13 Mar 2010
Learn tips and instructions on how to train your dog to come back. Be sure to take notes and practice the tips found in the free video below:
How to Train Your Dog to Come Back When Called — powered by eHow.com
21 Jan 2010
Be sure to tune in on National Geographic’s DogTown episode “Sanctuary” on Friday, January 22 at 10PM ET/PT.
Here is a preview on how John Garcia find a Sanctuary for Shaggy:
Shaggy, a mixed-breed feral dog, survived living in the wild near the Grand Canyon and may never have socialized with humans. After six years of extreme weather and hardship, Sherry Woodard helps Shaggy learn how to begin to trust and interact with humans. Next, Dr. Mike and his wife turn to John Garcia for help with their dog Penny, a mischievous beagle mix whose uncontrollable behavior must be corrected before she causes more damage to their happy home. Finally, Reggie’s family can no longer afford the veterinary care for this elkhound mix and surrender him to DogTown, where he is treated for a mysterious disease that is slowly destroying his nose and ears.
Kanab, UT, USA: Penny on the sofa with Dr. Mike Dix and Elissa Jones. (Photo credit: © NGT)
“Shaggy the Survivor” – After surviving 6 years alone in the Grand Canyon, this wild and dreadlocked pup is heading to DogTown.
“Puppy Puzzles”- Penny’s a little too clever for Mike and Elissa’s own good. So John’s got some tools to keep this rambunctious pup occupied.
26 Oct 2009
What is a brachycephalic breed?
English bulldog is a good example of a bradycephalic breed. It means that this dog breed have flat faces, wide heads and pushed-in noses. As mentioned above they must have the folds of skin around their eyes and noses cleaned, often on a daily basis.
In addition, they are quite susceptible to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Thus, it is not a good idea to let your bulldog out in the sun for too long. Bradycephalic breeds have short air passages making it harder to release this heat. English bulldogs do not sweat they release heat through their nasal passages.
What is a brachycephalic syndrome?
Bradycephalic syndrome is a group of conditions that cause resistance to airflow through the upper respiratory tract such as the nose and larynx. It is very common in short-nosed breeds of dogs.
The cause of this syndrome is the anatomic abnormalities related to the shortened bones of these dogs’ compressed faces without the same proportionate shortening of the overlying soft tissues. The excess soft tissue leads to airway compromise.
How bradycephalic syndrome affects the respiratory system?
English bulldogs encounter usual conditions such as stenotic nares or pinched nostrils, overlong soft palate and everted laryngeal saccules. These physical abnormalities are present during birth but clinical signs of difficulty often start in the early middle age. When airway resistance increases over time, it can lead to progressive respiratory difficulty.
The larynx and trachea gradually gets weaker as the large negative pressure of the greater effort on inspiration continually draws them in. It will eventually collapse causing critical airway obstruction, cyanosis or blueness, and possibly death.
What are the signs of bradycephalic syndrome?
• Noisy breathing (especially on inspiration)
• Exercise intolerance
• Cyanosis (blue appearance of the gums due to lack of oxygen)
• Syncope (fainting)
How to diagnose bradycephalic syndrome?
Test to diagnose bradycephalic syndrome are based on the breed of dog and clinical signs. Other diagnostic tests that may be performed include:
• A complete physical examination, including auscultation or listening of the chest with a stethoscope. It will help exclude other causes of respiratory difficulty
• Thoracic radiographs (x-rays) to determine if heart or lung disease is present
• Visual inspection of the nostrils to determine the presence of pinched nostrils
• Examination (under sedation) of the mouth and larynx to diagnose an overlong soft palate and/or laryngeal saccules that are turned outward
What is the treatment of bradycephalic syndrome?
Mild cases can be managed conservatively without surgery. Mild cases or sudden bouts of airway obstruction though may be managed medically. It can relieve by tranquilization, administration of oxygen, hospital use of anti-inflammatory steroids. Though the risk for progression of severe airway disease remains to exist.
• Close monitoring of your dog for worsening of clinical signs is imperative.
• Surgical management before severe clinical signs develop is relatively easy and carries a much more favorable prognosis than attempted treatment for very severe signs. Possible surgeries (depending on which abnormalities are present in your dog) include removal of a portion of the nostril to allow increased airflow, shortening the soft palate and removal of the everted laryngeal saccules.
What home care can you do?
• If medical management is pursued, closely watch your dog for worsening of clinical signs.
• Keep your bulldog in shape, as obesity will make it more difficult to breathe easily.
• Avoid excessively stressful situations, such as exercise during hot, humid weather.
• Avoid using a neck collar. Use a harness instead.
• Visit your veterinarian immediately when your dog has trouble breathing, becomes cyanotic, or collapses.
• If surgical therapy is done no special care may be required once healing is complete; however, you should continue to monitor your dog for recurrence of clinical signs.
Are there other diseases that mimic bradycephalic syndrome?
• Laryngeal disease. Laryngeal paralysis is a relatively common neurologic disorder of dogs that lead to inability to open or abduct the muscles of the larynx or voice box. Laryngeal collapse is a very severe, end-stage condition of the larynx caused by chronic increased inspiratory effort and subsequent weakening of the laryngeal cartilages that would normally hold the walls of the larynx out of the airway.
• Upper respiratory cancer or mass lesions. Tumors, masses or foreign material lodged within the nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx or trachea (windpipe) can cause respiratory difficulty as the air passage is partially obstructed by the mass.
• Tracheal collapse. It is usually found in small breed dogs caused by weakness of the cartilage rings that normally hold the trachea open during breathing leading to a severe “honking” cough and dyspnea or difficult breathing.
• Bronchial obstructions. These are caused by primary bronchial collapse that compresses the left bronchus (airway).
• Heart failure. Heart failure develops due to the accumulation of fluid in the chest or lungs that leads to breathing difficulties.
• Pulmonary (lung) disease. This is ineffective oxygenation of the blood caused by lung disease. It causes shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, including bronchitis, pneumonia and lung cancer.
Large breeds of dogs, including English bulldog, is commonly known to be affect with Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD). Research has proven that CHD can affect dogs of any size, breed or age. It can sometimes be a contributing factor to conditions namely canine osteoarthritis. This condition makes CHD a very important subject to all dog owners. The important step is to understand how to be cautious and treat dogs, especially English bulldogs, suffering CHD.
What is Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD)?
The basic understanding of hip dysplasia lies on getting to know the part of the body affected. The hip joint forms the attachment of the hind leg to the body and is a ball and socket joint. The ball part is the head of the femur while the socket (acetabulum) is located on the pelvis. A healthy joint has the ball rotating freely within the socket. The shape of the bones is shaped to perfectly match each other with the socket surrounding the ball. The joint is further strengthened when two bones are held together by strong ligament. The ligament serves as an attachment of the femoral head directly to the acetabulum. The joint capsule, additionally, forms a very strong band of connective tissue, encircle the two bones adding more stability. The articular surface is the part where the bones actually touch each other. It is perfectly smooth and cushioned with a layer of spongy cartilage. The joint contains a highly viscous fluid to lubricate the articular surface.
What causes CHD?
Hip dysplasia is caused by a laxity of the muscles, connective tissue, and ligaments that would normally support the joint. As this happens, the articular surfaces of the two bones lose contact with each other. This separation of the two bones within the joint is called a subluxation. Subluxation causes a drastic change in the size and shape of the articular surfaces. Most dysplastic dogs are born with normal hips but due to their genetic make-up, and other factors, the soft tissues that surround the joint develop abnormally causing the subluxation. It is this subluxation and the restructured hip that leads to the symptoms we associate with this disease. Hip dysplasia may or may not be bilateral. It could affect both the right and/or left hip.
What are the symptoms of CHD?
All dogs, even English bulldogs, of all ages are subject to hip dysplasia, leading to osteoarthritis. In severe cases, puppies as young as five months will begin to show pain and discomfort prior and after exercise. The condition will worsen until even normal daily activities are painful. Without medical intervention, these dogs may eventually cease to walk. In most cases, however, the symptoms do not begin to appear until the middle or later years in the dog’s life.
The symptoms are similar to those seen with other causes of arthritis in the hip. Dogs often walk or run with an altered gait. They may resist movements that require full extension or flexion of the rear legs. They often run with a “bunny hopping” gait. They will show stiffness and pain in the rear legs after exercise or first thing in the morning.
In milder cases, movement and exercise will warm up the stiffness of the joints. Some dogs will limp and many will become less willing to perform in normal daily activities. Many owners attribute the changes to normal aging but are surprised to a see a normal and pain free movement of their dogs after treatment. As the condition progresses, most dogs will lose muscle tone and may even need assistance in getting up.
Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy has gone out on a full support for Barack Obama from PBR-fueled fundraisers to performance at the presidential inaugurations. There is no stopping him on offering his help to President Obama especially on the first family’s pick of adopting a White house dog.
President Obama and his family made it public of their plans to adopt Portuguese dogs that will move in the White House on April this year. News reports have made it clear that Obamas, or specifically the fist lady, Michelle, are thinking of adopting a Portuguese water dog, making good on their pre-election promise to daughters Sasha and Malia. A White House spokesperson said the Obamas are favoring the Portuguese breed for its temperament and hypoallergenic.
When Wentz heard of that the Obamas are thinking of adopting their own Portuguese dogs, he decided to help them sway their final choice by sharing his open take on the breed. He knows first hand how it is like to grow up with two Portuguese pooches for most of his life. His parents own Pandora and Marley, their household Portuguese dogs, and they patrol their house in the Chicago suburbs. “I know I am right on the verge of being invited to the Lincoln bedroom with all of my glorious connections to the president, but I think the final step may be me giving the Obamas advice on getting Portuguese water dogs,” he said. He shares, “I know I am right on the verge of being invited to the Lincoln bedroom with all of my glorious connections to the president, but I think the final step may be me giving the Obamas advice on getting Portuguese water dogs,”. He added that “I grew up with two … they were great dogs for the boy I was, being that I barfed from swinging on swing sets, cried at my first 10 birthdays, wouldn’t eat anything but the peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches my mom made and was allergic to everything. They were the perfect answer to that.”
The hypoallergenic thing may sound very big; Wentz however cautions that one of his water dogs is “pretty bad”. He still thinks that English bulldogs make a great White House dog from the fact he and his wife now owns a pair of English bulldogs. “I can’t lie, I think Hemingway is a pretty good candidate too, because he’s the exact opposite of my parents’ water dogs,” Wentz muses. “But I can’t say he’d be any worse than having Cheney around tearing that place up.”
We will have to wait and see which breed of dog joins the first family soon. Let’s hope the President would heed Pete Wentz’s thought on English bulldog as the first family’s dog.