News 14 Carolina: Pilot helps pets find good homes, 2008-Jul-24, by Ed Scannell: He's now flown more than 40 dogs to other cities for adoption and said he's gotten some much needed flight time in the process. "I have both the time and the resources to do it. I've got a good plane that's capable of doing it," Jon Wehrenberg of Knoxville, TN said. "It helps me stay sharp as a pilot."
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July 2008
Dancer Rookie Passes Away
Musical Dog Sports Association: Carolyn Scott sadly lost that most vibrant dancing dog Rookie on July 14, 2008. The Golden Retriever was 15 years old. Rookie didn't just perform for enjoyment and prizes, he helped develop the dog sports of canine freestyle. You can watch a tribute to Rookie, but I recommend the most famous routine he performed with Carolyn with music from Grease: You're the One that I Want. Be sure and watch all the way to the end!
How the Vick Dogs Dodged the Bullet
Washington Post: Saving Michael Vick's Dogs. 2008-Jul-7, by Brigid Schulte: U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson ordered each dog to be evaluated individually, not judged by the stereotype of the breed. And he ordered Vick to pony up close to $1 million to pay for the lifelong care of those that could be saved. ... Of the 49 pit bulls animal behavior experts evaluated in the fall, only one was deemed too vicious to warrant saving and was euthanized. (Another was euthanized because it was sick and in pain.)
Learn to Train your Dog by Audio CD
As a busy physician, Dr. Alfonso was always struggling with the bad habits her dogs would pick up. Now that she's figured out the secrets to raising and living with a well-behaved dog, she's anxious to share them in a rare instructional format--audio CD.
Dog Training Audio CD by Dr. Mayra Alfonso: I know how difficult it is to try to read tons of information about dog training or to make the time to watch a dog training DVD, that is why I have put this information on audio CD, so you can comfortably listen to it at any time. You can play the audio CD in your car, listen to it while doing house shores, yardwork or even while you are training your dog. This powerful CD was created with the busy dog owner in mind.
Swimming and Non-swimming Breeds
MSNBC.com: Teaching your dog to swim safely, 2008-Jul-8, by Mike Celizic: Some dogs have to be taught to swim, Wendy Diamond of Animal Fair magazine said, and others, like bulldogs, take to the water like submarines take to the Cross Bronx Expressway. For the former, there is hope. For the latter, there are those bright orange canine flotation devices. Among the dogs that swim naturally and gladly, she said, are water spaniels, setters, retrievers, Barbets, akitas, Kerry blue terriers, poodles and Hungarian pulis. Among those that can’t swim at all or swim only with great difficulty are basset hounds, bulldogs, dachshunds, pugs, corgis, Scottish and Boston terriers and greyhounds.
Dementia in Older Pets
Philadelphia Inquirer: Dogs in decline, 2008-Jun-30, by Joan Capuzzi: Recent research published by the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found that 28 percent of 11- and 12-year-old dogs - and two-thirds of 15- and 16-year-old dogs - had behavioral impairment linked to dementia. Another study noted at least one such problem in more than half of cats age 15 or older. There is no evidence that specific breeds are more vulnerable ... Though it can take up to 60 days to deliver its full effect, Anipryl has been shown in studies to alleviate at least one clinical sign of dementia after a month of treatment in about 70 percent of dogs. "All of a sudden, the dog is interacting and becoming part of the household once again," says Pfizer's Phillips.
Video from Famed Animal Behaviorist
TED.com: Ian Dunbar on dog-friendly dog training, 2007-Dec: View this 15-minute video from the 2007 EG (Entertainment Gathering) conference to see an impassioned plea by Ian Dunbar to first see the world through the eyes of our dogs before we try to communicate with them. Having degrees in both veterinary medicine and animal behavior, Dunbar has developed revolutionary training methods based on modifying natural animal behavoirs. He works to help people and animals to live together in harmony.
How Does the Shelter in your Area Handle Seniors?
Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County Senior to Senior Program: Mature pets are especially suited for senior citizens because they are generally calmer, more even-tempered, require less vigorous exercise, and often already have been trained in important issues like housebreaking and litter box use. Both the human and the pet need someone in their lives, and often the best decision is to put these two seniors together.
New Threats Emerge
MRSI, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus intermedius, is rare but very dangerous. If your dog has a mysterious "spider bite," you should definitely get it cultured. Veterinarians are currently stumped as the to sources and conditions under which this disease is spread, and early detection is the best we can do.
SF Gate: Superbug bites dog / Drug resistant staph infections aren't just for humans anymore, 2008-May-28, by Christie Keith: I asked [veterinary dermatologist, Laura] Stokking if it's just a coincidence that I heard of two cases at the same time, or if MRSI in pets is really on the rise. She said that MRSI infections were the hottest topic at the recent North American Veterinary Dermatology Forum, and while there is some increased awareness leading to more frequent diagnosis, there's no question the infections themselves are becoming more widespread. "Definitely in dogs it's an emerging problem," she told me. "Up until recently, the bacteria that most commonly affected dogs didn't tend to trade resistance information with other bacteria the same way that the staph in humans did." Those days are gone, however, and she says both the incidence and prevalence of drug resistant bacteria are spreading in companion animals.
