Cockapoo Times HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!! TO ALL BCS MEMBERS x NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH COCKAPOO SOCIETY

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1 Cockapoo Times NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH COCKAPOO SOCIETY N E W S L E T T E R 1 5 F E B R U A R Y, HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!! TO ALL BCS MEMBERS x

2 N E W S L E T T E R 1 5 C O C K A P O O T I M E S P A G E 2 LETS GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT SHALL WE? Anal glands, that is. We have had a few questions on it on our FB page recently so it might be timely to have a little info piece on it. Anal glands are small cherry shaped glands found under the skin on either side of the dogs anus, situated at about 4 and 8 if you imagine the anus as a clock face. Their function is to excrete a liquid which coats the dogs faeces. If anyone has ever had the misfortune to smell this fluid you will know how strong the aroma is to us imagine how it smells to a dog whose sense of smell is thousands of times better than ours it is potent stuff! As the dog passes faeces, the stool pushes against the glands, forcing the fluid out This liquid contains pheromones and is very important to dogs, who set their boundaries by scent. The scent from the anal glands is like a doggy fingerprint and tells other dogs a lot about the dog who has passed the faeces, including, it is thought, age, sex and health. The smell from the fluid is why dogs sniff each others bottoms on greeting, and may explain why dogs insist on sniffing other dogs poo when they are out on a walk they are seeing who has passed by. The glands are invisible to us and we would not know they were there until they cause a problem. If the anal glands get blocked or infected then your dog may start licking its bum a lot, chewing at its anus, chewing the base of its tail doing the dreaded bum drag across your favourite rug. WHAT CAUSES A PROBLEM? There are several reasons why your dog may have anal glands problems abcess, obesity, anatomical misalignment, spinal problems and so on but by far the most common cause is dietary. In order to empty properly the anal glands have to be massaged by the dogs faeces as it passes out of the anus, but to achieve that the faeces has to be both bulky and firm. Soft faeces just doesn't do it. Unfortunately a lot of commercial dog foods do not provide the dogs with enough bulk to empty the glands properly. TREATMENT The common treatment for blocked anal glands has been to express the fluid out of them by squeezing the glands manually. More recently there seems to be a growing reluctance to do this because of fears it can worsen the matter as soon as they are emptied they just refill and continue the problem. Because of this there is a growing recommendation to address the cause of the problem, not just the symptoms. If your dog has a persistent problem with anal glands, discuss with your vet the possible causes. If all of the potential serious issues have been ruled out, then it might be worth looking at the diet and either changing or introducing something into its diet which may help Raw bones are great for adding bulk, as well as things like vegetables and fruit too, although not in excess. Decent exercise can encourage the glands to empty and help maintain a proper weight for your dog.

3 N E W S L E T T E R 1 5 C O C K A P O O T I M E S P A G E 3 WINTER CARE We are getting through the winter fairly well but its not quite over yet so a few things to bear in mind when out walking with your dogs Keep your dog on a lead if you are near a frozen lake or river. It can looks so inviting to our daft dogs but the ice may not be as thick as they (or we) think. Puppies and canals are not a good combination either, with the steep sides making it difficult for them to get out if they do take a dip. Our dogs can be badly affected by the weather and shiver when they are cold and wet. Puppies especially are vulnerable to cold weather, especially if they get cold and wet Jumpers like Equafleece are great for keeping them warm and dry even if they do take a dip or wallow in a puddle and will prevent that drop in its body temperature. After a walk there are a few things to take care of. If it has been snowing and your dog has the snowy ice balls clinging to its paws and legs, just spray gently with warm water to melt them. Even if they do not have furry snow balls to deal with it is a good idea to rinse off their paws to remove grit put down by councils in the cold weather. It contains anti freeze and salt which are both bad for dogs who can ingest it when they licj their paws, so a quick rinse will remove it and save problems. We recently reached 3000 members on Facebook quite a milestone for us, and one which we were very pleased to see. We are so happy with the community that has built up and the friendly and welcoming vibe. Looking forward to the coming year! Ok, so its Valentines Day nearly, and your loved ones are going to be plying you with lots of lovely tasty chocolates and presents aren't they? Of course they are!! Just remember to keep the chocolates, and alcohol presents out of the reach of your dogs so that you ALL have a great St. Valentines Day. BY THE WAY, DO YOU KNOW WHO St VALENTINE WAS? Well, apparently, back when Claudius II was in his prime, it was illegal for young people to get married. The reason for this was that Claudius believed that if they were married, the young men would want to be with their wives instead of staying focussed on fighting for him. Valentine secretly married young lovers, and was arrested and tortured for encouraging Christian marriages. He was ultimately beaten, stoned and beheaded. Giving a box of chocolates is an easier tradition!! isn't it!

4 FILLING FOR KONG Over ripe fruit of choice (apple, pears, melon etc) Peanut Butter Egg Carton METHOD Blitz the fruit to a puree, adding a little water. Block the small hole of the Kong with some peanut butter. Stand the Kong in the egg carton and fill with the puree. Freeze for 24hrs FUNDRAISING Mary recently found this on the Costa website, celebrating their fundraising event last Summer. As you can see Mary s lovely Hearing Dog Harley was there, and club Member Alison strutted her stuff as HD mascot Brucie They raised a fantastic 900, which was paid into our Club account at HD headquarters and so is not shown on our JustGiving page but which will be added to our overall amount raised. Brilliant work!

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