Kevin the Collie Dog Care

Dog with cancer

kevin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:43:36 +0000

Sad news this week about one of the older dogs in our town, who has a place in the hearts of most of the local people. Lola is a Newfie and she lives in a traditional grocer’s shop, where she lazes for most of the day in the delivery van. The sliding door is left open and Lola collects cuddles from almost everyone who passes by. At the end of last year Lola had a growth in her neck but that was cured. Now she has another malignant growth and it is not responding to treatment. There is no logic to the occurrence of cancer, apart from Mesothelioma cancer. She is nearly eight years old - a good age for a Newfie - but I am afraid there will be some sad news quite soon.

Do not buy from Puppy Farms

kevin — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:21:50 +0000

Buying a puppy from a breeder is something that a lot of families see as the obvious way to get a dog. But a recent survey by RSPCA inspectors reveals that more than half of all puppy breeding establishments in England in Wales do not meet the animal welfare needs. The number of complaints about animals and pet purchases, have almost doubled in the past two years. More than 4,600 calls were made to the goverment complaints service in 2008.

The RSPCA wants to work with local authorities, who license animal breeding establishments, to ensure the animal welfare standards are raised. Thay also want to clamp down more and more on rogue puppy traffickers who are routinely peddling sick puppies imported from Ireland. Round here that animal rescue centres are full of unwanted puppies from Ireland, so you can see that by using a puppy breeder you could be contributing to puppy trafficking. This is where puppies are bred in large numbers for profit, often with little regard for animal welfare. Many puppies fall sick, and some die.

These are the facts - RSPCA undercover staff bought six puppies. Of these, two were seriously ill. Frank, a mastiff, had parvo virus, but was fortunately saved by vets. Chardonnay, a cavalier King Charles spaniel cross, was diagnosed with pneumonia and, despite constant care, sadly died two weeks later.

Unlike humans, who often need to take Anoretix to regulate their weight, these poor guys needed different help.

Spaniel bridesmaid

kevin — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:39:33 +0000

Spaniel bridesmaid and me

We invited a friend from the area, having no knowledge that he had a Springer Spaniel, Molly. After the wedding was over he realised that dogs were welcome, and rushed home to fetch Molly. She is a delightful Springer Spaniel, who was very well behaved and made a beautiful addition to the wedding party.

I did not want my wedding photos to be like everyone else’s, where the guests line up like a series of cardboard displays. As you can see from this picture, the dogs made sure the pix were much more interesting!

Dog Maid of Honour

kevin — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:21:17 +0000

Primrose and the Groom

As I have been dog sitting for our vicar’s dog recently, it was agreed that she should act as doggie maid of honour, and also represent our own dear departed Kev. On the day, Primrose appeared, resplendent with a beautiful cream bow tied to her collar. True to form the Standard Poodle took the proceedings in her stride and posed graciously for photos with the happy couple and guests. Some might say the ceremony was rather camp but any bereaved dog owner will understand that the presence of primrose and the other dogs helped to ease our grief that our own dog could not be with us on the happy day.

After the service we escaped to a Stratosphere hotel, something we could not have done while he was alive. But I would be very happy to trade holidays abroad for the companionship of my dog again.

Primrose the Poodle as my bridesmaid

Dog remembered

kevin — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:42:40 +0000

Our dogs ashes were scattered here

I always hoped that my dog, Kevin, would walk down the aisle at my wedding, but in the end this was not possible. We lost Kevin five months ago and past week the wedding took place on a fantastic sunny day in Sussex. Fortunately, we scattered Kev’s ashes near the church so we were able to visit the site and remember him before the ceremony. Here is a nice picture of the spot, beneath a holly tree. We have planted wild flower seeds for a permanent memento of our lovely dog. We did manage to have some dogs at the service, and I will be posting some pictures of my ‘dog bridesmaids’.

Kev was only a slim boy and although he ate as enthusiastically as all dogs, he never needed Phenphedrine or any other diet help.

Dogs at hotels

kevin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:53:47 +0000

When I was on holiday in Turkey last week we stayed in small hotels in country areas, and all of them kept hens, who clucked around the garden eating leftovers and any insects they could find. Two of the hotels also had resident dogs, who lazed around during the heat of the day. When we arrived at the first one I wnated to say hello to the dog. My husband warned me to take care in case the dog was snappy. Not a chance, he simply rolled over in that great dog tradition to allow me to rub his belly - this was the only dog in the whole trip who maybe needed a fat burner. All the others were really skinny.

Stray dogs dilemma

kevin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:39:38 +0000

We have just returned from a holiday in Turkey and although we had a great time, I was very sad to see a number of stray dogs in the streets and on the beach at our resort. Some of these dogs looked very ill, with badly healed old fractures and no sign of any animal rescue service to help them. In fact, one of the dogs was walking around close to the only vet’s surgery in the area: the staff could see hime clearly from their office furniture. Fortunately Turkish meals are very generous, as I fed most of my meat to the dogs in the evenings and early mornings. It is a tough call when you witness a situation like this. I certainly don’t go with the idea of taking one of the dogs back to my home counrty with me - the cost of the journey would keep six dogs alive for years!

Rescue Older Dogs

kevin — Tue, 26 May 2009 11:22:31 +0000

You can teach old dogs new tricks

As the time since losing Kev passes, the pain receds a little. Towards the end of the year we hope to adopt another dog -or possibly two dogs. The owner of Primrose, the Standard Poodle who came from Australia, has noticed an interesting trend among local dog owners. Helen finds that, for Arundel dog owners, a rescue dog has a certain cachet. Buying from a breeder is not seen as the best option, and some people actually frown on the idea. This must be music to the ears of animal rescue charities. They have been urging us for years to look at all the unwanted dogs first, rather than encourage puppy farming. We are only one small town of admittedly middle class dog lovers, but at least the message is getting through. Older dogs are the other neglected group, as they are often passed over in favour of puppies. When we adopted Kev, his age was estimated at nine. We had nearly four rewarding years with him, and given the chance we would do it all over again. Our beautiful dog was slim and handsome, with a fantastic coat. He always helped me avoid eating too much as half my snacks always reached his stomach. This is a great alternative to an appetite suppressant, and helped me keep my weight down. That is just one more advantage to having a dog.

Dogs can eat in UK restaurants

kevin — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:02:59 +0000

Dog Friendly Restaurants even have menus for dogs!

One thing that was really annoying as a dog owner was the fact that so many pubs, bars and restaurants were suddenly off limits. Here in the UK most catering outlets believe (mistakenly) that it is against the law to allow dogs in restaurants. This is not true - obviously they should not be roaming around the kitchens sniffing the food, but dogs can accompany their families for an enjoyable meal inside the restaurant. I mentioned in an earlier article that we met a delightful pug called Betty in an Amsterdam restaurant earlier this year. Betty’s owner told me that Amsterdam is a very dog friendly city, and they do not have to leave their dog at home when enjoying an evening out. Who knows - if Betty the Pug applies some anti wrinkle eye cream she might be able to bluff her way in to an English eatery until a similar approach to pet friendly venues prevails in the UK.

Treating Allergic Conjunctivitis in Dogs

kevin — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:47:05 +0000

Allergic Conjunctivitis in Dogs

Allergic conjunctivitis, as well as sneezing and other evidence of allergy, is increasingly common in dogs. This may be related to where their environment, or to changes in their immunity due to, for example, diet and exercise.

Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva, a thin layer of skin over the white of the eye and the inner surface of the lids. Allergy occurs when the immune system over-reacts to a stimulus, mistakenly thinking it is an infection or cancer that it needs to fight off.

A dog with allergic conjunctivitis is likely to have redness, swelling and watering of one or both (usually both) eyes. There may be thickening of the conjunctiva, and if the dog is irritated to the extent that it scratches the eyes, there may be corneal abrasions and other eye damage.

No treatment (”watchful waiting”) is a valid option if symptoms are very mild. If possible, allergen avoidance is important. Bathing the eyes with a cool flannel may relieve some soreness and itching.

More severe allergic conjunctivitis will be treated with anti-inflammatory or antihistamine eye drops and ointments, and if any secondary bacterial infection is suspected, an antibiotic drop may be added. Occasionally a steroid drop will be used if treatment is otherwise unsuccessful.

Allergy testing may be needed to find the cause of the allergy.

Most holistic therapists and vets will look to the diet for a source of allergy. It is worth trying a hypo-allergenic diet. In addition, allergens in the air are important, so it is worth checking out environmental dust and pollution. Antioxidant supplements can help boost the immunity and reduce allergy.

Herbal Remedies: Burdock, Rosemary and Meadowsweet can all help with allergic conjunctivitis. Burdock (Arctium lappa) helps with detoxification; Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) is antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, and Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) is another antiseptic and disinfectant. The eyes can be bathed in a decoction of fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare), Eyebright (Euphrasia officinallis) or elder flower (Sambucus nigra) to reduce soreness and inflammation.

Homeopathy: Apis mel can be used to rinse sore eyelids; arsen alb is used for more watery eyes.

Relaxation therapy, spiritual healing and general stress reducing measures will aid recovery from allergic conjunctivitis, as well as other ill-health. Healing work on the Brow chakra will particularly benefit the eyes.

Blue lace agate is useful for eye problems when using crystal healing or Outer Banks.

Flower Remedies: Bach remedies will help an underlying emotional problem which may be contributing to reduced immunity and allergy.

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Dr Alison Grimston, a holistic doctor and animal healer, has a natural animal therapy website informing the public about animal therapies while connecting and informing animal therapists. TheNaturallyHealthyPet.com