got her out of his car, I noticed a tiny spot of very dark blood on the blanket she was lying on. I checked with the finder and he said it wasn't there when he put it in. ALARM BELLS! I checked her vagina for discharge by swabbing with some damp cotton wool. The result - a dark blood-like discharge. Potential pyometra ( a serious & potentially fatal womb infection). I took her straight to the vet and she underwent a life-saving operation. If I had not noticed, or had chosen to ignore the spot of blood, I would have found a dead dog in the kennels in the morning!

2) On dedication. A dog had been locked in a house on its own for 2 days. The owner had been injured and was in hospital. The local people were unable to deal with the problem. I waited at work until gone 6pm for a phone call from the police. Then, with a colleague, drove a 40 mile round trip to collect the dog. Once it was fed and settled, I locked up and then arrived back home just gone 8.30pm. The theatre tickets for that evening went in the bin!

Rewards of the job

Working with dogs gives you the chance to get close to and to understand another species. We need to reach outside of ourselves and make contact with other living things - ask anyone who has stroked a cat or patted a dog!

If you work in rescue, helping an abused dog recover and then finding it a loving home for the rest of its life is fantastically rewarding. For me that was the best part of the job.

Still want to work with dogs? Yes? Great!

If you are interested in dog training you may find this of interest - just Click Here

There are many different types of work and career opportunities with dogs

• Work in a rescue / rehoming centre
• Boarding kennels*
• National charities like RSPCA and Dogs Trust
• Police dog handler
• Armed forces dog handler
• Customs and excise dog handler
• Dog Grooming*
• Dog Training*
  
• Dog Behaviour*
• Veterinary Nurse
• Veterinary Surgeon
• Pet photography*
• Pet food /pet shop*
  

You can also set up your own business, such as dog grooming or boarding kennels. The ones marked * in the list are all possible businesses that you could run.
If you don't want to be hands-on, you can work as an administrator, fund raiser, secretary, keep accounts or other office work.

Qualifications
You will need to go to veterinary college if you want to be a vet. There is a huge amount of competition for places.
You may need to obtain animal care qualifications, such as an NVQ in Animal Care.

I am going to stop writing now. I will write a longer piece on qualifications soon.

If you are interested in dog training you may find this of interest - just Click Here

Dog Treat Recipes ~ Healthy & Tasty Treats For Your Dog!

HEALTHY & TASTY DOG TREAT RECIPES

The recipes are easy to make. Any which are vegetarian are marked (V).

The flour is always whole wheat unless stated otherwise

Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness unless otherwise stated

(1) Wholemeal Dog Biscuits (V)

To make about 40 biscuits :

500g whole wheat flour

225g wheatgerm

4 tablespoons bran flakes

2 tablespoons malt extract

2 tablespoons of olive oil

About 400ml of water

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Add the malt , oil and water. Mix well to make a stiff dough. Roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes. Bake in a moderate oven until hard.

(2) Liver Cake

To make about 45 treats

900g whole wheat flour

450g liver

225g oats

About 150ml water

2 eggs

Put the liver into a blender,add the flour & oats. Add the beaten eggs. Add enough water to make a stiff mixture. Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness and cut into shapes. Bake at 180C, Mark 4 (pre-heated) unti hard.

(3) Veggie Treats (V)

Makes about 30 treats

200g whole wheat flour

100g assorted vegetables (NOT Onions) e.g. carrots, courgette, celery,cabbage

Couple of garlic cloves

2tablespoons dried parsley

Finely chop the veg& garlic. Mix together with the flour & parsley. Add some water to make a stiff dough. Roll out and cut into shapes.

Bake at 190c, mark 5 until hard.

(4) Sardine Smashers

To make about 50 treats

300g flour

200g wheatgerm

Can of sardines in oil (mashed up)

About 300ml water

Mix everything together - only add enough water to make a stiff dough. Roll out and cut into shapes

Bake at 150c, Mark2 until done

(5) Tuna Tasties

As for (4) ,but use tuna instead of sardines

If you would like even more dog treat recipes please visit : http://doglinks.synthasite.com

There is no obligation.

(6) Cheese Biscuits (V)

To make about 36 biscuits

400g flour

100g grated cheese

100ml olive oil

1 clove garlic

About 200ml water

Mix all the ingredients to make a firm dough

Roll out and cut into shapes

Bake at 190c, Mark 5 until brown (about 15 minutes)

(7) Training Treats

500g liver

1 tablespoon garlic powder (optionaal)

Cut the liver into strips and place onto a baking tray.

Sprinkle with the garlic powder, if used

Bake at 170c, Mark 3 for 30 minutes. Turn the strips over and cook for another 15 minutes

Switch off oven and allow the liver to dry out (in the oven)

(8) Chicken Crunch

500g minced chicken

175g rye flour

200g wholemeal flour

200g brown rice flour

50g wheatgerm

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1clove garlic, crushed

About 450ml chicken stock

Mix all dry ingredients

Mix in the minced chicken

Mix oil & chicken stock and blend into the dry mix

Roll out and place onto baking tray

Bake at 180c, Mark4 until golden brown. Break into pieces.

(9) Coat Conditioner (V)

Makes about 70 biscuits

500g flour

50g each of sesame seeds, linseeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds

100ml olive oil

2 eggs beaten

About 450ml vegetable stock

Crush the seeds**. Mix all dry ingredients, add the oil and beaten eggs. Gradually add stock until a dough is formed. Roll out and cut into shapes. Bake at 180c, mark4 until golden brown.

**The seeds must be crushed - otherwise they pass through undigested!

(10) Breath Fresheners (V)

Makes about 50-60 biscuits

500g flour

100g porridge oats

100g wheat germ

20g each of mint and parsley

About 500ml vegetable stock

Mix dry ingredients with the herbs. Gradually add stcok to form a dough. Roll out and cut into shapes. Bake at 180c , Mark 4 until golden brown.

(11) Tummy Settlers (V)

For about 60 biscuits

500g flour

250g wheatgerm

50 charcoal tablets**, crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

About 500ml vegetable stock

Mix dry ingredients. Add the oil ,and gradually add the stock until a dough is formed. Roll out and cut into pieces. The biscuits will turn black when the stock is added!

Bake at 190c, mark5 until hard.

** available from health stores. Charcoal is good for digestive problems such as wind and gurgling tums!

(12) Chockies (V)

USE ONLY SPECIAL DOG CHOCOLATE - DO NOT USE HUMAN CHOCOLATE IT IS POISONOUS TO DOGS

Makes about 50 biscuits

600g flour

500g pinhead oatmeal

4tablespoons olive oil

About 500ml water

50g doggie chocs

Mix dry ingredients with doggie chocs. Add oil and water to form a stiff dough.

Roll out and cut into shapes. Bake for about an hour at 150c ,Mark 2.

For more FREE dog treat recipes please visit : http://doglinks.synthasite.com
There is no obligation.

You can also shop in our Pet Dog Store for handy items for you and your pet.

Check out our store!

A Sentimental Journey ~ We still miss our old dog!

We've just come back from a holiday in the Lake District (UK). Mixed weather, but a great time as always.

Our old dog, Spot, loved going there. When he died we had an individual cremation and we were given his ashes in a pottery jar, which sits on our Welsh dresser.
After a while, it felt the right time to scatter some of his ashes in the places he loved best. Places like our garden, a favourite walk, and of course, Woodland Fell in the Lakes.

We found a place which overlooked the place where we stay with good views of the hills. You can also see the sea and a beach which he loved. I can still see him running and leaping round in the air like a young dog. Yet a few months later he was dead, despite all the good work that the vets did.

We built a small cairn over some of his ashes, and we can easily find the place when we visit.

Sentimental - yes. But at the time it helped us to grieve.
Now we make a sentimental journey and sit by his ashes and remember him and the joy which he gave us. We still miss him.

Everybody has to find their own way to grieve - there is no right way - just do what feels right for you.

Dog Fighting ~ An Evil Bloodsport which is still going on.

Dog Fighting
A very nasty bloodsport which needs stamping out.

A couple of days ago I heard a disturbing report on the radio about dog-fighting.

Quote from the BBC News (30th July 09) : "Inside the world of dog-fighting"
"It was the sound of dogs barking and whimpering that first attracted PC Paul Foster to the back of an old kitchen showroom in inner city Birmingham."

To read the article use this link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8175047.stm
You may see some unpleasant images.

About 3 years ago a big dog fighting ring in Leicester waas broken up. I think that 40 people were arrested.
I know that some dogs were handed in to rescues as being "found". Considering the types of dog, and the circumstances in which they were handed over, I think it is fair to say that they came from dog fighters.

I've met a few people whom I believe were involved in dog-fighting. They are unpleasant characters and you are well-advised to stay away from them.
Once when I was driving to the rescue where I worked, I was followed by an unmarked van with 2 men whom I suspected of being involved. I didn't dare go to the rescue until I had lost them.

A few years ago I sold second-hand books on a stall. A man approached me and spoke quietly out of the corner of his mouth "Got anythin' on dog fighting, mate". My polite answer was "Sorry, no". I am not going to divulge what action I took or where it was.

If you have suspicions, do NOT confront them - report them to the RSPCA or police. Do not have anything to do with the people involved. Stay well away from them.

Dogs used for fighting are often staffie types (staffordshire bull terriers). You will see suspicious scars on their bodies. The dogs often kill each other.

Large sums of money (thousands of pounds) change hands on the outcome of the dog fight.

These people are unscrupulous. Innocent little dogs are thrown into fighting dogs - to be torn to pieces. This is to give the dogs a "taste of blood".

Please be vigilant and report your suspicions. Don't discuss them with other people.

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting.

Police Dogs On Wheels!

Police Dogs

After that tragic story of the 2 GSDs who died yesterday, something heart-warming.
It is about a police sniffer dog with arthritis, who was given a set of wheels to help him get along!

The video is on the BBC News site, so is safe to watch.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7733880.stm

Great story isn't it!

Dogs DIE In Hot Cars ~ 2 GSDs Die In A Police Vehicle!

Today's news (July 2nd) - Two German Shepherd police dogs died in a police car yesterday afternoon!

The poor dogs were found dead at Nottinghamshire Police HQ at 2.15 pm.

They were left in the vehicle by their HANDLER! To say that the handler should have known better is an understatement.

Temperature's outside reached 29.4C. Inside the car it would have been like an oven.

It is a dreadful way to die. I can barely believe it happened.

I can only describe it as GROSS negligence and incompetence.

The RSPCA are investigating.

You can read the Press Association story here :

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090702/tuk-police-dogs-die-in-hot-parked-car-6323e80.html



So what do we do with our dogs in hot weather?

The obvious answer is NOT to leave them in a vehicle.

IF you have to then :

• Leave ALL the windows and the sunroof open. At least 4 inches - wider if you can. (Security has to be considered).
• Park IN THE SHADE (the temperature will rocket in the sun even with the windows open)
• Have water available to drink
• Check them regularly
• Leave them for the least time possible
• If they do suffer heat exhaustion get them out of the car at once and throw water over them - LOTS of water - bucketfuls of it

We only leave our dogs on their own IF we can park in the shade. If we can't then one of us stays with them.

I'd rather suffer inconvenience than the death of my dogs.

When I heard the story about the police dogs on the radio I was shocked - then I read it on the news site and it brought tears to my eyes. Writing this has done the same thing, so I'll sign off for now.

I was going to write a cheerful piece about a lost dog which was found, but I'll do that another time.

Bye for now.

Dogs and Cows ~ Is it Safe to Walk Through Fields of Cows With Your Dog?

Is it safe to walk your dog through fields of cows?

Recently there have been some dreadful reports in the news about dog walkers being attacked by cows.
One incident was of a vet walking her dog, and was trampled to death by a herd of cows.

The key thing to look for is : Are there CALVES in the field? If so, do NOT walk your dog through the field.
Personally, I avoid any fields that have cows. I NEVER go in with my dogs if there are calves present.
It is possible that the cows are out of sight, so I always look for signs like cowpats and hoof prints, or ask anybody that I see.
A cow can weigh upto 1 ton - that's a big animal, and so can inflict a lot of damage.


Farming Today, early morning on Radio 4, have recently discussed the problem, and have given some excellent advice.

KEEP YOUR DOG ON A LEAD AT ALL TIMES - do not let dogs run loose where there are cows present.

If you are approached by cows:

• STAY CALM
• DO NOT SHOUT OR SCREAM - this will make things a lot worse
• DO NOT RUN - THIS COULD TRIGGER AN ATTACK
• WALK AWAY CALMLY & QUIETLY TO AN EXIT OR TO THE EDGE OF THE FIELD

Cows initally are inquisitive , so stay calm if they approach you and quietly and calmly make your escape.
Once they have smelt you and your dog they will realise that you are strangers and so a potential threat to their calves. Stay quiet and calm.

What if you are surrounded by cows or hemmed in at a field boundary?
STAND STILL and let them sniff you. They will go away, but it can take time (up to 30 minutes!)

The key things are : Don't run, don't scream or shout. Keep calm. Keep your dog on a lead.

If there is bull in the field there is a legal requirement for a notice "BULL IN FIELD". Never go in!

Rams can also be a problem - avoid.

Credit Crunch Dogs - Vet Bills Go Up, So Does Dog Food!

The Credit Crunch hits everyone - including our pets!

My vet bills keep going up. This is largely due to the constant price increases of medication for my old girl - now costing about £150 each month! (But she is worth every penny, of course).



The price of dog food keeps going up as well.


So what can we do? The obvious answer is "shop around"!


That is what I did for dog food.

I was buying a 15Kg bag of Arden Grange Lamb & Rice. At a large national chain of petstores I was paying around £35. At my small local pet shop I am now paying £25.50! I use a bag every 3 weeks, so a useful saving.


The same was true for Winalot Shapes (small dog biscuits). My local pet shop is nearly half the price of the nationwide store!


You could make your own dog treats (and know excactly what has gone into them!).

For some FREE no obligation recipes you can download them from this site:
http://doglinks.synthasite.com/ (It is safe site and no personal information is collected.)


What about Vet Bills?

You could compare charges of the vets in your area. (ask other pet owners). But you do need to consider travel costs, and the vet's reputation.


It is possible to buy dog medication online.

Choose a good supplier like VetUK. (I have used them - it was set up by a vet so they do know their stuff). There are others of course.

Non-prescription medication & treatments, e.g. joint supplements, wormers, flea treatments, will probably be cheaper online.


Prescription medicines (marked POM) can be purchased online BUT you must have a prescription from your vet. This used to be free, but vets are now allowed to charge up to £15 for this 'service'. Ask your vet what they charge and check online prices. You could still save money.



If anyone has any good ideas please leave a comment. Thanks.

On a sadder and more serious note, many pet owners are abandoning their animals.
Some act responsibly and find a new owner, or find a place at a rescue centre.
But there are a lot who are just dumped on the streets.
Rescue centres do their best, but are being overwhelmed with unwanted animals.

One Of My Dogs Kept Biting At His Rear End ~ A Gland Problem!

A couple of weeks ago my male dog kept nibbling his skin near his backside. This can be a sign of a gland problem in the back passage.

There are two sacs which can become full. It causes discomfort and irritation to your dog. If left infection can set in.

Signs of the problem can be biting or nibbling around the rear end or rubbing on a hard surface. There will also be a bad smell around his rear end.

Sometimes the glands will empty themselves, but it often requires human intervention!

Unless you have been trained to do this, it is a job best left to the vet - especially if infection has set in.

A sign of infection is passing blood when defecating (this may be just a few drops of dark liqiud) , blood on bedding, or blood around the back passage. Lift your dog's tail to have a look!

Anyway, back to my lad. His glands emptied themselves - you can tell by the smell!
However, a few days later he started nibbling his backend again. I was going to empty them (I've been trained to do this), but I noticed a couple of drops of dark red liquid on the grass when he went to the toilet.
That meant infection had set in and we went to the vet. There wasn't much in the glands, but one was infected. The vet prescribed a 5-day course of Antirobe - a very good anti-biotic. This cleared up the problem, but he did get a touch of diarrhoea.
I gave him light meals plus some organic live yoghurt. This quickly helped settle his system.

Problem solved!

DOGS AND COLD WEATHER - DOGS IN SNOW

Did you see the pictures of my greyhounds in the snow? (Thursday 5th March)

On one walk in the snow we went across a field covered in fresh snow. It was quite deep and hard work for my old dog. This set me thinking about problems for dogs in cold weather.

• Hidden dangers, e.g. holes, broken glass, etc.
• Slipping and Falling
• Frozen ponds, lakes, rivers
• Hypothermia (exposure to cold)
• Health problems exacerbated by cold
• Exhaustion
• Chemicals

Snow can hide all sorts of dangers.
Frozen ponds, etc. may not bear the weight of your dog.
Falling & slipping can cause soft-tissue damage or a broken bone.
Older and vulnerable dogs may suffer exposure and exhaustion. A coat is a good idea.
Arthritis can be more noticeable. Breathing problems can worsen with cold air.
The heart has to work harder. Exhaustion can set in.
Salt used to treat icy roads can irritate paws.
Anti-freeze and de-icers are toxic.

And don't forget short-legged dogs (like daschunds)who will find deep snow hard work. They can also get cold stomachs!

Keeping a towel in your vehicle is a good idea, so your dog can have a rub-down after the walk.
Washing paws if you've walked on treated roads is a good idea.
Paw wax applied before the walk can help prevent slipping and also protect the pads.
And don't forget to keeep chemicals well out of doggie reach!

So that's a few ideas on dogs and cold weather and some problems for dogs in snow.
It's all common sense really - you will probably think of other things to add to the list!

Its getting warmer now and will soon be time to put the clocks forward - but my local weather forecast is for frost overnight!

DOG TREAT RECIPES ~ Healthy & Tasty Recipes for Free

I've created a site that has some very good dog treat recipes. They are free for you to use. Just copy and paste into Word.

There is an appeal on the site - Olive, our old dog, is now costing us over £200 a month for medication. We are struggling to pay the bills.

What I'm hoping is that, in return for the recipes, you will make a VOLUNTARY donation towards Olive's medical fund. There is a 'Donate' button which takes you to Paypal secure payments.

I feel unsure and a bit ashamed about doing this and still feel that I am begging. But you are getting something worth having. I could create a booklet and try to sell it cheaply on eBay, but the fees would eat-up the money! So I thought that I would give this open and honest appeal a try.

There are no catches and nothing to sign up to. The dog treat recipes are free and without obligation. So go and get them! But please do consider the appeal.

The cost of dog medication has gone up several times in the last year.

Just go to this site : http://doglinks.synthasite.com

Thank you.

PS. The website I created was free for me to create. The hosting is also free!

Crufts Is Still In Disgrace!

Today (Sunday 8th march) is the last day of Crufts 2009 and Crufts is still in disgrace!

I didn't go to Crufts this year.

Do you remember the BBC documentary "Pedigree Dogs Exposed" directed by Jemima Harrison? (See my archive 26/8/08 and 29/10/08)
It revealed the health problems caused by the inbreeding of pedigree dogs.

There was an uproar about it. And quite right too! How can a pekingese who couldn't breathe properly win Best In Show?

Since the showing of Pedigree Dogs Exposed on BBC1 there has been outrage, protests, loss of sponsorship and withdrawals of support.

• Pedigree Foods withdrew their sponsorship of Crufts
• The BBC are not broadcasting the Show
• Dog's Trust (a major dog welfare charity) have withdrawn their support
• The PDSA (People's Dispensary for Sick Animals) have withdrawn
• The RSPCA have withdrawn their support

I believe that other organisations have also withdrawn.

I had a look at the Trade Stands list on the Crufts 2009 website. Some names that I have seen at previous shows were not in the list.

Crufts have had a shock and I hope that they sit up and take notice and ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING POSITIVE!!!

Jemima Harrison was not allowed to film at Crufts this year. However she has gone as a paying visitor and reports that nothing has changed. A Sunday Times headline of March 8th says : "Nothing’s breedin’ changed at Crufts, mate"

Protesters have planned to be at Crufts this year.

Let us hope that something good comes out of all this for the sake of the dogs.

Crufts could change and become a showcase of all that is good in the dog world.

Dogs Like Snow ! Greyhounds In The Snow

My greyhounds in the recent snow.

Greyhounds need coats in cold weather. They have thin-skins and short fur. If you need a coat then so do they!

The coats the dogs are wearing are water-repellant and fleece lined. They also have yellow reflective strips.

The white one is old and has TWO coats on! They keep her nice and warm.

Video about Dog Food ~ Dog Food Secrets

Watch this video about dog food - it's quite shocking!

To visit their website for more information please CLICK HERE

Happy Christmas

Pictures of vintage cards courtesy of : vintageholidaycrafts.com

Credit Crunch - Times Are Hard & Money is Tight - BUT The Vet Bills Keep Rolling In !!!

Firstly an apology!

I am sorry that I haven't written an entry since the beginning of November.
I like to write something of use or of interest at least once a week.

Well, I make a small living from selling used (and some new) stuff. Collectibles, Books, DVDs, CDs, etc. I do this mostly on eBay, eBid, and Amazon Marketplace. You can see from the right hand side of my blog that I promote my efforts! (And why not - you have to let people know what you do!)
This is all good recycling - first you re-use, then keep re-using until you HAVE to recycle. Much better than sticking it in a hole in the ground!

Times are hard and we are all being careful what we do with our money. My sales have dropped off, so I've had to focus hard on making a living. All my time and effort has been spent on doing just that!

End of apology and explanation!

The Vet Bills

Dogs get sick and have to see the vet - and the large bills have to be paid there and then.
Vets consulting fees can be expensive and so can the medication!

I am spending around £125 each month on prescription medicines and joint supplements for my lass Olive. She's over 12 and has arthritis and an enlarged heart. I also take her to the vet regularly for a check - another £30 or so.

This month she developed a deep ear infection, that was another £50.
Her ears were very clean in the upper parts, but there was a build up deep inside (where you can't see or access).
The vet said that this was unusual.
Olive was prescribed anti-biotics (a 5 day course of Noroclav tablets), plus Surolan drops (a steroid). I also had to clean her ears with Epi-optic ear cleaner.

The poor lass really squealed when I used the epi-optic. I think that it is a bit harsh.
Fortunately the treatment has worked.

Usually you know when a dog has an ear problem.
They will shake there heads a lot in an effort to dislodge stuff.
You will also see them hanging there head to one side.
Also the infected ear(s) may be held at an unusual angle.
Your dog might want its ears rubbed more than is normal.

I didn't see any of this until the day before I took Olive to the vet! Usually you will see signs of possible ear infection earlier.

I regularly clean the upper parts of my dogs ears. I do this with a large piece of cotton wool (NOT a cotton bud) which I wet (not soak) with warm water. Just gently wipe the easily accessible areas inside the upper ear.
If there is a lot of discharge this could mean the start of a problem.
Please NEVER put anything deep inside your dog's ears - this includes cotton buds! You can do serious damage to a delicate organ.
As my doctor once joked - never put anything larger than your elbow inside your ear!

So back to vet bills!

You can do one of three things - take out pet insurance, put money to one side, or pay as required (not good if the bills run into thousands)
Olive isn't insured, and I don't begrudge the girl anything. I've even sold some of my precious book collection to pay for her treatment.
When Spot, our old much-loved male greyhound, developed a spinal problem we spent over £3,000 in one month trying to save him. We would have remortgaged the house if we had to.

You can ask your vet for a prescription and buy the medication somewhere cheaper. VetUK is a good on-line site. It is run by a vet.
BUT I think that vets can now charge £15 for the prescription, so there may be no saving.

If you take out pet insurance do shop around and read the small print. You want a life-time policy, not one that stops paying out after a certain time.
I think that I will make another post about this topic soon.

That's all for now!

Dogs and Fireworks - One of our dogs shook with fear.

More on dogs and fireworks. See my post of Sunday October 5th on the subject.

There were fireworks going off very close to our house last night. Olive was fine, but poor Boris was terrified. He curled up in his bed and SHOOK with fear.
I gave him Bach Rescue Remedy, which helped him. He stopped shaking and his heart thumped less. We also had the TV on quite loud to drown out the noise.
He refused to eat until very late (well after the fireworks had finished).

You can help your dog with Firework phobia and other loud noise fears.
This can be done with desensitisation and management methods.
Suggestions:

• Desensitisation. CDs are available which help to deal with the your dog's fears. You can buy them from suppliers like http://www.soundsscary.com/. They are available for fireworks, thunder, and gunshots. The CDs come with instructions - it is a gradual method of increasing noise level. It is important that your dog doesn't show signs of fear during use.
• DAP -dog appeasment pheromone. This is a plug-in diffuser - it has a calming effect.
• Make a safe place for your dog
• Close windows doors, curtains. Play music.
• Do NOT reward your dog - No treats, reassurance, or petting! You ignore the noises, as if it were nothing.
• Distraction. Play with your dog. It can also help if there is a non-fearful companion animal with them.
• I find that Bach Rescue Remedy helps
• Other Herbal Remedies like Valerian (liquid or tablets) and Skullcap can help. Consult your vet if your dog is on medication.

Good luck!