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Question: I have a beautiful German Shepherd, he is 8 months
old and recently started to walk with a limp in his back legs.
The vets informed me that he had Hip Dysplasia, and that he
might have to have an operation when he is two. He has excellent
pedigree papers, how did he get this the breeder said the
parents were healthy?
Answer: Hip Dysplasia (HD) is a condition causing great
concern to professional breeders. Most large breeds are
affected and it is seen mostly in the larger breeds. HD is
hereditary and the blame must be placed on the breeders lap. I
do not think a week goes by without one of my clients finding
they have purchased a pet with HD. While most pet dogs can lead
a fairly normal life with HD the breeder is the key to
prevention.
A good breeder will ensure that the breeding pair have full
blood tests and X Rays which must be scrutinized by experts who
will classify the animal as fit, or not fit. No one should ever
breed a dog with HD however justified they may feel. I term
people that produce puppies and sell them with HD criminal.
Dogs which have HD, must have quite lives, must never be
overweight, and if children are about, do watch they do not pull
the dogs legs. Expect your pet to have arthritic problems as it
grows older.
In Sweden, Switzerland, and Germany all registered breeders
have to take their pets for full examinations before breeding.
All dogs are fitted with microchips for identification. All
Kennel Club papers and puppies are then guaranteed by the
Government and at the time of this book going to press the
official statistics are not available, but I am assured by
reliable sources that they have reduced HD by more than seventy
per cent.
Question: My cross Terrier is terrified when I take him to the
vet, he sometimes gets aggressive and to be very honest I am
also very frightened. My vet cannot even stroke him. I pray for
my dogs health so that we do not have to go to the vet.
Answer: I am so sorry that your vet allowed this situation to
develop. Most vets recognize a nervous dog and a number of them
are now giving treats so that the dog associates that this is
the place for goodies.
On the other hand lets take a look at this from the dogs point
of view! The car, "The only time I go in the car is to the vets
for an injection and rough handling " wow, bad behavior in the
car. Mum now gets annoyed" Be Quite" "Shut Up" and so on, so
the behavior patterns starts way before the vets clinic.
At the clinic, you are anxious, and so is your dog, and maybe
so are the other dogs, so here are some guidelines that should
assist you.
Every day you should brush your dog, and if possible on a table
or stool. Touch his ears and have a look inside talking to him
all the time. Touch the side of his mouth and rub his gums
gently, he will love that. Pick up his paws and have a look at
his nails, and of course touch his tail and make a good game of
it but be firm.
Your pet will now be used to you handling him, and that is most
important. Next time you take him in the car, do not go to the
vet, go to the park, or to a friend. Should you go to a friend,
show your friend how you can touch his ears, mouth, paws and
tail, that's good practice, and maybe let your friend touch his
mouth, paws and generally pretend to be the vet.
After a while this will all be a good bit of fun to both you
and the dog. We now move to the next step which is to take your
dog to the vet for a social visit out of surgery hours, to be
petted by the staff and given some of his favorite treats. Over
a period of a few weeks he will just love to go and be handled.
Although house visits are very popular, I think this might be
more of a problem to overcome, since you are now bringing the
vet onto the dogs territory. One final piece of advice, when
visiting a dog which is not under complete control, it might be
an idea to leave the dog outside in the car and report in to the
receptionist. When it is your turn the receptionist will come
out and inform you. This way you can walk straight into the
surgery, maybe avoiding that little bunny rabbit or pussycat.
Question: Whenever my friends come to our home my Jack Russell
"Joe" keeps jumping up at them, how can I stop him?
Answer: I do not like dogs jumping up at visitors either. The
best way to deal with this is to put him away, and not allow him
to "greet" your guests. He is acting like an Alpha, a Top Dog.
Best whenever the bell rings, put him away, after a few days he
will automatically be ready to be put away. When your friends
arrive and have settled, he can then be brought into the room,
on your terms. By bringing him into the room, he now has to try
to establish his status. Best not to look at him or talk to him
for a few minutes, I bet he will settle down within a few
minutes !
Question: I am having a lot of problems getting tablets down my
dogs throat. He just will not swallow them, and he is so clever
he pretends then spits them out, any advice?
Answer: I have found that the best way to give medication, is
to place the tablet into a piece of cheese, Cut up a few cubes
and just watch how quick the tablets get swallowed, try it, it
works.
Question: My dog is a cross Labrador/Collie and has never been
in Kennels before. Can you give me any tips about kennels?
Answer: The best advice I can ever give is "Do not book,
unless you can look". Most vets have lists of local kennel
facilities, but cannot really recommend a kennel for a number of
ethical reasons. I would ask a few friends first if they know of
a good kennel. Once you have found a suitable kennel that is
staffed 24 hours, that has a vet on 24 hour call, you should
prepare yourself and your dog.
You should now start to feed your dog on a regular premium
dried dog food, after all you cannot expect a kennel to give him
his chocolate biscuit, at 11 o'clock! By feeding dried food the
kennel will be able to continue so there is no breakdown in
feeding routine. It would be better for both of you to put him
into the kennel for an odd day before you go away, this way he
will get used to the place.
The kennels will want sight of your vaccination book, supply a
list of his "Mummies" special names. Do not forget his toys and
let him have an old sweater of yours to sniff at.
Whenever anyone complains to me about a kennel, I always ask
what food was fed, the wrong diet will cause scratching, licking
and a very dull coat. If your dog comes out of a kennel and you
are happy, then tell your friends and your vet, and if he does
not come out in good condition, also tell your friends and your
vet.
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