Cooling Your Dog Down During a Hunt

Overheating and Heat Strokes are Silent Killers Bella, Ryder, and Hondo after a training session

Protecting your dog from heat stroke and heat related illnesses is easy as long as you pay attention to your dog during that opening day hunt.  It may mean less shooting and socializing, but can mean life or death to your dog.

Warning signs of K9 overheating and heat related stress include excessive panting, uncoordinated movements of the back limbs, weaving back and forth on a retrieve, or in severe cases, complete collapse.  If your dog exhibits any of the last three symptoms, we recommend you stop hunting and get your dog emergency veterinary care immediately to prevent permanent damage to your dog’s brain and vital organs.

Here are some easy ways we have found to prevent heat related illnesses among Ryder, Bella, and Hondo.

  1. Park your vehicle in the shade and keep your dogs cool while they are in the kennels or in our case in the dog trailer.
  2. Use a plastic kennel that has a nice tall base which you can fill with a level of cool water which you can then kennel your dog into to lay down and cool off.  We keep two kennels with us at all times for this purpose.  If it’s extremely hot, we always add some ice to the water to help with the cooling process.  Too much ice can cause shock by cooling the dog off too quickly.
  3. Provide a fan to provide air flow to the dog which when blowing over the cool water will provide your dog with a nice cooling breeze.  Or you can use a crate fan cooling system that comes with a re-freezable core that will blow cool air on your dog for at least a 1/2 hour.
  4. Keep plenty of drinking water for your dog, and it will help to add electrolytes to their hydration regimen with either a baby electrolyte drink such as Pedialite or a specially formulated dog product, Animal Naturals K-9 GoDog which is added .
  5. With more than one dog available, make sure you rotate them about every 30 minutes to allow each dog enough time to cool down before calling on them to work again.

While nothing is sure in this world, if you keep a close eye on your dog’s panting and retrieves, you should be able to prevent heat related issues from causing problems with your hunt.  Think safety first, and you will be able to share many great memories with your companion for years to come.

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Written on August 17th, 2010 , Hunting, Training, Veterinary Information Tags: , , , , , , ,
Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC) by Dr. Jim Dobies

Dr. Jim Dobies is the owner of South Point Pet Hospital in Belmont, NC, and over the last five years in practice has helped Ryder, Bella, and Hondo through numerous injuries and illnesses as they compete and hunt throughout the country.  I have requested that he write an article on Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC) because it was found predominantly in the genetics of field bred Labrador Retrievers.

Exercise-Induced Collapse

James C. Dobies, DVM

Exercise-induced collapse (EIC) is the most common cause of collapse in young, healthy Labrador Retrievers.  It is most commonly associated with field-trial dogs, but has been identified in other Labradors, Chesapeake Bay and Curly-Coated Retrievers, and Boykin Spaniels.  Affected dogs are generally young (5 months to 3 years of age), extremely fit, and often have an excitable temperament.

EIC usually occurs after 5 to 20 minutes of strenuous exercise often accompanied by extreme excitement.  The first sign may be a rocking or forced gait.  The rear limbs become weak and wobbly.  Sometimes this proceeds to an incoordinated gait.  In severe episodes, the front limbs can become affected as well and the dogs may exhibit a complete inability to move.  Some dogs with EIC suffer a loss of balance and fall over.  Most dogs are conscious and alert during the episodes, but some will appear disoriented.  Symptoms often worsen for up to 5 minutes even after exercise has ended.

It’s important for owners and handlers to immediately rest any dog showing signs of EIC because a few deaths have been reported.  However, most dogs fully recover within 5 to 25 minutes with no permanent loss of function.  The first time a dog collapses, it should be examined immediately by a veterinarian with knowledge of EIC to confirm the diagnosis.  A dog previously diagnosed with EIC that does not recover from an episode of collapse within 30 minutes should be examined and treated by a veterinarian.  Body temperature is frequently elevated in cases of EIC but it is no more severe than the elevated temperatures of unaffected dogs following exertion.  It’s best to provide the same cooling therapies to all post-exercise dogs: access to shade or air conditioning; access to plenty of drinking water; wetting of the ears, paw pads, and coat with cool water; and allowing dogs to pant freely to self-regulate elevated body temperatures.

A dog with EIC should avoid the activities that bring on an episode.  Some dogs have been successfully treated for EIC with phenobarbital, but this medication should only be prescribed and administered at the direction of licensed veterinarian.  EIC is a hereditary condition and there is a DNA test to detect the EIC gene.  Testing can be performed on blood, cheek swabs, dewclaws, and semen.  The results are useful for owners in making decisions about the activities their dog can and cannot participate in, for breeders to assist in breeding decisions, and for veterinarians trying to diagnose dogs with potential neurological, neuromuscular or metabolic disorders.

References:

The website for the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory: (http://www.vdl.umn.edu/ourservices/canineneuromuscular/home.html)

Harari, J.  Exercise-induced collapse in Labrador retrievers: A comparison with unaffected dogs.  Dvm360 August 1, 2009.

Hoskins, JD.  Exercise-induced collapse in Labrador Retrievers.  Dvm360 October 1, 2008.

Patterson, EE, Minor, KM, et al.  A canine DNM1 mutation is highly associated with the syndrome of exercise-induced collapse.  Nat Genet October 2008; 40 (10): 1235-9.

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Written on May 28th, 2010 , Veterinary Information Tags: , , , , , , ,
New Puppies and The Equipment You Need For Them

Spring is the time when we are greeted by new puppies, and we need to make sure that we have the right equipment to make the transition from mama to your home.

Pups need all the right stuff to grow up right

In this article we will discuss the equipment you should have for your new puppy, and we highly recommend that you check out the series of articles written by Jennifer LS Pearsall with George Hickox on starting your new puppy out right.  They are the best information on making sure you start and teach your puppy right from the start.  The first puppy article in this series is titled Puppies and Imprinting: Fourteen Crucial Weeks and will help you give your pup a good start.  So what equipment do you need to help welcome and start your puppy correctly?

Taking information from Tom Dokken’s Retriever Training our equipment list will give you exactly what you need during this crucial fourteen week period.

When the pup arrives you need the following:

Wire Crate with a divider that is  correctly sized to meet the needs of your puppy as he grows to adulthood.  In this way, you will only have to buy one indoor kennel for your pup.  The way to purchase this crate is to as close as possible determine the maximum size that your pup will be at adulthood.  With the divider you will be able to make the crate the correct size for your pup’s initial crate and house training.

Deluxe Crate will give your pup room for growth

Since puppies are by nature chewers because of their new teeth, we recommend that you have a supply of chew toys for them while they reside in their puppy condo.  We do not recommend purchasing a mat for the bottom of your new puppy’s crate but use carpet or towels to line the bottom of the kennel because of the chewing habits of pups.

Food and Water Bowls should be made from stainless steel because of the ease of cleanup and because it isn’t subject to be chewed on as plastic bowls can be. Bacteria and other possibly deadly viruses can be cleaned from stainless steel using a mixture of bleach and water, just make sure that you have rinsed your bowls thoroughly after using this cleaning method.

Stainless Steel Food and Water Bowls Are Safer for your Pup

A puppy leash and collar is recommended for as soon as your pup comes home.  While color and style are of personal preference, the only recommendation that we have is that you purchase one with a metal belt buckle type instead of the plastic snap together buckle.  With the size and strength of a sporting dog, they can easily in a moment of panic or exuberance jerk hard enough to allow the snap type buckle to fail and come apart.  This can turn into a dangerous situation for you and your pup. Use a short 1/4″ check cord with snap to allow your pup to learn restraint by letting him drag it around any time he is out of his kennel.  You can get this type check cord at your local home improvement store for around $10.00. Your pup will drag this cord around and will hang it on everything from furniture to feet, and he will struggle then relax (an early learning opportunity to turn pressure off) but won’t associate any of this with you which will make training easier once it becomes more structured.

Once your pup starts school, which is at about 12 – 16 weeks old, you will needCheck Cords and Command Collars are like Remote Control for your Dog to add either a 30′ Check Cord or a 50′ Check Cord with a properly sized “choke” or command collar to work on basic obedience and other skills that your pup will be learning.

Proper socialization and noise/sound conditioning will insure that your pup will grow up fearing nothing in his new world.  Even with all the right equipment you will need to make sure that you give your pup every chance to learn and grow.   Our next article will focus on the equipment you will need as your puppy starts his formal training and how this fits within his physical and mental growth.  Feel free to contact us at info@marleydogsupplies.com with any questions about proper equipment and training tools related to your specific breed.

Exuberant and Well-Socialized Pups Grow Up to Be Great Hunting Companions with the Right Training and Support

Marley Sporting Dog Supplies
http://www.marleydogsupplies.com

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Written on April 25th, 2010 , Puppies Tags: , , , ,
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