Escape!

                                                                         

Airedale "Mila" Miner is in no danger of escaping!

 

                    It can happen in a heartbeat.  A door or gate is left open and the family dog races out for an adventure.   Few things strike more fear in a dog owner’s heart than the sight of a pet running toward a busy road.  The dog may just want to visit the friendly neighbors across the street, or he may be full of energy and ready to enjoy a long run.  It is at times such as these that we panic and worry that we may never see our pet again, or that he is going to be injured or killed by a car. 

                    Preventive training can help to prevent this disaster.  Teach your dog not to bolt through a door or gate, but to wait until you give permission.  This takes a bit of time and attention, but it can be done.  Teach the “Stay” or “Wait” command and use it whenever you open the door.  Keep the dog on leash at first, and practice until your dog understands that he must stay unless he’s given permission to go through. 

 

                    Train him to hold the Stay when you open and shut the door, when you are speaking to someone through the open door, when someone comes into the house, and when someone goes out.  Teach him to wait at the door when the kids and their friends run in and out.  Stand in a position where you can block his exit if necessary.  If he tries to get out the door, shut it and then try again.

 

                    Make sure your dog has a solidly trained Recall.  (“Recall” is the term for coming when called.)  This can be a life-saver for your pet.  Once he’s good at the basic exercise on leash and off, call him from the yard to the inside of the house.  Call him through gates and doors, in the front yard, on the sidewalk or adjacent to the street, and anywhere else you want him to respond to the command. 

 

                     A long line – twenty to thirty feet– can aid in training.  Don’t just practice with him sitting and waiting for you to call, call him when he’s distracted by something or he is playing.  Keep it fun, use a happy tone of voice, and reward him with treats when he responds well.  Make sure you use the same “Come” command when training that you will use the day you see him running down the street.  A good dog training class can help you and your dog to get as reliable a Recall as possible.  Take what you learn there and apply it to your home and yard, your neighborhood, the park, or anywhere else you may need to use it in the future. 

                    Make a regular habit of inspecting fences to ensure that your dog hasn’t been digging underneath or working on a loose board.  Make sure gates are sturdy and latch well.  Consider installing self-closing latches.  Teach your children the importance of closing doors and gates behind them, and to check that the dog is safely in the house or yard when they go out. If workers are on the property, make sure they close gates and doors after them.  (Better yet, confine your dog to another area so that he can’t take advantage of an open door or gate.)  Give him as much exercise as he needs so boredom won’t contribute to the problem. 

                   Unfortunately, not all dogs respond well to commands when they are running free.  Many dogs were bred to run long distances, and some have high prey drive that leads them to chase anything they scent or see as game.  Many dogs are under-exercised and will really want to stretch their legs when they are unconfined.  These instincts can lead them into harm’s way.   Even with training some dogs still can’t be trusted outside of a confined area.  If you have one of these, fence in your yard so he can get some outside goof-off time and walk him on leash at other times.  Work hard on his Stay and Wait training at doors and gates.  Don’t let your pet be a tragic statistic. 

 

Dorothy Miner is a long-time dog obedience and tracking instructor, judge of canine events, and author.  She teaches weekly classes for the Allen Correctional Institution’s PETS Program and provides training and consultation under the banner of “Sidekicks” and “Training for Dogs and Their People.”

Prevention Is Always Better Than Treatment

                                                       

                     Every good preventive medicine plan for any pet, whether it is a dog, cat, horse, or even a goat, includes vaccinations given on an appropriate schedule and based on that pet's life style. Please understand that decisions to vaccinate are best made after talking with your veterinarian. I know in challenging economic times, sometimes it is easy to postpone or forget about vaccinations, but I urge you NOT to do so! And here is why.

                     As a new graduate who previously resided in Columbus, I was reminded recently about why we even vaccinate animals. I began receiving e-mails and Facebook posts from rescue groups regarding a canine distemper outbreak at the Franklin County Dog Shelter. I had volunteered at this shelter and had veterinary training at this facility as well. 

                    Shelter employees have an incredibly difficult job overseeing and insuring that all incoming dogs are vaccinated, have health and behavioral needs addressed, and that they get established in their temporary, new home. Theirs is a constant struggle of so many dogs rescued and surrendered, and so little time and space. Volunteers work very hard to care for every dog the best they can. And, now they are working even harder to contain this outbreak. 

                    Canine distemper is a highly contagious disease that can manifest with simple signs of an upper respiratory infection. It can also manifest with severe neurological signs that can kill dogs or leave them with deficits for life. When dogs congregate in group dog environments such as rescue, grooming, boarding, day care and obedience facilities and/or dog parks, they can spread upper respiratory infections readily.  

                    Most of these infections are grouped under the general diagnosis of "kennel cough" with a long list of underlying causes. In most cases, while kennel cough is annoying, it responds to routine antibiotics and patients recover rapidly.  Unfortunately, canine distemper can mimic kennel cough, so it is easy to understand how it snuck into the Franklin County Dog Shelter.

                    Which brings us back to vaccines... 

                    Is canine distemper everywhere or especially common? No. But, it is out there. Distemper used to be more frequently diagnosed. We have made it a rarity because we have safe and effective vaccines. All puppies should receive an age-appropriate series of  distemper  vaccines, while adult dogs that have never been vaccinated should receive a series of two distemper vaccines. 

                     Distemper vaccines are generally well-tolerated and they provide important  protection from disease after an adequate immune response period. To remain fully protected after the initial vaccination series, yearly boosters are needed to ensure that the body's protection continues to endure.

                    I know life is busy and sometimes money is tight. But, vaccines are an essential part of your pet's health plan. The outbreak in Columbus is a reminder that while many of the diseases we vaccinate pets for are not common, they still exist and are kept in check because of proper vaccinations!  

                    Please remember that for diseases such as Bordetella, Parvo Virus, Leptosporosis, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza or Canine Distemper (all diseases we protect dogs from via vaccination), it is truly easier and more cost effective to prevent than to treat them.

       By Dr. Jill Dentel

He Only Looks Like a Duck

                                                                                 

            Judging from my duck, it's probably a good thing I didn't have any kids. Apparently, I messed him up. Oh, he's okay physically. It's his emotional state I've been worried about. He still doesn't comprehend he's a duck.

            Tyler is the duckling my wife and I adopted recently and was the subject of my last column. I told of his trials of being an only duck and how he imprinted on virtually every human he encountered, before he seemed to find satisfaction with a family of bantam chickens.

            Shortly after that column was published,  it became evident the pen he shared with his chicken friends was inadequate in size to deal with the daily manure output of a duck. Although they all got along well, and Tyler especially enjoyed romping with them, it was time for him to become a real duck.

            I have had ducks most of my life and they do great outdoors, winter or summer. Our ducks have always been essentially free-roaming as they are difficult to contain, easily slipping through our sheep panels and gates. That being the case, though, they don't stray far from home. Except for a mother duck and her six babies, who we had years ago, they do minimal damage to our yard. She and her little demons did, however, leaving scattered mulch and my wife's  broken flowers in their wake. They soon found a nice, new home with a pond.

            All the other ducks we have known have been much more mannerly, preferring to live and exist with the sheep. Nearly every time the sheep are out on pasture, the ducks will be nearby.  In fact, the two ducks we had before getting Tyler have been quite adept at using this trick to avoid predation. Evidently, staying close to the sheep makes them less likely to be targeted by a hawk or fox.

            As for special care, our ducks eat spilled sheep feed, occasionally some corn I'll toss their way, and all the bugs and worms they can find around the manure pile. Although we don't have a pond, the ducks do enjoy various puddles and low-lying areas that retain water after ample rains. They are also capable of climbing into the water troughs for a swim, much to the dismay of the sheep. In actuality, it's a win-win for both. The ducks get a bath, and the sheep get fresh, clean water. The same husbandry practices hold true for our geese- we have a gaggle of seven.

            The ducks and geese, while they live side by side , have minimal social interaction. Once, a male duck did show romantic intent toward a female goose, but that affair was quickly ended by her other goose suitors. Since then, both species, for the most part, mind their own business.

            Thus, I was more than a little surprised by the almost weird fascination the geese had with Tyler the first time they saw him. I took the young lad on a stroll to the barnyard to hopefully introduce him to the other ducks, when suddenly we were besieged by seven wing-flapping " honkers" way too close for comfort. Tyler stayed right behind me as we quickly "beat feet"  back to the garage. They did this on two other occasions, I guess before they concluded he was only a duck and worthy to be ignored.

            So did Tyler ever become a member of the duck flock?  In spite of an afternoon spent with the other two ducks  in a small lambing pen, no bonding took place. There appeared to be no animosity between them, but no friendship developed either. As soon as I let them loose into the larger sheep pen, they went their separate ways.

            Nonetheless, I don't want you to think Tyler is a lonely, miserable duck, because he's not. He hangs out with the sheep when they're in the barn, and when they go to pasture with the other ducks, he stays behind with several new free-ranging chicken friends. 

             And just the other day, I witnessed Tyler actively engaged in conversation with a rooster resting above him on a gate, with his head held high talking "quack." That was the moment I finally felt some peace regarding  his unique situation. I realized Tyler's identity issue wasn't his problem, it was mine. He knows who he is. He simply isn't a duck.


By Dr. John H. Jones

Back to School and Back to the Basics

                                                                       

                                Now that we are smack in the middle of "Back to School" season,  this is the perfect time to remind everyone about basics of veterinary care. While summer activities and vacations have  taken precedence for the past few months, pet care should never take a break, especially when it comes to pet parasites and disease.

                                If you have ever had the experience of trying to flee from a flea problem, yours was a hard lesson to learn. Once you realize your pet has fleas, your infestation has existed in your environment for a minimum of four  weeks! That's plenty of time for multiple flea generations to set up housekeeping  and hunker down for the winter.  In fact, some of the worst indoor flea infestations occur in the dead of winter.

                                Mother Nature does help by killing off the outdoor flea population with a couple of  hard frosts, followed by a cold stretch.  However, those  fleas that were able to latch on to furry, and not so furry hosts (yes, I do mean YOU) to hitch a ride indoors, can quickly start reproducing, and you know "the rest of the story." Thumping pet feet and the scratch, scratch all through the night lead to sleepless nights and tired parents who have to get two-legged family members off to school bright and early.

                                Back to School Lesson #1: Use a veterinary-prescribed flea control product and use it as directed  ALL YEAR ROUND for EVERY PET, whether that pet  lives indoors or out.

 

                                I think most pet owners, at one time or another, enjoy being in close proximity to their pets...I know I do. I want my cats to get me hairy by laying on my lap or snuggling close with me at night.  True confessions: my cat, "Noodles," slept ON my pillow every night. Yep, right next to my head! And, my beloved, "too cute for words" Welsh Corgi, "Betsy Louise," eats any kind of manure that is not her own.

                                Back to School Lesson #2: Follow your veterinarian's recommendations for routine stool examinations and  de-worming for ALL of your pets.  Modern heartworm and flea control products often contain medication to keep your pet free of internal, as well as external parasites. Seek and follow your veterinarian's advice about the appropriate product to protect your pet AND YOU from an intestinal parasite infection.

 

                                Speaking of preventing infections, just because your housecat never sets its soft , little paws outdoors or your dog has never had a mean bone in its body, does not mean your pet shouldn't receive a rabies vaccine. Having experienced two separate home invasions by bats while living in two very different houses, I am proof that rabies vaccines for exclusively indoor pets are a "Must-Do!"  In both situations, my cats were the sentinels as they leapt like Super Man from tall buildings (dressers and furniture) to catch what they thought was a "bird" in their homes.

                                And, after living and working with pets for 40 years, I can tell you that even the most loving pet can and will bite when it is in pain or feels  threatened. The standard joke among veterinary professionals  when told "Oh, he would never bite anyone" in reference to a family pet, means you may want to proceed cautiously.  The next line after dodging gnashing teeth of said loving patient is usually "I've never seen him act like that!"

                                Lesson #3: ALL pets should receive rabies vaccinations (as well as other vaccinations) as recommended by a  veterinarian.  The rabies virus has been found in wildlife throughout Ohio.  Rabies is a deadly and preventable disease AND A HUMAN HEALTH RISK! Please don't take a chance with your pet's life--- or your own!

 

                                If you have ever experienced the heartbreak of a lost or missing pet, you may know how invaluable proper pet confinement, licensing and micro-chipping can be. Animal shelters and pet rescues are overflowing with pets that have lost their happy homes.  One can't help but wonder how  bewildered these pets must feel when their sense of security and life routine are taken from them. Is it any wonder that pets that have lived through "rescue" often graduate to new homes with behavioral baggage that can be challenging, to say the least?

                                Lesson #4: Invest in puppy socialization and dog obedience classes, proper pet confinement, pet identification and licensing,  AND keep your cat indoors where it is safe. Don't let your pet be another statistic in a long line of rescued pets in need of a loving home.

                                And now for the quiz...is your veterinary homework done?

 

By Dr. Bonnie Jones