SYMPTOMS OF DOG POISONING AND TREATMENTS

 Pet Poison Help Line 24/7 (800-213-6680)

Dogs can suffer from poisoning for many reasons - some foods are toxic to dogs, if you do not know what foods can harm your dog you may end-up accidentally poisoning your dog. Some times dogs are accidentally exposed to chemicals (i.e. household cleaning products), or toxins such as anti-freeze. Dogs can suffer poisoning from snake bites, ingesting poisonous plants or rodent poison, eating grass that fertilizer, herbicides or pesticides have been applied to, ingesting and/or surface contact with road salt (de-icer), etc. Some dogs are intentionally poisoned by unhappy neighbors. 

Dogs can inhale or ingest a poisonous substance. For example a dog may absorb poison by inhaling tiny air-borne particles. Toxins may enter there blood stream via surface contact with  the pads of their paws. They may directly ingest a toxic substance or may inadvertently ingest it by brushing against/walking or lying on a toxic substance and then licking/grooming themselves.

It is always better to be pro-active, accidents happen, and so too, intentional cruelty by others - by familiarizing yourself with the symptoms and treatments of poisoning you can save your dog’s life.

Symptoms of Poisoning

Absorbed, ingested and/or absorbed poisonous/toxic substances can cause a wide range of reactions such as…

• Breathing difficulty;
• Bleeding disorders;
• Bleeding from various parts of the body;
• Chemical burns;
• Coma;
• Death;
• Diarrhea;
• Drooling;
• Elevated temperature;
• Hallucination resulting in over-reaction to sound or light;
• Heart and organ failure;
• Kidney or liver problems;
• Loss of appetite;
• Loss of balance - staggering;
• Lethargy;
• Mouth irritation;
• Muscle tremor and rigidity;
• Seizure;
• Skin rash;
• Swelling of the tongue;
• Vomiting;
• Weakness;

Some toxic substances result in immediate signs of poisoning, typically signs of poisoning are apparent within 3 days after contact with the substance. However, some poisons/toxins can be insidious - toxic load may take weeks, months or years to build-up before symptoms surface.

The earlier you notice symptoms and the quicker your dog receives treatment the lesser the chance of permanent damage or death. But there are some poisons for which there is no cure.

Treatments to Mitigate the Affects of Poisoning

The following provides a list of some of the interventions that your veterinarian may ask you to do, they may also request that you bring your dog in ASAP.

To induce vomiting, give your pet 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (1 tablespoon per 15 pounds of the dog’s body weight) with an eye dropper, syringe, or turkey baster by dribbling the liquid onto the back of his tongue or into his cheek pocket until swallowed. Collect any vomit and take it, along with the poison container or other substance that you think you dog may have ingested and take it to the veterinarian

To dilute caustic poisons such as pine oils, detergents, bleaches, and swimming pool chemicals, feed your dog large quantities of water, milk, or egg whites. Activated charcoal (or even burned toast) may be recommended to absorb insect repellents like DEET.

To remove absorbed poisons...absorbed poisons are substances that get on your pet’s paws and coat and are absorbed through the skin. Road salt is one of the most common of such substances and can cause serious and lethal damage over time. Remember your dog walks, on lies on and licks the floor - don't use chemical based cleaners to clean floors, other horizontal or vertical surfaces that your dog comes into contact with. Absorbed poisoning can happen through ingestion when the animal grooms himself. For oil-based toxins (petroleum products) use a gentle dish washing liquid like 'Dawn'. Dust or vacuum powdery poisons away because water can activate certain toxins. If the poison is in your dog’s eye, carefully flush the eye with water or a sterile saline solution. To remove toxins from a dog's paws you can use the following Foot Soak Recipe...

Warm Water and Iodine - Foot Soak Recipe, To Remove Toxins

Iodine is non-toxic for dogs (but should not be ingested, just used topically) and is anti-fugal and anti-viral. To remove toxins (road salt, herbicides, fertilizers or pesticides) from the surface of your dog’s paws - this soak can also be used to reduce itchy, inflamed, and other wise irritated paws…

• Fill the container you are using with warm water;
• Add enough iodine to make the water turn the colour of ice tea;
• Have your dog stand in or otherwise keep their paw in the the water/iodine solution for 30 seconds
• Then pat your dog’s paws dry.

‘Inhaled poisons’ include aerosol sprays, carbon monoxide, gases, and other fumes inhaled by your pet that you may not consider poison to dogs because you use them safely on a regular basis. Quickly get your dog into fresh air and administer Rescue Breathing if necessary.

For snakebites, carry your dog if at all possible, to prevent increased circulation of venom throughout his body via walking. Get him to an animal emergency centre ASAP.

For insect bites, administer 1 mg of Diphenhydramine (i.e. Benadryl), an antihistamine, per pound of your dog’s body weight—but do check with your veterinarian first. Applying a cold pack to the bite can alleviate swelling, but immediately seek professional medical help if you detect breathing problems. You can also wipe or spray the bite with Apple Cider Vinegar.

If You Think Your Dog Is Suffering From Poisoning

(food, chemicals, insect/snake bites)

If you think your dog is suffering from symptoms related to poisoning from food, plants or chemicals call your veterinarian or contact a pet poison control centre right away.

Pet Poison Help Line 24/7 (800-213-6680)

Idiocracy

Coming soon to a pet store in YOUR neighborhood!

The LA City council is entertaining a ban on sales of pets in pet stores. The proposal was presented by a committee headed by City Councilmember and animal rights activist Paul Koretz. This follows on the heels of similar bans or proposed bans in other California cities, including Glendale, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Chula Vista, Laguna Beach, and West Hollywood.

Never mind that the number of pet-selling stores in all these cities combined could be counted on one hand.

No pet sales in pet stores, unless, of course, "rescue" groups are the ones selling them. And just who is initiating such proposals? Why, of course, it's these very  same "rescue" groups. Best Friends Animal Society is leading the charge. 

How gullible can we be? Apparently, very.

We seem blind to the fact that "rescue" groups import dogs into LA for the pet market….from commercial breeding establishments in other states, and from the streets overseas, and from foreign "puppy mills".

Yet these groups, "Best Friends" and others, have the nerve to criticize retail pet stores? Best Friends Animal Society's "Pup My Ride" program plucks animals free of charge from commercial breeders in the Midwest and then trucks them into other states (including California), to sell at "adoption" events; and now, to sell in pet stores.

Nothing quite as sweet as eliminating the competition, is there? Make no mistake about it, these groups are just as mercenary a group of pet purveyors as the Hunte Corporation or any so-called "puppy mill" out there.

Pets purchased from regulated sources like pet stores come with legal protections for the buyer. These protections, provided under California's Lockyer-Polanco act, include monetary compensation when facing veterinary bills due to a pet's illness or infirmity. What sort of rules and regulations do "rescue" groups have regarding their sales? Slim to none. Just pay your money.

What recourse will consumers have when they purchase a rescued pet with poor health or when their rescued animal bites their child? They will have NO recourse. The provisions of the Lockyer-Polanco act DO NOT apply to animals obtained from shelters or rescue.

In 2004, the first case of canine rabies in over 30 years in Los Angeles happened when an infected dog was imported from Mexico. But hey, that's so much better than having dogs raised in the US under regulated conditions.

Consumers should not be robbed of their right to choice in the marketplace. The foundation of our country is the free marketplace where competition is the most effective motivator for quality.

The Los Angeles proposal does not limit the sales ban to puppies, but also includes a ban on the sales of cats and even rabbits.

Yeah, I've heard about those horrible rabbit mills. A big problem. What's next, hamsters, turtles, or maybe even goldfish? Oops, sorry, San Francisco is already way ahead of us there.

But wait; there's more.

  

The proposal that Koretz presented to the city proposes to study the shelter stats for the next few years after the ban, to evaluate the effect of the ban. So, now the city is going to presume that there is a relationship between pet shop sales and shelter numbers? What sort of faulty logic is this? Wouldn't they first need to do a study regarding where the pets entering shelters and rescues originate? Because, there was a study done by a shelter in Nevada called "Heaven Can Wait." They discovered that fewer than 5% of shelter animals originated from pet stores, and only about 1-2% came from "professional breeders". So where is that presumed link between pet stores and shelter numbers? It's imaginary. Another one of those facts that "everybody knows" to be true.

The committee also proposes to crack down on "illegal breeding operators." And what do "illegal breeding operators" have to do with pet store sales? Illegal breeders don't sell to pet shops. Does this crackdown relate to shelter numbers in any way? And how do we determine how (or even IF) pet stores, illegal breeders and shelters are interrelated?

Of course, all these new rules and regulations will require enforcement from the police state. That is costly. No problem, Koretz and his committee state that the increased regulations will result in...ready for this one?....more license revenues!

And how the devil do they think that they will increase revenues from dog licensing when they are prohibiting sales? So they plan to enforce their new rules with money that they won't be getting. Makes perfect sense to me.

Well, politicians are rarely known for their skills of logic; or, for that matter, for their intelligence.

 

Seen the movie "Idiocracy"?. Heck, we are already there. And our new president? The most likely candidate is the animal rights lackey LA City Councilman who brings us such great ideas, Paul Koretz.

Betcha the portly Koretz's next proposal will be to force us all to make our pets drink Brawndo instead of water.

President Koretz

NATURAL, HERBAL, HOMEOPATHIC EAR INFECTION TREATMENTS, REMEDIES FOR DOGS AND CATS

Introduction

 

The most commonly administered treatment for ear infections is antibiotics. And while antibiotics can be very useful they are one of the most over-prescribed medications used today. When a dog / cat is frequently prescribed antibiotics - just like with humans, dogs / cats can become immune to the antibiotics. This can create a critical situation if a dog or cat requires antibiotics to save its life.

Antibiotics can also be counter-productive to solving the problem of ear infections. Antibiotics suppress the immune system. If an ear infection is a result of a yeast infection (Candida) or an otherwise suppressed immune system the administration of antibiotics can actually make the condition worse.

For these reasons it is important that antibiotics only be used when absolutely necessary.

Herb and fruit extracts offer a readily available, all-natural and affective alternative  to treating ear irritations and infections with antibiotics. While some herbs should never be taken internally when a dog or cat is on certain conventional medications, using herb as a topical application is safe.

Dogs with floppy ears may be particularly prone to ear infections as air circulation inside the ear is limited, fur on the inside surface of the ear can become overgrown and dirt and particulate can become trapped. It is important to check your dog’s and cat’s ears on a weekly basis to ensure ears are clean.

 

What Causes Ear Infections?

 

Well there are many conditions that can lead to ear infections; the following provides some examples…

One - Acute Ear Infections 

This type of infection may be caused by:

1. Bacteria;
2. A scratch or cut inside or near the ear canal.

Two - Chronic (ongoing) Ear Infections

This type of infection may be caused by:

1. Allergies;
2. Candida (yeast infection);
3. Chronic Bacterial infection;
4. Hormonal unbalance;
5. Stress;
6. Suppressed immune system.

Three - An Infestation of Ear Mites

Ear mites are tiny spider-like insects that like to infest the ears of dogs, cats, rabbits and other small animals. Although they prefer the ear canals they can also live elsewhere on the animal’s body. The mites thrive in the moist warmth of the ear canal. They burrow into the ear, casing irritation and inflammation - the animal’s body responds to the attack by producing excess ear-wax. The ear mites feed on epidermal debris and ear wax.

 

Four - Other Foreign Material

Such as…particulate blowing about in the wind can impact and lodge into the ear canal (i.e. dogs that stick their heads out of vehicles);

Running through or rolling-in certain grasses that have hard seed-bearing seed heads. These seed heads have sharp points and microscopic barbs that can become lodged in a dog’s ears as they run through, play or roll-about in the grass. These barbs can easily work there way into flesh - the barbs then prevent the seed head from working its way back out. Hard seed bearing grasses are often referred to as ‘Fox Tails’. The following are typical examples of ‘fox tail’ grasses: 

Cheat grass’ (Bromus tectorum);

Foxtail also called wild barley, squirreltail barley,
skunktail (Hordeum murinum), 

Red Brome (Bromus madritensis);

Rip-gut grass’ (Bromus diandrus).

 

Symptoms of an Ear Infection

 

Typical symptoms of an ear infection include:

• Build-up of ear wax; when you clean the wax it redevelops quickly, i.e. within the next day or two);
• Ear sensitivity/pain - your dog may turn its head away if you try to touch its ears or may cry in pain at your touch;
• Dizziness and/or vomiting;
• Holding of the head to one side;
• Scratching at the ear (repeatedly, excessively, persistently);
• Shaking of the head (repeatedly);
• Strong odour;
• Swelling, redness;

Persistent scratching and/or head-shaking can also lead to Aural Hemotoma - the constant irritation can break blood vessels resulting in an accumulation of blood between the layers of skin. This condition creates a large blister-like pocket that must be drained safely by a veterinarian. The best procedure to treat this condition is surgery in which the skin is cut and the blister completely drained. Less intrusive procedures such as draining the blister with a needle or small tube are less desirable measures as the blister will usually refill with blood in a matter of hours or days.

An Aural Hemotoma

 

Natural Options to Clean Ears, Reduce Irritation and Treat Ear Infections

 

Please note -when administering any of the below treatments:

• Make sure that the liquid solution being dropped into or applied to your dog’s / cat’s ear is at room temperature;
•  If the liquid is too cold you can cause additional discomfort, if the liquid is to hot you can cause discomfort and damage;
• If you need to warm the solution up to room temperature simply take the solution, place it in a vial, dropper, small glass or bowl (dropper with the open end up) and sit the vial, dropper, glass or bowl in a larger vessel (glass or bowl) that contains a little warm water -  this will warm the solution up quickly.
• If you want to dry your dog's / cat's ear once the application of the treatment has been completed use a cotton ball to gently pat the ear dry;

• Gently rub/massage the ear in a circular motion, then remove your hand and let your dog/cat shake its head. 

• You can use a cotton ball to gently wipe any excess oil off the inside of the ear flap;
• If you need to use a cotton swab to clean more precisely - never put the cotton swab past the portions of the ear that you can readily see...do not put the swab into the ear canal - you can very easily damage the ear drum either temporarily or permanently!

• Do not use any of these treatments if your animal's ear drums are perforated/punctured.

The number of drops suggested for each flush is a typical dosage - however if your dog / cat is very small, i.e. 4 lbs, use less drops, if your dog is 150 - 200 lbs you will need to use more drops.

 

Some of the following Ear Flush Recipes call for tinctures. Tinctures are  readily available at most health food stores and on-line. If you wish you can also make the tinctures yourself. 

Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) & Distilled Water Ear Flush - to keep ears clean, treat ear infections and reduce irritation

This is my personal favorite - particularly for treating yeast infections (candida) of the ear. I use the ACV undiluted - but you can also dilute it with water as indicated below.

Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties (primarily from the acetic acid and malic acid in ACV).

This herbal flush is good for treating ear infections. Use it once or twice daily if the dog has a dirty, irritated or infected ear.

While you could choose to substitute the organic ACV for non-organic - I do not recommend going with non-organic, at least not in North America. Most of the non-organic ACV produced in North America is derived from apples imported from China, where the amount of toxic pesticides and herbicides used on apples is not only more voluminous than what is applied in NA, but also poorly if not completely unregulated in many regions.

1. Combine equal parts of ACV and distilled water, mix the solution;
2. With a syringe or dropper, gently drop about 10 drops of the liquid into your dog’s /cat's ear - make sure that the syringe is located at the entrance to the ear canal - the syringe should never be placed inside of the ear canal.
3. Gently rub/massage the ear in a circular motion, then remove your hand and let your dog/cat shake its head.

If you would like to know more about the many beneficial uses of ACV for your dog you can read more here.

Calendula Ear Flush - to keep ears clean and reduce irritation

Use this flush once or twice daily. Calendula has anti-fungal properties. It is also very effective in promoting the healing of wounds. Cut this recipe in half for smaller animals.

Combine the following in a glass:

1. 1 cup warm distilled or filtered water;
2. 1 teaspoon calendula tincture;
3. 1/2 teaspoon sea salt;

With a syringe or dropper, gently drop about 10 drops of the liquid into your dog’s /cat's ear - make sure that the syringe is located at the entrance to the ear canal - the syringe should never be placed inside of the ear canal.

Gently rub/massage the ear in a circular motion, then remove your hand and let your dog/cat shake its head.

This ear flush may also be expanded to include a small amount of Meadow Anemone (Pulsatilla nigricans) tincture.

Garlic Oil Ear Flush - keep ears clean, treat ear infections, ear mites

Garlic is a powerful, natural broad-spectrum antibiotic. The active antibiotic agent in garlic is allicin (a sulfur compound). Allicin is produced when garlic is chopped, chewed or bruised. Garlic is also an antioxidant, anti-allergen, and anti-carcinogen - garlic contains germanium, an anti-cancer agent.

Garlic oil can be used to:

• Keep ears clean;
• Treat bacterial of fungal infections of the ear;
• Treatment for ear mites;
• Treat inner ear fluid and inner ear swelling;

To prepare Garlic Oil you will need:

• A small, clean wide-mouth glass jar;
• Cheesecloth or other breathable clean cloth;
• Elastic band or string;
• Amber, brown or blue storage bottle;
• Garlic cloves;
•  Virgin, or extra virgin olive oil (cold-pressed olive oil).

Preparation:

• Remove the outer skin (also called 'paper') from the garlic cloves;
• Cut the garlic cloves into thin slices;
• Put the sliced garlic in the jar, leave a little space at the top of the jar empty;
• Pour the olive oil into the jar, making sure to add enough oil to completely cover the garlic - make sure that you leave some empty space at the top of the jar;
• Cover the top of the jar with a few layers of cheesecloth:
• Stretch the cheesecloth so it lays flat on top of the lid - if the cloth touches the oil it will absorb the oil and make a mess;
• Secure the cloth with string or an elastic band;
• Let the garlic/oil filled jar sit top cure, in a warm location for 10 to 14 days;
• Once the curing period is over, separate the garlic from the oil by straining the oil into an amber, brown or blue storage bottle;
• Store the Garlic Oil in the refrigerator.

Administering

• For infection and mites: twice daily, until the infection/infestation is resolved;
• For maintenance and cleaning: once a week to once a month as required to keep ears clean...

Make sure the oil is warmed up to room temperature. With a syringe or dropper, gently drop several drops of the oil into your dog’s /cat's ear - make sure that the syringe is located at the entrance to the ear canal - the syringe should never be placed inside of the ear canal.

Gently rub/massage the ear in a circular motion, then remove your hand and let your dog/cat shake its head. You can use a cotton ball to gently swab any excess oil off the inside of the ear flap.

Garlic & Mullein Ear Flush - to keep ears clean, reduce irritation and treat ear infections

Mullein is anti-microbial and anti-viral properties. Garlic is a natural anti-biotic.This herbal flush is good for treating ear infections. Use it once or twice daily.

Combine the following in a glass:

1. Equal parts of mullein oil and garlic oil;
2. Combine the two oils;
3. Add 10 to 20 drops of olive oil or vitamin E for every one ounce of garlic/mullein oil mixture.

With a syringe or dropper, gently drop about 10 drops of the liquid into your dog’s /cat's ear - make sure that the syringe is located at the entrance to the ear canal - the syringe should never be placed inside of the ear canal.

Gently rub/massage the ear in a circular motion, then remove your hand and let your dog/cat shake its head.

Green Tea Flush - to reduce irritation and keep ears clean

Add two tea bags (or two teaspoons of green tea) to 8 ounces of boiling water. Allow the tea to steep and cool. Apply ½ of a dropper (about 10 drops) twice daily to irritated ear. Make sure that the dropper or syringe is located at the entrance to the ear canal - the syringe should never be placed inside of the ear canal.  Gently rub/massage the ear in a circular motion, then remove your hand and let your dog/cat shake its head.

Oregon Grape Ear Flush - to keep ears clean, reduce irritation, treat ear infections and /or kill ear mites

 

Oregon Grape has strong antibiotic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and astringent properties. Apply 1 to 10 drops (depending on the size of your dog/cat) of Oregon Grape tincture to the ear twice daily until the infection is eradicated.

Yellow Dock Tea Flush- to reduce irritation and keep ears clean

Add one tablespoon of dry yellow dock to ½ cup boiling water. Allow the tea to steep and cool. Once the tea is cool, strain it so that the fluid is clear and free of particulate. Apply ½ of a dropper (about 10 drops) twice daily to irritated ear. Make sure that the dropper or syringe is located at the entrance to the ear canal - the syringe should never be placed inside of the ear canal.  Gently rub/massage the ear in a circular motion, then remove your hand and let your dog/cat shake its head.

 

Eradicating Ear Mites

 

Garlic Oil Ear Flush - keep ears clean, treat ear infections, ear mites

Garlic is a powerful, natural broad-spectrum antibiotic. The active antibiotic agent in garlic is allicin (a sulfur compound). Allicin is produced when garlic is chopped, chewed or bruised. Garlic is also an antioxidant, anti-allergen, and anti-carcinogen - garlic contains germanium, an anti-cancer agent. See recipe and instructions above.

Yellow Dock Ear Flush

 

Yellow dock has many medicinal properties. It astringent, anti-inflammatory, and purification properties kill the ear mites while soothing inflammation and itchiness. If your dog/cat is prone to ear mites you can use this recipe to shampoo your pet’s head, ears and tail once a week.

Combine...

3 drops of yellow dock tincture;

1 tbs of distilled water.

Apply ½ of a dropper (about 10 drops) once daily to irritated ear. Make sure that the dropper or syringe is located at the entrance to the ear canal - the syringe should never be placed inside of the ear canal.  Gently rub/massage the ear in a circular motion, then remove your hand and let your dog/cat shake its head. Repeat the treatment once every three days for up to three weeks.

 

Options for Pro-Active Maintenance / Prevention

 

If your dog is prone to ear infections - you can also add an herb to your dog’s daily diet to help avoid infections and flush your dog’s ears occasionally.

 

Ear Flushes

Lemon Flush for Dogs Who Swim Frequently/Daily

You can use this flush once a week during swimming season or more often if your pet swims on a daily basis

Combine...

The fresh squeezed juice of ½ a lemon;

1 cup of warm distilled water;

Strain the resulting liquid to remove lemon pulp and seeds. Apply ½ of a dropper (about 10 drops) once daily to irritated ear. Make sure that the dropper or syringe is located at the entrance to the ear canal - the syringe should never be placed inside of the ear canal.  Gently rub/massage the ear in a circular motion, then remove your hand and let your dog/cat shake its head.

Lemon offers many other health benefits and uses - you can read more here.

 

Apple Cider Vinegar and Water Flush

The ACV/Water flush recipe provided above can be used once or twice a month to keep your dog’s ears clean and free of bugs.

Adding Oils and Herbs to Your dog’s Diet

 

Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil is an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral. It also boosts the immune system and provides many additional health benefits. If you would like to learn more about the benefits of giving your dog or cat coconut oil and the recommended dosages you can read this article.

 

Echinacea (Purple Cone Flower)

Dogs that have frequent ear infections can benefit from taking Echinacea which has anti-biotic, anti-viral and immune system stimulating properties. Dry herb of Echinacea is available in health food stores

 

Mullein Weed

Dogs that have frequent ear infections can benefit from taking Mullein Weed which has anti-microbial and anti-viral properties. Dry herb of mullein is available in health food stores.

 

Dosages for Adding Herbs to Your Dog's Diet

The table below provides a general guideline for herbs/spices based on your dog’s weight. The information provided in the table is an extract from Dr. Kidd’s Guide to Herbal Dogs Care.

Daily Amounts Based on Dog’s Weight.

 

Dog’s Weight	Sprinkles (on dog's food once/day)	Teas	Capsules/Tablets	Tinctures
1-10 lbs	a small pinch	less than 1/4 cup, 1-3 times/day	1/2 capsule, 1-3 times/day	1-3 drops, 2-3 times/day
10-20 lbs	a bigger pinch about	1/4 cup, 1-3 times/day	1/2-1 capsule/tablet, 1-3 times/day	3-5 drops, 2-3 times/day
20-50 lbs	2 pinches-1 teaspoon	1/4-1/2 cup, 1-3 times/day	1-2 capsules/tablets, 2-3 times/day	5-10 drops, 2-3 times/day
50-100 lbs 10-	2 pinches-2 teaspoons	1/2-1 cup, 1-3 times/day	1-2 capsules/tablets, 3-4 times/day	20 drops, 2-3 times/day
Over 100 lbs,	up to 1 tablespoon	up to 1 cup 3 times/day	adult human dose	adult human dose

Please note certain herbs and spices do not create a hazard by themselves however they can interfere with conventional Western medicines. If you are using one of the topical flushes provided above to clean your dog’s/cat’s ear you do not need to be concerned about conflict. But if your dog is on any of the conventional medicines please make sure you consult your veterinarian before you introduce herbs to your dog’s diet. 

Anti-inflammatory (i.e. Rimadyl)

Aspirin

Antibiotics

Cardiac drugs

Central Nervous System drugs

Chemotherapy drugs

Diabetic / Hypoglycemic drugs (i.e. Insulin)

Diuretics (i.e. Furosemide, Diazide)

Hormones (i.e. Thyroxine)

Steroids

If you would like to learn about boosting your dog's immune system to help him/her better stave off ear infections and mites you can read these articles...

Herbs and spices that you can add to your dog’s diet to boost their immune system;
 
Probiotics that you can add to your dog's diet to boost their immune system;

Fresh Whole Foods that you can add to your dog's diet to boost their immune system;

Coconut Oil to boost your Dog's immune system.

Genetic Diversity

We've been spending a lot of time discussing the effects of the health checks at Crufts, which will also be extended to other KC shows.
The Canine Alliance in the UK has voiced support of health testing for show dogs. It's clear that dog lovers want to breed healthy and fit dogs, but are veterinary exams at dog shows an effective method to improve breeding practices?

 

Science tells us that genetic diversity is needed for health. How will we achieve the goal of promoting diversity for health? This is an important area, and one that cannot be "judged" visually.

Austrian canine expert Dr. Hellmuth Wachtel has given permission to share this statement, in which he shares his opinion about the state of dog breeding today:

 

It is somewhat strange that nobody seems to know the basic reasons of

defect breeding, too much inbreeding and overly use of champion sires.

All of that is due to a breeding system that is not commensurate with

longtime breeding of healthy animals, though a main reason for this was already

recognized in 1965 by John Paul Scott and John L. Fuller, that wrote: "Thus

current dog breeding practices can be described as an ideal system for the

spread and preservation of injurious recessive genes."

 

It began in showbred pedigree dogs with the origin of the British KC

when standards where introduced. At this time, population genetics was

unknown and no changes introduced after 1930 when it was known. The

standards were based originally on a breed anatomy enabling the dog to

fulfill its then breed-specific function, called soundness. This definition

 can be found as late as  in 1982 (Harold R. Spira, Canine Terminology,)

but at this time many working breeds had already lost their occupation.

So soundness lost its original meaning and judges became free to assess

dogs according to their own taste, specifically in the breeds that had never

been working dogs before.

 

This opened the door to fashionable preferences and changing

appearances. As a result, inbreeding and sire overused increased

and in several breeds even defect breeding appeared.  All this happened

in spite of forums like especially cangen and other endeavours for

breeding according to the rules of populations genetics.

 

Yes, it took me long to understand the fundamental reasons of

this decline, for the main underlying cause are not the breeders,

but the judges acting in absence of vets, and this in a confusing show atmosphere

within 5 minutes or less so.

  

In order to try to stop the present bad direction dog breeding is taking,

I would suggest using a team of three specialists, a vet, a judge and an

experienced owner/breeder outside of a show, or the vet checks the

dogs first of all. Anyway, shows still remain important for information on dogs

 and dog breeding of every kind. Besides, vitality tests must become

mandatory.   

 

Otherwise, I am afraid, no thorough change of the present decline can ever

be expected, for all endeavours for showdog breeding as a whole so far are

 in vain when judges continue to determine alone the destiny of breeds, and the

decline will increase.

 

Hellmuth Wachtel    

 

There is good reason for concern about the current state of the health of many of our breeds. Many health problems are breed-specific, like high uric acid in Dalmatians and retinal dysplasia in Collies. These problems became entrenched within breeds due to the established systems of breeding to popular sires and inbreeding to create "lines" with consistent type. When dogs of a less popular "type" are excluded from the gene pool, so are many of their beneficial genes as well!

 

Even if we can escape doubling up on recessive disease genes, through narrowing the gene pool to few individuals, we also tend to double up on genes for the immune system. This predisposes our dogs to all sorts of problems....autoimmune disease, poor tolerance to vaccines, and susceptibility to infectious disease. Diversity in the genes for the immune system is essential to maintain health, but our current system does not encourage variety and diversity...it only rewards breeding to a narrow definition of "type" as delineated in a standard. Further narrowing of the gene pool happens due to the selection of a few "noteworthy" individuals in a breed in each generation...and many of them are already related to each other. The gene pool continues to shrink!

 

 AKC delineates the purpose for dog shows:

 

"Dog shows (conformation events) are intended to evaluate breeding stock.....The dog's conformation (overall appearance and structure), an indication of the dog's ability to produce quality puppies, is judged."

 

http://www.akc.org/events/conformation/beginners.cfm

Is it a good idea to tighten up the requirements for a championship in the various kennel club systems? On the surface it seems wonderful; almost necessary. After all, the dogs who win the most are inevitably bred the most.

 

Probably, requiring a dog to pass not only a conformation exam but also various health exams as well as functional exams to become lauded or certified as a "champion" (and therefore ideal breeding material) would definitely narrow down the number of titlists from what we now see.

Then we would be breeding mostly desirable typy, functional dogs with good health.

Or would we?

 

Would we instead be narrowing down the gene pool to fewer and fewer individuals? This will eventually lead to poor health due to genetic impoverishment...pretty much the same undesirable system that we currently use. 

Of course individual breeders would still be free to go outside the system and use their own discretion in selecting individuals to use in their breeding programs. They could still select mates to complement each others' weaknesses, regardless of their show-ring success.

It seems logical to want to breed the very best dogs, no? Can you envision the day when not only kennel clubs, but the government also will insist that only those individuals who pass a battery of conformation, health and functional challenges can be bred? Believe me, working on the legislative front I can say with certainty that this is exactly where we are heading. Iif it is decreed that dogs with weaknesses cannot be shown, or bred, we have a real problem. This requirement will start within Kennel Clubs and then the government will pick up the banner and extend such breeding requirments into law.

That's when we may really find ourselves in a worse genetic pickle.

 

This is not "paranoia"; it is already happening. Just check the laws in Los Angeles County if you don't believe me.

 

In LA County, one cannot get a breeding permit unless your dog is actively being shown or has a title. The dog must be registered within a registry approved by the county. The owner must belong to a breed club with an enforced code of ethics. Only one litter per household per year, as well.
 

This essentially means no cross-breeding and very limited breeding of only approved purebred dogs, by a very few approved breeders.

We need a system in place that embraces MORE individual dogs for recognition...not fewer. That allows breeders the creative license to crossbreed judiciously if necessary. And this is just how most all modern breeds were created in the first place....through creativity, not restriction.

 

And, the more restrictions placed on breeding by kennel clubs, the more restrictive laws we will see as a result.  HSUS is setting up a "Dog Breeders Advisory Council" to try to delineate breeding practices. You can be sure, they will continue to support severe restrictions based on any parameters they can come up with.

For the gene pools of the dogs, this would be disastrous! We need to use MORE of the dogs in each breed's gene pools. Not fewer. We need MORE people to breed and show dogs, not fewer.

 

Perhaps we could start to use a system more like the IABCA....where the strengths and weaknesses of the dogs are written on an evaluation form, and all dogs who fit the standard pass the conformation muster test. Then include the health checks as needed and the functional tests on a breed-by-breed basis. Any good dog can pass all these areas, not just "the best". With standards and judges less apt to reward only the so-called "best", we become more inclusive. More dogs will be bred, and gene pools will not narrow to produce disease as readily in the population.

I am scratching my head as to why so-called "welfarists" are promoting policies that would likely make our current dog show system worse. Rather than add to the numbers of dogs bred and shown, they wish to harshly restrict the playing field.

 

PETA and HSUS also claim to promote what is "best" for animals by actually killing them and pushing for legislative policies that result in decimation of domestic animal populations.

Actions speak louder than words. If we wish to promote health and diversity, then we need to work toward a playing field that is broader and more inclusive. While breed standards that encourage moderation are a great step, I don't see how vet checks at dog shows will change the current system to one that will broaden the gene pools, or stave off the attacks in the popular media against dog breeding in general.