The Joys Of Having a Dog

A few days back, I received a mail with some lovely snaps complete with pithy captions. Have a look !

A dog's prayer to his master

Treat me kindly, my beloved master, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.

Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between the blows, your patience and understanding  will more quickly teach me the things you would have me do.

Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footstep falls upon my waiting ear.

When it is cold and wet, please take me inside... for I am now a domesticated animal, no longer used to bitter elements... and I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth... though had you no home, I would rather follow you through ice and snow than rest upon the softest pillow in the warmest home in all the land... for you are my god... and I am your devoted worshiper.

Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for although I should not reproach you were it dry, I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. Feed me clean food, that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to walk by your side, and stand ready, willing and able to protect you with my life, should your life be in danger.

*And, beloved master, should my pain or suffering ever become too great during my final hours, do not turn me away from you. Rather hold me gently in your arms as skilled hands grant me the merciful boon of eternal rest... and I will leave you knowing with the last breath I drew, my fate was ever safest in your hands.

                                                                     

                                                                  Beth Norman Harris

* These line brought a lump in my throat. I am certain every dog owner will  be overwhelmed by the words. Come lets pledge to care for our dogs and take pride and joy in looking after them ourselves and not relegate the duty to the servants and the helpers.  

Mating Tips

Mating ones bitch is a delicate execise that calls for deliberation and taking stock of the resources at hand for raising a litter requires patience and perseverance in equal measure. One also has to be ready to rear the pups if there are no ready homes for the pups. Anyway, if one has made up his mind about going ahead with the mating here is wishing you all the best! A few salient points are enlisted below that will come in handy.

Age
The bitch should neither be too young or too old. Normally, a breeder will breed a bitch when it has attained about 02 yrs of age or has had at least 03 heat cycles.

Health
The male and female should be in good health with all the vaccinations up to date. Preferably the stud should be a proven one from a good breeder. Alternately, the stud should should be one which is known to the owner of the bitch.

Timing
Normally, the mating is carried out after the 8th day of the bleeding is over. Most breeders recommend breeding on the 10 th day after  the bleeding has commenced. A second mating is carried out on the 12 th day as well. Further, in any case mating after the 17th day of bleeding is a futile exercise as far as conception is concerned. In most cases, the bitch will not allow the male to mount.

Tie
Every mating should end with a "tie" - a condition in which the male and female remain stuck (and hence tied) with each other for about 10 min after the male has ejaculated.

Venue
It is advisable that the bitch is taken to the stud's house and not the other way around. Performance anxiety owing to unfamiliar surroundings is frequently noticed in male dogs.

Assistance and Supervision
Owners or persons having an intimate knowledge about the dogs need to be around to assist the dogs and to calm them should they become excited.


For more info on the topic check this out

Pododermatitis

Pododermatitis is an inflammation of the skin in between the toes and the foot pads. It is characterised by redness of the area, itchiness (as a result the dog would continuously keep on licking it), pain on palpation, loss of hair, occasionally eruption of an angry red blister like lesion, ulcers, nodules, draining tracts and in certain pronounced cases even lameness.

 Mild Pododermatitis 

The disease occurs due to prolonged contact with soil based microbes, a moist environment that supports the growth of microbes, contact with potential allergens (agents that cause allergies) and trauma of the skin in between the toes. This condition is more commonly seen during the rains owing to the fact that when a dog goes out in the rains for its business the paws become wet and often the wet earth adheres to the area there by bringing in disease causing germs to the area. 

The disease can occur in any breed at any age and in either of the sexes. Normally, the disease occurs in one of the paws and thereafter spreads to the other paws.

Tips to manage and prevent the occurrence of Pododermatitis

-  Take regular care of the feet. Examine them regularly when grooming.

-  Pay more attention to the feet during the rains.           

-  Keep the paws clean and dry especially after the dog comes back from a walk or from outside.

-  No sooner do you suspect something is wrong with the paws, rush your pooch to your vet. This will

   help in starting the treatment well in time.

A word of caution. The earlier the treatment commences, the better it is for the dog. The treatment

in advanced cases is often frustrating, time consuming, requires prolong antibiotic therapy and

frequently relapses.

Carriage of Pets by Air

I accessed the site of SpiceJet to book a ticket. While browsing their site, I stumbled upon their policy regarding carriage of Pets by Air. Here is the link to the same -carriage of Pets by Air . Happy flying!

Pitfalls of Feeding Bones to the Dog

Last week, I came across two cases - an adult stray and a young Great Dane - both suffering from loose motions mixed with blood (Haemorrhagic gastroenteritis). Owners of both the dogs shared the information that their dogs had been fed chicken bones along with the feed nearly 24 hrs prior to the episode. 

Feeding bones is a risky exercise. Normally bones are either fed raw or cooked. Raw bones are tougher and do not snap easily when chewed but they are good sources of a large number of bacteria that may cause illness in the pet. Cooking the bones takes care of the bacterial load but makes the bones fragile (particularly chicken bone) and as a result the bones tend to snap when the dogs chew them leaving sharp ended bones that may lodge themselves at an awkward location in the digestive tract causing trauma. It is a particularly tricky situation and may lead to grave prognosis particularly when the sharp bony piece has perforated the intestine or the stomach.

Ideally, the meat should be stripped of the bones and the bones should invariably be removed from the feed. This is a safe practice and it easily outweighs the advantages likely to accrue by feeding bones viz. providing a natural source of Calcium and Phosphorus.  

By the way, both my patients responded to the treatment and had an uneventful recovery. :)

Dog Training : How to beat the blues

The other day, I came across a client who was at his wits end owing to his truant dog. This blog post is born to throw some light on the topic of dog training. Mind you, there are tomes and tomes on the topic and so much information on the net that one can easily get deluged and confused. Here is my take on the issue. Believe me, it works.   

The house breaking of the pup should ideally begin around 8 weeks of its age or after it has been brought home. It is important to set the rules slowly yet firmly to inculcate desired traits and behaviour. If due care is not given to this aspect the pup will pick up bad habits and will become an ill tempered dog who is a nuisance.

The dog is a creature of habit. The first requirement in house training is to follow a set time schedule for feeding the pup. As the pup usually relieves itself soon after feeding, it should be taken to the designated area immediately after feeding to allow it to finish its business. Soon, it will associate that particular spot and the time for relieving itself.

It does not understand what is a good behaviour or what is a bad behaviour. However, it understands love and anger or reprimand very easily. It has an inborn desire to be loved and pampered by its master. This desire holds the key to its training.

A positive reinforcement like soothing vocalizations, gentle pats, a happy tone of the voice and tidbits are the agents used for positive reinforcements. For example, if a pup shows a desired behaviour like sitting when made to sit by the owner, the owner needs to immediately reward him with gentle pats, soothing vocalizations or even a tidbit. Slowly, the dog will make an association between the command “sit” and his desired behaviour of “sitting” leading to a “reward”.

Similarly, the dog understands anger - an admonishing tone of the master. Therefore, if it exhibits an undesired behaviour, a prompt reprimand in the form of a stern “no” or “bad boy/girl” enables him to make a similar association. Never ever hit the dog. A firm “no” or a spank with a rolled newspaper is enough to drive home the message. 

Dogs are one of the most intelligent of all the domestic animals and can be trained to obey simple words of command. The dog must be introduced to various words of command gradually. Make it a fun activity for the dog by keeping the lessons short and rewarding. Basic commands that must be taught to every dog at home are “Sit”, “Come”, “Heel”, “Stay”.  

Remember, the key to having a well trained dog is based on three “R” (Reward, Reprimand, Repetition) and three “P” (Patience, Patience and some more Patience)!

All the best!