LAKE EUSTIS PAW PRINTS KENNEL CLUB

Transcription

1 LAKE EUSTIS PAW PRINTS KENNEL CLUB Volume 7, Issue 12 December 2016 GINGER MERRY CHRISTMAS CGC, CGCA, RATI IN THIS ISSUE LAKE EUSTIS KENNEL CLUB Brags: Pg. 2 OFFICERS AND BOARD Did You Know Pg. 3 President: Carolyn Hoppe Everyone Poops Pg. 3 Vice President: Marie Zaman Doggy Holiday Treats Pg. 4 Treasurer: Kathy Pearce Thanksgiving Pet Toxins Pg. 5 Secretary: Jackie Baudo How to recognize Holiday Corresponding Secretary; Jackie Baudo stress in dogs Pg. 7 Ellen Beris, Sharie Davis, Sally Hensen, Susan Pricket, Mary Ellen Holdreith, Sharie Coleman LEKC meets the 4 th Wednesday of each The Lady Lake Library, W. Guava Street. Board Meets 6 p.m. General meeting 7:15 p.m. Website: HOLIDAY MEETIGS: Wednesday December 14 th Christmas Party Wednesday January 18 th Meeting ~ 1 ~

2 Lots of BRAGS Beezie participated in the National Beagle Club of America s Specialty in Ocala on November 14, 2016.She placed second in Novice Obedience with a score of and second in Rally Excellent with a score of 90. My sheltie, Feather, achieved her first FAST CAT Title (BCAT) Nov. 16 at Gulf Coast Hound Club Trials in Ocala. at 22 mph. She was faster than other Sheltie listed by AKC as of the end of October. Sally. ~ 2 ~

3 Toby earned his ASCA Novice Jesse earned his Advance title and title with a 194, recently. dvanced X title, meaning all 3 qualifying scores were 195 or better at the ASCA Rally Trials Nov. 11 th Lily and Molly had a great Thanksgiving weekend Barn Hunting and Lure coursing. Lily earned 4 q's with three 2nd places and one 3rd place in Barn hunt. And 5 q's in lure coursing earning her CAA lure coursing title. In Barn hunt, Molly earned her Open title with two 1st places and High Open. Then went on to Senior and earned 2 legs and High Senior. She also earned 4 q's in lure coursing, 3 of which gave her a CAT title. ~ 3 ~

4 Daniel earned his RATCH X this past weekend on December 10, at G2's Barn Hunt Trial in Morriston. Did You Know? The term God bless you convention originated in the Middle Ages. People thought that when someone sneezed the soul left the body for a minute, and would be snatched by the devil if someone didn t say God bless you. Those who say it today may be doing it because it has become a conditioned reflex, or to be polite. (Jeanne Phillips) Everyone Poops. Some Animals Eat It. Why? Consuming feces can benefit not only the health and microbiomes of some animals, but also their environments By Jacob Brogan smithsonian.com When dogs eat poop, Becker holds, it s not because they enjoy the taste. To the contrary, They are craving something that s in the feces, often something that s missing in their existing diet. It s an issue that comes up especially when they re only eating processed dried foods, which may leave them without critical digestive enzymes, according to Becker. The vast majority of dogs won t eat feces that are more than two days old, suggesting that they prefer the fresh stuff for its microbial punch, she says, especially when they re attempting to regenerate their own gut flora. In this respect, dogs are hardly alone in finding something beneficial in coprophagia. Garret Suen, a professor of bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison points out that it s widespread throughout the animal kingdom. Mice, for example, are known to eat their own feces in laboratory conditions (and in other environments as well), a fact that may actually complicate studies that we perform on them. Other rodents are also known for eating poop, both in captivity and in the wild. Capybaras, for example, are notorious for the practice, as are guinea pigs. Becker cites the latter species as a ~ 4 ~

5 particularly compelling example of a domestic pet that may eat poop in order to stay healthy, not because it s sick. Guinea pigs, they say, can reuse their poo up to fifty times in an hour. It happens so fast that you might not know that it s going on, she says. (Dogs, as it happens, occasionally do something similar, Becker claims. When they wolf down their meals too quickly, they ll sometimes regurgitate their food before they ve digested it. If they subsequently attempt to eat this vomit-like junk, it s really just that they re trying to keep from missing out on the good stuff they really need. When they re actually sick, they ll be much less likely to eat their vomit, according to Becker.) Poop-eating can benefit offspring, too: Cassowary chicks tend to root around in their fathers feces for chunks of undigested fruit. In fact, eating parental poop can also key for many young animals. Rabbits rely heavily on their parents poop as they begin to develop their own thriving microbiomes. Before I was a veterinarian, I was a wildlife rehabilitator, and neonatal bunnies are some of the hardest animals to raise because mothers will feed their feces to the babies, Becker tells me. If you don t have healthy feces to inoculate their digestive tracts, it s very hard. The same is true for panda cubs, which need to consume their parents feces in order to develop necessary microbes. We re not always sure what those microbes are actually doing for the animals: The jury is still out on whether [pandas ] gut biomes are digesting cellulose, says Suen, who s conducted research of his own on panda poop. Still, many zoologists say that infantile coprophagia is critical for many animals. For pandas, as with rabbits, eating their parents poop is just a way for the young to gain access to those microbes that they would not have access to otherwise, Suen says. Doggy Holiday Treats by Doggie Bag Café Chef Treat your dog this holiday season to a healthy, canine friendly fruitcake. It s easy and quick to make, and your dog will love it. But be warned: You may be tempted to have some yourself, so make extra! Ingredients: Related: Make your own holiday dog treats 1 cup (250 ml) of cranberries (fresh or frozen) 1 cup (250 ml) of blueberries (fresh or frozen) ½ cup (125 ml) of apples (peeled) ½ cup (125 ml) of banana Chips 2 cups (500 ml) of coconut Flakes (unsweetened) 2 ½ (625 ml) cups of brown rice flour 3 eggs slightly beaten (or substitute with 1 cup (250 ml) of unsweetened apple sauce) ~ 5 ~

6 3/4 (188 ml) cup of peanut butter 2 tbsp (30 ml) of honey 2 tbsp (30 ml) of water Preparation: Pre-heat oven to 350 F (175 C) 2. Roughly chop fruit 3. Crumble banana chips 4. Place chopped fruits and banana chips in a bowl 5. Add and stir in coconut flakes and brown rice flour, then set aside 6. Lightly beat 3 eggs 7. Melt the peanut butter 8. Add the honey, peanut butter, and water to the eggs. 9. Add this liquid mixture to the fruit, chips, and dry mixture. 10. Stir until thoroughly combined. Baking instructions: Using an ice-cream scoop, place a full scoop of the mixed dough on a lightly sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. You can also use a small melon scoop for smaller cakes or use any baking molds you prefer. You can also roll out the dough on a small amount of flour and cut with cookie cutters (cooking time will differ). For crunchier cookies or pup-cakes turn off the oven and leave in for an additional 20 minutes. Thanksgiving Pet Toxins Brought to you by Pet Poison Helpline From all of us at Pet Poison Helpline and AKC Reunite, we want to wish you, your family and your furry friends a safe and Happy Turkey Day! During this time of family, friends and festivities, we also want to help prevent your pet from some potentially poisonous household dangers common during the week of Thanksgiving. TURKEY BRINE When you remove the turkey from the brine, the salt-saturated solution can be very attractive to dogs and cats, who will readily lap it up resulting in salt toxicosis. Clinical signs are excessive thirst and urination, vomiting and diarrhea. This can potentially result in serious electrolyte changes and brain swelling. ~ 6 ~

7 FATTY FOODS Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas that can result in clinical signs of vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite and abdominal pain. Symptoms may not be immediate and can occur up to four days after exposure. Nuts are high in fat and have the risk of pancreatitis. Macadamia nuts are more serious and ingestions can result in vomiting, diarrhea, inability to rise or walk normally (they take on a drunken appearance and can even drag their rear limbs as if injured). GARBAGE Disposable food remnants, like corn cobs, discarded trussing s from the turkey and its bones can result in an obstructive risk or gastrointestinal injury that have the potential of requiring surgical removal or repair. ONIONS, GARLIC, CHIVES & LEEKS When onions and garlic are ingested in large or chronic amounts, it results in Heinz body formation and anemia. Cats and Japanese breeds of dogs (Akita, Shiba Inu, etc) are even more sensitive to the effects of these plants. Plus, cats are more sensitive than dogs to Allium toxiciosis. Clinical signs are generally secondary to the anemia, with resultant weakness, lethargy and pale mucous membranes. Avoid using onion or garlic powder chronically in pet food, and make sure your pet doesn t ingest large amounts! Clinical signs are onion/garlic smell on breath, lethargy, pale mucus membranes (due to anemia), tachypnea (elevated respiratory rate), tachycardia (elevated heart rate), vomiting, and a reduced appetite. Rarely, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). SALT Salt, while commonly used for cooking in the kitchen, is quite poisonous to dogs and cats. Salt poisoning in dogs and cats results in clinical signs of vomiting, diarrhea, inappetance, lethargy, walking drunk, abnormal fluid accumulation within the body, excessive thirst or urination, potential injury to the kidneys, tremors, seizures, coma, and even death when untreated. Treatment for salt poisoning includes careful administration of IV fluids, electrolyte monitoring, treatment for dehydration and brain swelling, and supportive care. NOTE: Other sources of salt can be found throughout the household: in homemade play dough, rock salt (for de-icers), paint balls, table salt, sea water, enemas (containing sodium phosphate), etc. SWEETS Candies, desserts or other foods that are sweetened with an artificial sweetener called xylitol are dangerous to pets. Xylitol can result in a rapid drop in blood sugar in dogs along with liver damage. In the past, we saw xylitol limited to the ingredient lists of sugar-free gums, mints, and dental products but xylitol is now very commonly used in sugar-free or low-sugar baked goods, ~ 7 ~

8 vitamins and even peanut butter! Even quantities that appear to be very small have the potential to quickly become life-threatening to dogs. Always check the label! Chocolates in our desserts or treats are dangerous to our pets. Remember that the darker the chocolate, the more serious the ingestion, and the less they will need to ingest to develop clinical signs of vomiting, diarrhea, agitation, tremors, increased heart rate along with potential seizures. RAISINS AND GRAPES Raisins, currants and grapes found in some of our favorite Thanksgiving foods are a very serious concern for dogs as they have the risk of resulting in acute renal failure with even small ingestions. HOLIDAY DECORATIONS Festive decorations are a concern for many reasons. The bouquet of lilies you received from your guests can result in acute renal failure in your cat. Bittersweet flowers are many times included in fall floral arrangements and can cause gastrointestinal upset. Candles can result in burns and flameless candles contain batteries, that when ingested can result in gastrointestinal burns and corrosive injury. How to Recognize Signs of Holiday Stress in Your Dog (lifestyle) Jingle bells are in the air, and with them come visits from your extended family, loud noises, distracting decorations, guest appearances from grabby kids and many other sensations related to the holiday season. It s a lot to handle for a human, and it can be even more stressful for a dog who doesn t have total understanding or control of the situation. While some dogs enjoy the increase in activity and new experiences that come with holidays, an equal number of pups aren t fans of change. That s why it is important to be able to recognize signs of stress in your pet, so you can remove them from overwhelming situations and help them relax. ~ 8 ~

9 Unfortunately, dogs can t eloquently speak on the particulars that are bothering them, but they do have their own ways of letting you know I am freaking out. Camp Bow Wow s Training and Behavioral Expert Erin Askeland has come up with a list of canine stress signs to look out for this holiday season, along with helpful ways to comfort your pet and ensure everyone enjoys this festive time of year. Signs of Pet Stress Lip Licking and Yawning Both are indicators of stress. It is important to assess the exact situation. If a dog is lying on the couch by itself and licks its lips or yawns, it is most likely not stress. If a dog is being hugged, tugged on, etc., and begins to emit these warning signs, this is a clear indicator that he/she is now anxious. Wide Eyes and Averting Gaze Wide eyes and showing the whites of the eye both indicate that a dog is stressed out. Often dogs with this expression avoid your gaze as well. Hackling (spiking of the fur along the spine) For a dog, this is an involuntary response to his environment and can mean the dog is nervous and anxious. Growling and Snapping Never try to get a dog to stop growling; we WANT it to growl, as it lets us know that he/she is uncomfortable. Stiff Wagging Tail A dog that is experiencing stress (and may bite) will wag its tail in a stiff manner. Look out for a tail that is pointed high and moves quickly back and forth. Shivering or Shaking A stressed dog may shiver or shake and appear to be cold. This is typically not due to being cold, but due to being nervous and anxious. Again, you must look at the whole situation to determine the cause. Cowering or Tail Tucking This behavior indicates that a dog is fearful. It doesn t mean the dog will bite, but could if the dog s fear continues to increase. Backing Away or Hiding Whether the dog backs itself into a corner or tries to hide, this is a clear sign that the dog is uncomfortable and trying to escape. It is important to leave these dogs alone! Allow them to come to you. Pacing and inability to settle down A dog that is stressed may also pace around an area and not be able to relax into one spot. How to Comfort Dogs Showing Signs of Stress Provide a safe space Set up a crate, separate room, bed, or other escape where the pet can lie down and not be bothered. It s important to ensure those around the pet leave it alone when it goes to its safe space. ~ 9 ~

10 Remove your pet from stressful situations If a pet is stressed in a particular setting, the best thing you can do for yourself and your pet is to remove it from the situation entirely. Forcing a pet to be in a scary situation that causes it stress can make it worse and increases the risk of the pet injuring someone or themselves out of fear. Occupy your pet A little extra exercise and access to treats that take time to go through can help take the pet s mind off of its stress and relax. A long-lasting bone or chew paired with its safe space can provide relief. Try a calming aid There are also calming aids available like slow-paced, classical music, natural calming sprays, thundershirts, and pet rescue remedies that could help take the edge off your pet. These may not work for every pet, and if the pet s stress levels consistently get worse, it may be time to talk to a rewards-based trainer and veterinarian. HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE ~ 10 ~