I am migrating to the other site as the main blog so all my more recent posts can be found there instead of here...please take a look!
http://beaglehounds.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Thursday, January 03, 2008
New Animal-Themed Show On Nat Geo
I've seen a couple of promos for this new show and it looks interesting. I'll be tuning in when I can!
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National Geographic Channel debuts new animal-themed program.
On Jan. 4, the National Geographic Channel will debut its newest series, DogTown, which travels inside the Best Friends Animal Society Sanctuary. The facility, located on 33,000 acres of property in Southern Utah, is one of the largest no-kill animal shelters in the country and houses all sort of animals, including dogs, cats, horses, rabbits and goats, among others.Each episode of the series takes viewers on a journey inside the Best Friends grounds to meet the dogs and the professional team that works to make sure they survive.Catch the first episode of DogTown at 8 p.m. CT/9 p.m. ET on Jan. 4 on the National Geographic Channel.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Geographic Channel debuts new animal-themed program.
On Jan. 4, the National Geographic Channel will debut its newest series, DogTown, which travels inside the Best Friends Animal Society Sanctuary. The facility, located on 33,000 acres of property in Southern Utah, is one of the largest no-kill animal shelters in the country and houses all sort of animals, including dogs, cats, horses, rabbits and goats, among others.Each episode of the series takes viewers on a journey inside the Best Friends grounds to meet the dogs and the professional team that works to make sure they survive.Catch the first episode of DogTown at 8 p.m. CT/9 p.m. ET on Jan. 4 on the National Geographic Channel.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
The Summer Solution - or, Why Is This Dog Going in My House????
(Photos at the end of the post - worth reading down for!)
We fostered a sweet old gal named Summer a few months ago. Her name, presumably assigned randomly at the kill shelter she came from, is a bittersweet irony as she is in the winter of her life. The vet felt she was at least 13 years old, which is already near the high end of the beagle life span. Plus he diagnosed a severe heart murmur - a six on a scale of one to six. But as long as it keeps on ticking, so does she. An inexpensive blood-pressure pill reduces stress on her heart.
For the uninitiated, a "kill" shelter is one that euthanizes animals after a particular length of time, often just a week or two, if they are unclaimed as so many are. There are more and more shelters that are "no kill," meaning they are geared more toward finding homes or rescue organizations or other options for the unfortunate pets that come in their door and do not euthanize just to make necessary space. Kill shelters aren't bad places with bad people, it's how things used to be everywhere, and often it's a simple matter of supply and demand. In the more rural areas, the number of strays simply overwhelms the population base of potential adopters. And many helpful people work very hard to get dogs out of the kill shelters as well.
But back to Summer the beautiful white-with-brown-and-black beagle. She has the gentlest demeanor I've ever encountered. This is probably due in part to her age and the medication, of course, but she sleeps basically ALL the time.
Now, any beagle worth its hound reputation can be a major couch potato and ours are no exception. The difference is that a normal, healthy dog is always READY to spring into action if needed, such as when you open the refrigerator or start to prepare food, or go to answer the knock at the door, or put on the shoes you always wear when you take the dogs for a walk. At times like that, you have to be up on all fours quickly. Kind of like how you're supposed to play "ready golf," meaning don't waste time and be ready to hit NOW. So it's being "ready beagle," I guess.
Summer was clearly someone's house pet in a past life as she understood that any pile of soft things is a great place to lie down, and her nails, skin, ears and fur were in great shape when she arrived. She is house trained but has some accidents. At her age, I think that when she needs to go, it means right now, and if a door isn't open, she'll go where she is. She never really signalled to us. In her adoptive home she gets to go out a lot as there is someone home all the time, amazingly, and still she occasionally doesn't make it outside in time.
Her new family have fallen totally in love with her which is easy to do, and they can't imagine giving her up, or putting her through another change at her age. Their solution is to put a doggie diaper on her! Yes, there is such a thing. They are sold at pet supply stores. Summer doesn't seem to mind them according to her "mom."
Speaking of Summer's adopters, it's a nice story in that they specifically wanted to adopt a dog that had a strike against it that made it a more difficult candidate. A 13-year old slug fits the bill, as many people wouldn't even consider taking in a pet at that age, not wanting to have to deal with the inevitable, and most would want a dog with more energy and spunk. So this family took her in, imperfections and all. How cool is that?
Back to the main topic - peeing :) Actually it is not that uncommon for spayed female dogs to have urinary control issues.
Our own Katie started having accidents when she was around three years old. It would usually be later at night and she wouldn't even see it coming. She'd be lying on the couch or a bed and she'd get up and there would be a spot, way more than just a dribble. And since she was solidly reliable in the house and barks at the door to go out, we knew something else was going on. Our vet explained that the spaying operation can lead to a loss of muscle tone in "that area" over time and that there is a pill (Proin is the trade name; it's actually phenylpropanolamine) that works well for this problem. If this was the issue, the pill would be almost immediately effective, if not there would be further tests for other causes. Turned out the pill was the magic bullet and she's had no problems since. She takes half a pill twice a day, no big deal. Over time the dose might need to be increased.
Besides loss of muscle tone due to aging or partially as a result of spaying or unknown causes, other reasons for indoor urination from a dog that "knows" better include:
--The all-too-common UTI (urinary tract infection), usually easily cleared up with a round of antibiotics
--True incontinence from some other medical problem - be sure to check with your vet immediately if you suspect the UTI or other truly medical/physical issue.
--Territorial marking behavior, more likely if the dog is not "fixed" yet; this can be situational, temporary, helped with proper attention, or just not manageable. The range is wide.
--Fear, insecurity other other underlying psychological issues, including temporary confusion in new surroundings or due to a change in household schedule.
We fostered a sweet old gal named Summer a few months ago. Her name, presumably assigned randomly at the kill shelter she came from, is a bittersweet irony as she is in the winter of her life. The vet felt she was at least 13 years old, which is already near the high end of the beagle life span. Plus he diagnosed a severe heart murmur - a six on a scale of one to six. But as long as it keeps on ticking, so does she. An inexpensive blood-pressure pill reduces stress on her heart.
For the uninitiated, a "kill" shelter is one that euthanizes animals after a particular length of time, often just a week or two, if they are unclaimed as so many are. There are more and more shelters that are "no kill," meaning they are geared more toward finding homes or rescue organizations or other options for the unfortunate pets that come in their door and do not euthanize just to make necessary space. Kill shelters aren't bad places with bad people, it's how things used to be everywhere, and often it's a simple matter of supply and demand. In the more rural areas, the number of strays simply overwhelms the population base of potential adopters. And many helpful people work very hard to get dogs out of the kill shelters as well.
But back to Summer the beautiful white-with-brown-and-black beagle. She has the gentlest demeanor I've ever encountered. This is probably due in part to her age and the medication, of course, but she sleeps basically ALL the time.
Now, any beagle worth its hound reputation can be a major couch potato and ours are no exception. The difference is that a normal, healthy dog is always READY to spring into action if needed, such as when you open the refrigerator or start to prepare food, or go to answer the knock at the door, or put on the shoes you always wear when you take the dogs for a walk. At times like that, you have to be up on all fours quickly. Kind of like how you're supposed to play "ready golf," meaning don't waste time and be ready to hit NOW. So it's being "ready beagle," I guess.
Summer was clearly someone's house pet in a past life as she understood that any pile of soft things is a great place to lie down, and her nails, skin, ears and fur were in great shape when she arrived. She is house trained but has some accidents. At her age, I think that when she needs to go, it means right now, and if a door isn't open, she'll go where she is. She never really signalled to us. In her adoptive home she gets to go out a lot as there is someone home all the time, amazingly, and still she occasionally doesn't make it outside in time.
Her new family have fallen totally in love with her which is easy to do, and they can't imagine giving her up, or putting her through another change at her age. Their solution is to put a doggie diaper on her! Yes, there is such a thing. They are sold at pet supply stores. Summer doesn't seem to mind them according to her "mom."
Speaking of Summer's adopters, it's a nice story in that they specifically wanted to adopt a dog that had a strike against it that made it a more difficult candidate. A 13-year old slug fits the bill, as many people wouldn't even consider taking in a pet at that age, not wanting to have to deal with the inevitable, and most would want a dog with more energy and spunk. So this family took her in, imperfections and all. How cool is that?
Back to the main topic - peeing :) Actually it is not that uncommon for spayed female dogs to have urinary control issues.
Our own Katie started having accidents when she was around three years old. It would usually be later at night and she wouldn't even see it coming. She'd be lying on the couch or a bed and she'd get up and there would be a spot, way more than just a dribble. And since she was solidly reliable in the house and barks at the door to go out, we knew something else was going on. Our vet explained that the spaying operation can lead to a loss of muscle tone in "that area" over time and that there is a pill (Proin is the trade name; it's actually phenylpropanolamine) that works well for this problem. If this was the issue, the pill would be almost immediately effective, if not there would be further tests for other causes. Turned out the pill was the magic bullet and she's had no problems since. She takes half a pill twice a day, no big deal. Over time the dose might need to be increased.
Besides loss of muscle tone due to aging or partially as a result of spaying or unknown causes, other reasons for indoor urination from a dog that "knows" better include:
--The all-too-common UTI (urinary tract infection), usually easily cleared up with a round of antibiotics
--True incontinence from some other medical problem - be sure to check with your vet immediately if you suspect the UTI or other truly medical/physical issue.
--Territorial marking behavior, more likely if the dog is not "fixed" yet; this can be situational, temporary, helped with proper attention, or just not manageable. The range is wide.
--Fear, insecurity other other underlying psychological issues, including temporary confusion in new surroundings or due to a change in household schedule.
--A bad vibe or energy mix in a particular environment that causes a dog to be imbalanced. I know this sounds a bit out there and vague, but sometimes that's about all you can attribute things to. One of our fosters had this problem in a major way in her new home, probably in competition with the pre-existing dog there, while she was fine for months in our house with a one-time exception and is fine as an only dog in her new home.
This is all a long way around saying that a dog urinating inside is no one's idea of a picnic, and it is one of the reasons a dog may be unwanted (although you never get that pearl of information from the owner turning it in). But realize there are often identifiable causes and solutions, so don't give up on a dog before exploring the options.
Just look at this senior sweetheart, Summer. How could you give up on her?
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