PRESIDENTS MESSAGE Jeannette Melchior

Transcription

1 West Highland White Terrier Club of Puget Sound Fall 2012 Issue PRESIDENTS MESSAGE Jeannette Melchior Time passes so quickly it seems and now the holiday season is just around the corner. With are brief summer mid-day walks were a little too warm so it was early morning ones but now with the weather changing most anytime in the day is comfortable. Have you ever noticed if you walk alone most people generally never say anything but if you re walking a dog(s) especially Westies, people always say hello or ask about them and naturally need to tell you about their pet (which I notice they are not walking). Like I said here come the holidays so be sure and check the web-site. I do want to mention that we are supporting the All Terrier Club and have a booth for RDO (Responsible Dog Owners), October 6th at Paws-Abilities in Fife (look up event and driving directions) after 2 years of having it outdoors and surviving a rain storm and then the following year wind and rain that destroyed 2 of the pop-up s the clubs decided that an indoor facility would be best, for us and the dogs. Not far from Paws-Abilities is Decca park where their annual Fife Harvest Festival is being held, the city has invited the participating RDO dog clubs to join in the parade look up events on this site and it will give you all the information for the parade. I hope to see many of you at the Halloween party on October 27 th.

2 THURS: NOVEMBER 2 SET UP BOOTH (after 2pm) FRI: NOVEMBER 3 rd 10am-7pm SAT: NOVEMBER 4th 10-6pm We need VOLUNTEERS in the WESTIE BOOTH We represent our breed in a Westie booth & we need volunteers and with their well-behaved dogs that will be able to tolerate (big grin) the general public and other breeds present in the Puyallup fairplex. We can also use helpers without dogs as well, who want to chat with visitors, and interact w/ children to play the Westie Game and hand out suckers. We will be included in a Meet the Breed presentation where our breed will be introduced on the Stage to the public. Judy /Lyle will set up on Friday and we need help with that. The more people who help set up/the faster we will be in and out. All volunteers working the booth will have FREE parking, FREE admission. We had a ball last year! Lots of vendors, and shows to see. We need breaks so we can relieve each other to go shopping and give dogs a rest. If you cannot come to work, come to visit us. Public dogs are not allowed, only exhibitors. It s Way Fun! Please Contact Karin to let me know what days you can kparish@whidbey.com Please also let me know if you are volunteering for Sat/Sun or both and if you can come by and set up for an hour or so on Friday. I will return your with directions. NOTE: I am passionate about this exhibit because we need to educate the public! This is not a dog show, where most people are familiar with purebred dogs, its Joe Public showing up who has only seen commercials w/ Westies and believing that Westies sit and look at you lovingly and touch your shoulder with their paw to wake you up in the morning while birds are singing. They have no idea of the size, or temperament and go buy one at a pet shop and the dog winds up in rescue a year later with a personality disorder, a baby being bit, an ear infection, no hair and and so on. Most don t take them to the shelter, but leave them on the street or at a park to fend for themselves. (I digress) I have had my fill of sick of throw away Westies that come into rescue. This is an opportunity for people to know about care, hair, grooming, skin, diseases, and responsibility in owning a Westie and that they are markedly different than a Maltese, a Labrador and Cocker Spaniel! Most breeders do not attend these educational booths, and we need them as well to show what a Westie is supposed to look like. Normally the rescue people show up. So we need you as well it takes a VILLAGE. Page 2 Fall 2012

3 Scottish Highland Games Celtic Kennel Julie Redd getting ready with Zesty & Mayday for the Clan March This year Julie Redd, our chairperson ask for a showing of 20 Westies for the clan parade well we didn t make 20 but 11 frisky Westies made it with their handlers in tow. As we all arrived within minutes of each other Julie was waiting with the booth all set up for Westies to begin welcoming the Celtic crowds. A number of Scottish Highland Games (clan meets) go on through the state but this is the largest and the most attended. The Celtic Kennel has a schedule of games and demonstrations that the Scottish breeds excel in. Naturally, Kathy Reed s little girl was a star at the earth dog demonstration Kathy concedes Molly practices at home keeping her yard squirrel free. Of course my MacGregor, the old guy at this demo, always keeps the crowd captivated with his aggressive growls of give me the rat, give me the rat OK, he doesn t get the rat, and the rat knows it. Ruffy s folks were on vacation but his Aunt Sharon brought him down to enjoy the fun and proudly march in the Clan parade. The Westies are busy, welcoming, performing and for a few this was their first time to be greeting of course we get to answer all the questions of interested folk. Then all goes quiet and the first of the piping bands start onto the parade grounds this is the most thrilling part, the kennel goes quiet and closes to the public we get all of our Westies ready for the Clan March. Starting left to right Sharon Newsom with Ronan Jeannette Melchior with McDougal & MacGregor Sandy Davis with Stormy Mary Anne Beauduin with Aiden & Tribbel Kathy Reed with Molly Sharon May with Ruffy Would you like to Chair the Celtic Kennel at the Scottish Highland Games Julie Redd has other commitments and will not be able to do it for 2013 please let me know, Jeannette Melchior melchior323@msn.com Page 3 Fall 2012

4 By Karin Parish WEBSITE: The Website has currently dumped newflash. But the real newsflash is that has been added to the front page for easy check out. PayPal enables us to accept your paypal funds, and/or credit cards securely without the need to have a merchant account and merchant fees. Money can be electronically moved into the club bank without the treasurer having to make bank runs. We also can maintain an electronic database of the transactions. Welcome into 2012! NOTE: We just ask you to remember to use the donate button so it insures that we are not charged a merchant fee for the transaction otherwise PayPal will take 4% which is standard for merchants. Holy Mackerel we can accept your membership renewal too, no checks, no stamps, no envelopes! Ain t life GRAND. In the future - we hope to roll out the ability of purchasing items donated to the club, right from the site. FACEBOOK: Maybe you haven t logged on, maybe you haven t clicked the button on the front of the website to view our page, but you should. We have linked with other Westie owners, as well as other Westie clubs from across America and all over the world. There is a gentleman in Ukraine who has photos of his show dogs on line, also a fabulous photo of two Westies under a beach umbrella from right. There are videos, along with other clubs linked to us from - Scotland, Poland, Russia, Spain to Marietta, GA! Some of the people write in their native language, and you can respond via translate mode to their language to answer and translate back to english, and return the chat. Its so freakin cool. It s amazing how many words in Russian alphabet characters translate to Your dog is really darling! I chatted it with the woman in Portugal in her native language! FACEBOOK is a click away you don t require an account when entering via our website, however if you want to cruise around, you have to open an acct. You can make it private, and no one needs to know you are on. It s a ton of fun. People chat on subjects of health, skin problems, home remedies or just the love of the breed. What mud? Page 4 Fall 2012

5 The Benefits of Water Therapy After Knee Surgery By Karin Parish Since working in Westie Rescue since 2005, and rescuing over 500 dogs, I have seen my share of recurring Westie Health Problems. A big problem is luxating patella (knee problems), torn cruciate ligaments, as well as leggcalves perthes. If you haven t heard of these problems, then thank your lucky stars, because they are a common problem in Westies. The reputable breeders in our club, work on not breeding dogs with bad knees, so it isn t passed on. If you see a dog bunny hopping, please know, your dog isn t skipping because it s happy it has a bad knee. The luxating patella s seem to show up by the time the dog is 2 yrs old, the legg-calves perthes, by the time they are a year old. (Left: Rennie double knee surgery w/new owner Melanie Right Scottie - Mary Moonlight atrophied thigh muscles) Rescue has had surgeries on many legg-calves perthes dogs, and an enormous amount of knee surgeries. Some rescues have even had double knee surgeries. Some knees are worn down to bone to bone grinding, some have the knee cap popping out and not staying in the cradle, and some have ligaments stretched and deformed that push the knee hither and yon. I have seen one Westie, that I watched in amazement who s kneecap swayed like a pendulum after it stopped walking and would sway left, right until it slowly stopped rocking and settled still. It was like the most amazing thing I had ever seen. We have seen them all. Our knee surgeon, Dr. Kovar at The Bothell Pet Hospital has done at least surgeries for us the past four years. One of Bothell Pet Hospital s newsletter features Shawnie Zahniser dog, Auggie on right. We have seen amazing results from water therapy. It needs to be done on a treadmill, not just splashing around in a pool. The reason being is that you are trying to build muscle memory back into the leg, and strengthen the leg without putting strain on the animal. It is a two- fold process because it is also warm water, and it is charged with electronic pulses as well as ultra sound aid in recovery the leg. I have also used it on a rescue Scottie who had osteoporosis and had lost the muscle in both hind legs from being crated too long. Her thigh muscles were the size of two fingers thick. After four sessions of water therapy she regained all her tone back. It was a miracle. Same with Auggie and with a rescue pup we had who has legg-calves perthes. He was diagnosed at 8 mos old. We got him at 3 mos. old. These dogs recover so much faster, and come back to as good as new status. Just do it! Sometimes it only takes three times to see 100% improvement. At the left is little rescue 1 yr old Otto Poptart Pitstop with his favorite toy in his mouth while doing water therapy after legg-calves perthes operation. One of my favorite water therapy places is Northwest Animal Hospital in Everett, WA Spaws Dog in Seattle : Page 5 Fall 2012

6 Medical Corner Is Addison's disease genetic or inherited? Research has shown that Addison's disease is genetic, but the exact method of inheritance is not yet known. It is thought that there may be an environmental trigger. There are ongoing research projects for several breeds, including Standard Poodles, Leonbergers, Great Danes and West Highland White Terriers, with hopes of identifying a genetic marker. However, at this time, there is no specific test to identify the gene, only the test to diagnose whether or not the dog s adrenal glands are functioning properly. If you're interested in learning more, here's some information on some of the research being done on Addison's: If you have a dog with Addison s disease, he or she may qualify to participate in a research study. Please visit the UC Davis website for more information. Westie Wellness Newsletter If you don t already receive the Westie Wellness Newsletter, you should subscribe. The summer issue had a lot of information this time on various subjects. The article News On The Health Front mentioned that the Health Committee is planning the next Health Survey for all Westie owners. The last time they did a survey was in The next one will be on-line instead of being sent by snail mail. All Westie owners are encouraged to participate by completing a survey for each Westie owned and results will be compiled at no charge. They said that the advantage in this proposed survey is being able to rach many more Westie owners. They will be posting the information on social media and hopefully will not only reach Westie owners on the North American continent but also worldwide. They are hoping it will be up and running by October of this year. The web site for this newsletter group is; The Board of Directors have ongoing discussions about how best to communicate with all Westie breeders, pet owners, and rescue organizations so that they are aware of their work to help all Westies. They don t want anybody out of the loop. One important outcome of discussions at the board level is that all issues of the Wetie Wellness newsletter are postal mailed to persons donating at least $25 to the WFA. The Westie Foundation has a Health ebook on their web page listed above. Just click on health then Westie Health ebook for information about many medical issues our dogs could face. Page 6 Fall 2012

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8 ANNUAL WESTIE WALK This year s walk was held at Lake Boren we had 20 Westies, one Wheaten Scottie guest and 3 new Westie owners join us. Everyone eager and willing to enjoy the park and marvelous weather as soon as all the photos get to Karin Parish be sure and check out the photo album on the Westie web Left to right: Sandy Davis, Jeannette Melchior, Dee Thompson, Amber (who saw us on the web and may become a member) & Julie Redd Page 8 Fall 2012

9 Book Review Zoobiquity: What Animals Can Teach us About Health and the Science of Healing by Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers In the spring of 2005, cardiologist Barbara Natterson-Horowitz was called to consult on an unusual patient: an Emperor Tamarin at the Los Angeles Zoo. While examining the tiny monkey s sick heart, she learned that wild animals can die of a form of cardiac arrest brought on by extreme emotional stress. It was a syndrome identical to a human condition but one that veterinarians called by a different name and treated in innovative ways. This remarkable medical parallel launched Natterson-Horowitz on a journey of discovery that reshaped her entire approach to medicine. She began to search for other connections between the human and animal worlds: Do animals get breast cancer, anxiety-induced fainting spells, sexually transmitted diseases? Do they suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder, bulimia, addiction? The answers were astonishing. Dinosaurs suffered from brain cancer. Koalas catch chlamydia. Reindeer seek narcotic escape in hallucinogenic mushrooms. Stallions self-mutilate. Gorillas experience clinical depression. Joining forces with science journalist Kathryn Bowers, Natterson-Horowitz employs fascinating case studies and meticulous scholarship to present a revelatory understanding of what animals can teach us about the human body and mind. Zoobiquity is the term the authors have coined to refer to a new, species-spanning approach to health. Delving into evolution, anthropology, sociology, biology, veterinary science, and zoology, they break down the walls between disciplines, redefining the boundaries of medicine. Zoobiquity explores how animal and human commonality can be used to diagnose, treat, and heal patients of all species. Both authoritative and accessible, offering cutting-edge research through captivating narratives, this provocative book encourages us to see our essential connection to all At forty-seven, Gil is the world s oldest twenty-two-year-old man, living in relative contentment with his four dogs, including the alpha, Jimmy. When he stumbles upon Jimmy delivering lectures on canine manipulative techniques to the rest of the dogs in the neighborhood, Gil s not particularly surprised, and his eyes light up with dollar signs. But their money-making venture has barely begun when chatty canine Jimmy realizes the shocking truth: He s adopted. And not only is Gil not his real father, they re not even the same species. In the identity crisis that ensues, Gil hears the last thing he wants his favorite dog to say: Jimmy wants to be reunited with his birth mother, a bitch owned by Gil s sexy exwife, now remarried and living in Malibu. Could things get worse? Apparently, yes. Page 9 Fall 2012

10 CLUB OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND CONTACTS Upcoming Events PRESIDENT Jeannette Melchior PAST PRESIDENT Karin Parish BOARD OF DIRECTORS Paul Meshke Charlotte Bertsch Carolyn Lee VICE PRESIDENT Sharon Newsom SECRETARY Dee Thompson hotmail.com TREASURER/BREED REFERRAL Sandy Davis PHOTOGRAPHER FOR ACTIVITIES Lyle Lane NEWSLETTER Kathy Reed October 27 Annual Westie Holloween Party Host: Maryann Guerry- Buck November 3-4 PET EXPO Puyallup Fairgrounds See Flyer (need Volunteers) Hrs. 9-6 To Volunteer Hosts: Karin Parish/Judy Lane December 2 Christmas Party Flyer in process Installation of Officers Terry Reesing MEMBERSHIP CHAIR Ardeth Bolin ja_bolin@comcast.net WEBMASTER Karin Parish kparish@whidbey.com RESCUE Karin Parish & June Taylor pugetwesties@gmail.com WESTIE FOUNDATION LIASON Ella Selfridge-Neumann New Member Applications NEW MEMBER Page 9 Fall 2012