Vacinations

The good news is that thousands of animal lovers (but not enough) have heard what we've beensaying. Canine Health Concern members around the world use real food as Nature's supremedisease preventative, eschewing processed pet food, and minimise the vaccine risk. Some of us,myself included, have chosen not to vaccinate our pets at all. Our reward is healthy and long-lived dogs.

It has taken but one paragraph to tell you the good and simple news. The gratitude I feel eachday, when I embrace my healthy dogs, stretches from the centre of the Earth to the Universe andbeyond.

About the Author:

Catherine O'Driscoll runs Canine Health Concern which campaigns and also delivers an educationalprogram, the Foundation in Canine Healthcare. She is author of Shock to the System (2005; see review thisissue), the best-selling book What Vets Don't Tell You About Vaccines (1997, 1998), and Who Killed theDarling Buds of May? (1997; reviewed in NEXUS 4/04).
She lives in Scotland with her partner, Rob Ellis, and three Golden Retrievers, named Edward, Daniel andGwinnie, and she lectures on canine health around the world.

For more information, contact Catherine O'Driscoll at Canine Health Concern, PO Box 7533, Perth PH21AD, Scotland, UK, email catherine@carsegray.co.uk , website http://www.canine-health-concern.org.uk.Shock to the System is available in the UK from CHC, and worldwide from Dogwise athttp://www.dogwise.com.

Posted with Blogsy

More on Dynamic Stretching

Clarification on dynamic stretching:

Standing high fives: dog is standing (four paws on the ground) and giving you a high five.

Sitting wave: dog waves 3-5 times in a row before putting his paw down.

Toe-kicks: same as standing high fives, but while you're standing facing the dog, you lift your foot about dog's elbow height so dog has to shift weight forward and reach forward to touch your foot with its paw. Switch feet and continue. It's ok if your dog starts to take a step forward to adjust for the weight shift, you can just take a step back.

Figure 8 through legs: make sure you change directions. Many don't believe me but a direction change is required.

Circle work: large enough circles to get your dog into and maintain a trot. Change of direction is required.

Walking backwards: when dog is going backwards make sure it's in a straight line.

Robin Pelletier

Agility Warm Up

There just isn't enough warm-up happening in agility! Especially dynamic stretching.

Many get confused with the stuff that goes on while you're waiting your turn to run as being a warm-up. That stuff, IMO, is to rev, ready, and focus your dog.

I also see good intentions happening on the first day of a multi-day trial, but the energy usually fades by day three which is when your dog needs it the most.

Warm muscles can keep a slip from turning into an injury.

Five minutes of trotting is the minimum warm-up to do.

Dynamic stretching routine:
- Standing high fives
- Sitting waves
- Toe-kicks
- Figure 8 through legs
- Circle work
- Walking backwards, etc .

Multiple reps of each AFTER the 5 minutes of trotting.

The practice jump is not a dynamic stretch its a ballistic event. Ballistic events require dynamic stretching. So if you warm your dog up and then do the practice jump to get your dog's "head in the game" great, but it can't replace a dynamic stretching routine.

A dynamic stretching routine consists of activities that increase the body's temperature and increase blood flow to the muscles so they can be ready at a moments notice. A good dynamic stretching routine uses movement patterns that require muscles group activation, muscle groups that will be used during the trial, but activities that don't replicate the actual activity you're going to do in the trial. You want to save the "bang" for the competition, don't waste it on the warm-up.

Robin Pelletier
www.poodlesinmotion.com

Poodle Ear Infections

Poodles are known for getting ear infections. Here are a few things that cause them.

1. Hair in the ear hole
2. Moisture in the ear hole
3. Large amounts of Beet Pulp in certain dog foods

These three are the biggest problems and cause yeast infections which can be very hard to get rid of and treat. If they are treated vigorously.

First check the ingredients on the bag of food, look for the word 'beet pulp' that is a big source of Ear problems that I have found over the years. 'Beet pulp' is put into a large number of dog food as it's a stool hardener and it makes it sweet so that dogs like the food. A few now have beet pulp sugar removed like Eukanuba.
What happens in 'Poodle ears' is that the canals are very narrow which hold moisture, thus anaerobic bacteria grows there which is a yeast; sugar products promote this as well as the fact that air can't get down there to dry it out. You can have surgery done on them if it's really really bad to reconstruct the ear canal (about $ 2500.) but that is not always the answer.

We have found some old home remedies that work very well and will dry them up quicker and easier than most of the things that vets tend to offer you. But you have to do it faithfully to get it under control first. Normally if you have a culture done it will come back as 'Psudeomonus'.


# 1 Idoform Mixture - Call Ron Giesser (Pharmacist) in Texas 817-295-2273 and get some medicated powder that he makes for the 'Poodle ears' it will cost about $25. for enough to last you a year if you keep it in a dry container. It's a mixture of Idoform Powder, Zinc Oxide, Boric Acid. The key ingredient in the mixture is the Idoform powder because it is effective against anaerobic (not needing oxygen) bacteria that thrive in dark, moist places like standard poodle ears.

To treat an existing infection; put a generous pinch in each ear and work it down the hole with your finger. Wait a few minutes, and pluck all of the ear hair being sure to get all the way down the canal that you can see. The powder will dry up a lot of the gunk and it will come out with the hair. Put another large pinch of powder in each ear and leave it in. (the dog will shake some out, but that is ok. Wait 24 hrs., and use a dry q-tip to completely remove powder from the ears. There will be balls of powder and dried gunk. Put another pinch of powder in each ear. Repeat daily until the ears no longer run. Then go to every other day, then every third day, twice a week, weekly, every other week, every third week then monthly.

To Maintain good ears; Put powder in each ear and pluck all of the hair out every few weeks. Allow the dog to shake, but leave some excess powder in the ears.

#2. Blue Lightening Formula (abit more messy but works good) You will need these things to make this:

• 1 pt. rubbing alcohol
• 4 tablespoons of Boric Acid Powder (this will not dissolve must shake good before using each time)
• 16 drops (same as 1 cc) of Gentian Violet (2 % or double if only 1 %) (I get it at Wal-mart).

Mix all of this into the Alcohol (might have to dump a bit out if the bottle is too full before putting ingredients in). Make sure to shake well before each using each time as the boric acid does not dissolve. Put in ear & massage below the ear, step back and let dog shake (This will stain the light color dogs a nice purple color but will eventually disappear....don't worry) Best to do this outside so that you don't have purple droplets everywhere inside. Do this for two weeks twice a day then once a day for a week, then every three days for two weeks. And it should clear up, then just use before bathing as a maintenance..

Both of these remedies work, but DO NOT USE BOTH at the same time.

#3. Routine Douche - For a general maintenance a mixture of White Vinegar and Rubbing Alcohol 50/50 As a douche for the ears works wonders, just use before bathing. Use this only if no infection is present.

Reference: Ash's Mystical Poodles
http://www.mysticalpoodles.com/poodle-breeders-recommend/article14.html