Ottawa Area - Heartworm & Lyme Disease Seminar & Clinic

In conjunction with the Spring shows The Ottawa Kennel Club is holding a
Heartworm & Lyme Disease Seminar and Clinic

Seminar - Saturday, May 25th, 2013

Location: Dining Hall, Richmond Fairgrounds

Speaker: Dr. Emmanuel Fontaine, Royal Canin

Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Cost per Person: $5.00 plus a non-perishable item for the Richmond Food
Bank

(Coffee and Tea provided)

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Clinic - Sunday, May 26th, 2013

Location: Richmond Animal Hospital

6174 Perth Road, Richmond, ON. K0A Z20 (across the road from the
Fairground)

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Cost: $45.00 per Dog

Preregistration required

For information and preregistration

Contact :
Sue Fenton
suvanbichons@sympatico.ca
613-745-2802

or


Christine and Larry Surtees

Pomkees@xplornet.com

 

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What's So Good About Teaching A "Long Stand"?

In my dog obedience classes I'm always asking the students to tell me, specifically, 5 reasons for a specific exercise.  I want them to be very specific, to their lifestyle and environment.

One might say ....

I ask my dog to sit when I'm preparing their dinner.
I ask my dog to sit before I put their dinner on the floor.
I ask my dog to sit when my grandmother comes in the door.
I ask my dog to sit before we go out the front door for a walk.
I ask my dog to sit when I put their collar on.
Sit quietly while waiting for my vet appointment.

Sit is an easy one ... but the stand, owners have a hard time with.  So when would you ask your dog to stand?

Wouldn't it be nice if they,

Stood, calmly while your vet listened to their lungs/heart?
Stood while you wiped their back paws before running across your rugs?
Stood calmly in the bathtub for a simple bath?
Stood calmly in the bathtub while the 5+ minute skunk removal application worked?!!!

and then there are reasons we just never consider in life ... like either an injury or a senior dog with mobility problems.

Paw-Pads Self Adhesive Traction Pads

Check out this link and then go to the "Sizing & instructions" page.
It reads ...

"To Activate the Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive:
After applying, have your dog stand with full weight on pads for 60-90 seconds. This will activate the pressure-sensitive adhesive. They should not feel Paw-Pads™ once applied."

Now you might think this silly, but I'm considering it for an aging senior we have at the moment, especially for her rear paws that tend to slip out from under her on our non-carpeted surfaces.

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Coming 20th Annual Lakeside Winter Garden Party

This weekend coming, February 24th @ the Ron Kolbus Lakeside Gardens, there will be the 20th Annual Winter Garden Party!  Loads of fun things to do with the kids, enjoying indoor and outdoor times.

Time - 11:30 to 2pm.

Here's a quick snap shot of photos I've taken from years gone by.

  sleigh rides

 kids dancing to music

 

taffy pull

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Memory Photo Shoot - "Opal" ROMC & son BPIS Am/Cdn Ch "Rocky"

With the help of dear friend Mary Lou (and a new lens for her camera from her son as an xmas gift), and a German Shepherd breeder near me, Marilyn, we did this photo shoot yesterday with our two oldest shelties, Shelamo's Party Pack ROMC and her son BPIS Am/Cdn Ch Shelamo's Prospector.

These are some of my favorite ones.

 

 Shelamo's Party Pack & son BPIS Am/Cdn Ch Shelamo's Prospector

 

"Opal" @ almost 15 yrs of age

(Linden Winsong North 'N South x Ch Scotholme Arhope Dyamond)

 "Opal"

  "Rocky" at almost 13 yrs of age

(Am/Cdn/Jap Ch Laureate Explorer x Shelamo's Party Pack ROMC )

 

 

"Rocky" hasn't lost his sweet 'show show' look!

even tho .... with the hardest part in doing this photo shoot being .... as with many seniors, the first to go is their hearing, and now, unfortunately, the two of them are deaf, I think Mary Lou & Marilyn did a great job in capturing the essence of these two.

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New Vet Clinic in Almonte, Ontario

Am pleased to announce that there will be a new vet clinic in Almonte.  It's Mississippi Mills Animal Hospital.

http://www.mmah.ca/

For those of my clients who have used the services of Amanda Mulloy and Mark Van Campen, they have joined forces to open their own clinic.

We here at Shelamo look forward to working with them in their new setting.  They've been our sheltie's vet for 12 years now, and provide the utmost care, compassion, researching our needs, and taking the time to discuss all options when presented with a medical issue.

All the Best to Amanda & Mark in their new venture!

From Mike & Maureen, and our Shelamo Gang ....

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Vaccination Information

Duration Study On Immunity to Canine Vaccinations

You might be interested in viewing this link

Vaccination Durations

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Monster Cute Photo Contest

 'Think we're working hard enough?'

 'Yum, I think we did it Kona!'

Timbit (Rescued Sheltie) and Kona (Dakota x Flirt litter) are working on making honey.

They've been entered in the PetsMart Monster Cute Photo Contest and if they win the owners will donate a portion to Southern Ontario Sheltie Rescue to help more shelties in need.

Please go vote here if you're on Facebook - and every day if you can!

https://apps.facebook.com/monstercute/showentry/1322883

after that photo shoot it was time to relax,

owners & pictures - Rachel & Matt Davidson

(PS  just another reason for obedience classes!   great sit/stays for pics like this)

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Breeding Dogs - Ups and Downs

The last two weeks, since June 25th, here at Shelamo have been very hard on us and has required many vet trips.

The wicked heat we've been through, breaking daily temps, has also worn us and the dogs out.  Just hoping our annuals, potted tomatoes and other gardens we're watering enough to sustain them.

  

Our Shelamo's Party Pack ROMC, at over 14 yrs of age, became ill and after 2 days of intensive IV fluid care and testing we found she's in stage 2 kidney failure. New food, meds and religious monitor has had to be upped to keep her stable.  She's doing well at this point, just means a lot of extra care.

Then, a bit earlier than expected on July 2nd, our Ch Shelamo Riding The Wind delivered two pups, unfortunately we lost one.  She's given us a real run for our money with just one!  She's one of the VERY few girls we have that wants to carry her pup around & move it to a different location from our standard whelping area of our kitchen.  I couldn't even leave for a minute without finding she was on the move again!  I was always asking - please give me your puppy!  With monitoring her, it meant sleeping on the couch for two days to ensure we got through the night OK.

 

and you're problem Mom is??

I was just about to .... you caught me!

(no pup was harmed in the taking of these photos :) )

She's had not wanted to eat well postpartum, so my stock of goodies, cooking up special meals has been endless, with a counter full of food, mostly that she hasn't wanted.  Her milk wasn't coming in well either, so I was supplementing the pup's feeding to try and maintain her birth weight, and then to gain some.  Trying to draw a fine line so that she'd at least nurse to try and cause the milk to come down hasn't been easy.  I think now, thanks to a Facebook neonatal page I'm on, I've found a natural remedy that I picked up this Friday that seems to have helped.  We're just 24 hours into it, so we'll see, but he pup now seems to have a fully belly when I check her and has put on weight.

Needless to say Chinook is a very attentive mom ... too much so!

She's gotten the nick-name of YoYo!

And then ... if that wasn't enough, on July 2nd ... in the afternoon, we had to rush our Ch Shelamo Burleigh Casino Rama CGN, CD to emergency (long weekend!) .... new post to follow .....

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TICKS - are increasing BIG time in the Ottawa Area

TICKS in the Ottawa area - as posted by vet, Saye Clement on Facebook - "send out the word about ticks being bad this year. Warm winter combined with lots of deer and lots of wild turkeys (who knew!), and ground hogs, will likely lead to huge numbers of ticks on dogs (and people!). If people find ticks, have them email me a photo at the office. Thanks!!"  This vet is at the Carling Animal Hospital in Ottawa.  She is doing an informal study of ticks in this area. She's asking that you do one of two things; take a picture and email it to her (if you plan on having your vet send it off for Lyme testing), or if not, put it in a leak proof bottle with some rubbing alcohol and send it/drop it off to her.


So am passing along the word -

website is - for address/email info
http://www.carlinganimalhospital.com/


you and also read here ...

http://ottawa.ca/en/health_safety/conditions/lyme/

There are two great tick removal tools.  One is sold at Lee Valley Tools called a Tick Key, the other is a Tick Twister.

So far this year in grooming dogs, I've found one earlier than normal.  Last year a client's dog got one in a city park/green space area in the west/sound end of Ottawa.


The Ottawa Health site advises what to do for yourself, but my concern in writing this is for our animals.  Stay out of long grass, keep to trails, and check your dog well for ticks.  Their favorite spots tend to be around the head/ears, neck, chest.  All because the dog is usually nosing down in the grass :)  However feel/check everywhere.  Consider talking to your vet about the various preventative meds available for this time of year too.


And don't forget your cats if you let them out.

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Have You Moved? Are You Moving?

Something to Remember!

There are so many things to consider when moving - the big one is address/phone # changes.  How many of you remember your dog's contact info?  If your dog is CKC registered, you should give them a call and update your contact info.  If your dog is microchipped through a company like Avid via your vet, then you should call them.

If the tattoo is readable they will contact the CKC and try and get your contact info; the same goes for reading the microchip.  But, if the info is incorrect (nor have you notified your breeder) then it becomes so much harder to reunite you with your pet.

I know for us, since all our microchips are bought through the CKC they are all thus registered to us as a contact.  So we can be the one they reach when all else fails.

If you haven't done it - CALL NOW!

CanadaCHIP Recovery

CANADACHIP Recovery Database: 1-800-396-1896
Your lifetime friend deserves lifetime protection

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Vaccinations - Yes? No?

 An Inexpensive Tool To Reduce Pet Vaccination


Check out this article on this website page to learn a tad bit more on all the goings on regarding what you can question regarding the vaccination of your dog.  One important fact too, is to understand your breed.

Dogs Naturally Magazine

I've read, and have heard of at least 2 shelties that the diagnosis of autoimmune hemolytic anemia, occurred not long after vaccine boosters at middle age.  More and more research seems to be pointing us in the direction of over vaccination, which specifically has resulted in the Canine Rabies Challenge Fund.

Education on your pet's health is the first step.  I'm no expert, just always learning.  Science is moving at such a fast pace these days.

Also, for those of you in the Ottawa area, I can tell you there has already been an increase in the number of ticks found on dogs.  So if you're out in the woods, or even long grass don't forget to do a constant check on your dog.  Ticks can especially be found around the neck, ears, face and belly.  I understand right now that there is a 4 week backlog in getting the tick you find on your dog analyzed due to the high volume being seen.

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Winter Booties For Dogs

Winter is on it's way ~ whether we're going to like it or not!

I get asked many times about whether shelties need booties for walking in the winter. My general answer is no, not usually. One of the biggest keys is you need to keep the hair trimmed on the bottom of their feet. Below is a pic of one foot that's been trimmed, the other still to be done. One of the areas dogs sweat is from their paws, (did you know this?) and thus with the hair & their sweating it all leads to those big snow balls that collect between their pads. This can cause small cracks in the thinner areas between their toes. Not to mention all the sand/salt they pick up! Dog's pads are meant to be rough and able to handle most surfaces ~ just think ~ they can run through dried grass, prickly weeds, woods with who knows what on the ground, over rocks and we don't consider protecting them during this time.
So, when might booties help? If you have no choice but to walk on heavily salted streets every day, and especially when we have those minus 30C consistent days, they can help. Those icy days we get can help with traction. Or maybe you have a senior dog, arthritic dog, that needs help with traction.

There are two problems with booties - one will the dog walk with them on??? and two will they stay on? There are many kinds on the market. You need to 'train' your dog to accept them on their feet. Don't just put them on the day you need them as many will shake, pull them off or just fail to move! Train them in the house, one bootie at a time, a few good treats to distract them and make it fun. Maybe play with a toy, so they aren't thinking about them. Work up till they accept all four.

These are ones I've seen in action. I have one in my dog class, with a waxed floor, there is a Rotti that will slip on the sit. She wears these and they stay on for the full hour, no matter what she's doing.
Check out this site ... click on the pic from their home page ~ Pawzdogboots.com
Biggest question, where can you get them? I plugged in my location and found Pet Value carries them. They come different sizes ... but hey! take your dog and use it as a training/socialization situation at the same time.

Enjoy winter! and don't forget to groom those feet.

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Are You Prepared to be Skunked?

If you meet one of these ... probably it will be last potty call at 10 pm or so, when your dog comes
face to face with one! Likely you're not prepared, but then what are you to do, other than panic, if your dog, and maybe you get sprayed? It's certainly not a pretty sight, or should I say smell.
First off, let's try to prevent this kind of incident from happening all together. Make sure you take your dog out on lead and carry a flashlight ... a) you'd like to keep your dog from putting his nose where you don't want it to go, and b) you just might see the light from their eyes, or the white stripe. Skunks only spray if they feel threatened.

However, if it happens what is one to do? Well, at 10 pm you're probably not prepared, right? or maybe after reading this Blog, and you're in an area where you could come into contact with them, you just might have some items on hand.

If you have none of the so called 'skunk-off' products, you can try going to your vet and finding their outside drop off box as they are usually kind enough to leave a bottle there for emergencies. Otherwise, you need to find a safe haven for your dog, out of the house ... like the garage. If you've crate trained your dog, here's a time when it would come in handy. Leaving your dog on a porch or deck, in their crate would also work. The key is to remember that where ever the dog has the skunk's oils on them it will transfer everywhere.

So what can you have on hand. In asking on FB and searching the web there are a couple of tried and true suggestions. Most people haven't found the store bought products to work well as they'd hoped.

This is one, and we can all keep it on hand at a minimal cost.

Take 1 quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (available from any drugstore), 1/4 cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate for you science types) and 1 teaspoon of liquid soap, such as Ivory. Mix in a bucket and immediately apply to the stinky pet. Rinse thoroughly with tap water.

*Warning*

This mixture can be explosive, as it will fizz and creates pressure if it is enclosed in a seal tight container. Never store unused portion, always discard. Be sure to only mix in an open container and do not try to store or cover it in any way. Do not get the mixture into the dog's eyes, nose or mouth.

Another one I was told worked well for them was the clear Ivory dish soap. Wet, lather well & rinse.

And the last one, believe it or not are the feminine hygiene douches! Yep, can you see a man buying a box of it at 11pm at a Shopper's Drug Mart? along with some candles? I've had more than one reply of similar nature :) but those that have tried it say it does work.

One key to remember is the skunk's oils transfer everywhere, have I said that already?! So change your clothes to old ones, use paper towels to soak up any oils you can 1st. Remember, that as you wash the dog the oils transfer from the affected area, so 1st work the skunked area well before doing the rest of the dog. Most often the face is involved, so one must be careful around the eyes. Use an old face cloth, sponge, or paper towels to clean this area - remember you are going to be throwing these things out!

Be prepared, and be alert at night, especially if you're in unknown territory, such as a camping.

Good luck, if this happens to happen to your dog.

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