Ask the Vet: Set chow times nix finicky eating; It's normal for puppies to prefer; playing to eating - Charleston Daily Mail

Q: My 4-month-old German shepherd is not eating very well. Herweight is 30 pounds. She's 19 inches toe to shoulder and 25 inchesnose to butt. She looks underfed. I've tried good puppy food and haverecently switched to Purina Puppy Chow (she seems to like it). ShouldI be concerned? Will she eat when she's hungry? She also refusestreats.

A: This is a great question. It is worth noting that some puppiesare more interested in playing than in eating, regardless of the foodbeing offered. I have a human child that does the very same thingfrom time to time. I wish I could be more like them both!

The first thing I would do with your puppy is make sure she is ahappy and healthy girl. Take her in for an exam and make sure someonechecks a fecal sample for parasites. (Veterinary receptionists justlove getting bags of stool from pet owners. I have actually beenalmost mowed down by a receptionist running to deposit a fresh samplein our laboratory. The fear of a mid-hospital collision with such asample is enough to make anyone jump out of the way!)

After the veterinarian finds her healthy and parasite free, someof your worries should be eased. I think people have an altered viewof what a normal puppy should look like today. Some breeders believebigger is better and that is not the case, especially for these largebreed dogs. For example, one of the AKC breed standards for theGerman shepherd addresses the height requirements. The desired heightfor an adult female at the top of the highest point of the shoulderblade down to the floor is only 22-24 inches. They are much longerthan they are tall. Ideal adult weights should be only 60-70 poundsfor females as well. It is a long and lanky dog, so it sounds likeyour puppy may be right on target for her breed. A very importantrule of weight management is to look at your dog and if you think helooks a little on the thin side, then he probably is just aboutperfect.

As far as food goes for this puppy, there are some wonderfulchoices on the market now. All puppy foods currently available arecompletely balanced and nutritious diets that will not cause growthproblems in your pet. I prefer the puppy foods for large breed dogsfor German shepherds, but Purina Puppy is still an appropriate dietand she likes it, to boot! Feed her a little less than what isrecommended on the bag twice daily.

To attempt to train her to eat meals, try feeding her at the sametime each day. Give her 15 minutes or so to eat and take her foodbowl up with any leftover food in it. After a few days of thisroutine, she will hopefully learn to eat what is served to her whenit is served to her and then go back to playing.

Dog maulings disturb Waterville police chief - Bangor Daily News (Bangor, ME)

WATERVILLE Having a pet around the house can be a joy unlike anyother for a young child, especially a dog they can run and playwith.

But certain breeds of dogs arent as playful as others, and in thewake of two pit bull attacks by the same dog in the same home,Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey is on a mission to keep dogsthat are known to be aggressive, such as pit bulls, Rottweilers andGerman shepherds, away from kids.

Ive always had an issue with having a dog or families that havedogs that are not well-suited for the family, Massey told the BangorDaily News in a telephone interview Monday. They dont do research.

Masseys mission kicked off after a 2-year-old boy was bitten inthe face by a pit bull in his familys home on Sept. 1 and had to betaken to Maine Medical Center in Portland for surgery.

The dog was euthanized after a 10-day quarantine, according toMassey. The boy since has been released from the hospital.

That wasnt the first time that dog had attacked a family member.A 6-year-old boy in the same home was bitten, and the dog wasquarantined for 10 days after that incident.

The dogs registered owner, Norman St. Michel, 42, was issued asummons for keeping a dangerous dog, Massey said.

Massey has worked in law enforcement for more than three decadesand believes large dogs in homes with small children are a problem.

Over my 34 years, unfortunately, Ive seen dozens and dozens ofmaulings, and theyre quite appalling, he said. The damage they do isterrible.

Suzan Bell, director of the Bangor Humane Society, acknowledgedthat dogs such as pit bulls and German shepherds can be great pets,but its up to the owners to properly train them.

All the responsibility, 100 percent of the responsibility of thepet, falls to the owner of that pet, Bell said Tuesday, whether itbe their health, sociability, manners and most importantly, managingtheir home. If you know your pet will bite a child, why in the worldwould you ever leave that pet alone with a child?

Many police agencies use German shepherds on their K-9 units, soMassey is certainly aware of the damage those dogs and other largebreeds can inflict.

Their bites are devastating; theyre ripping wounds, Massey said.

Bell said that all breeds of dogs have potential to attack whenprovoked.

Every dog has the potential to bite, every dog has the potentialto be a great pet, Bell said. Its really up to the owner. You haveto manage your home appropriately. Manage your home, manage yourenvironment the pet will be in.

Massey wants police officers to do everything they can to protectchildren from large dogs.

Although any breed can bite and, because dogs have instincts, yousimply cannot predict the behavior of a dog all the time, he said.Im just sick and tired of hearing the old argument, We have a rightto a dog. Im at the point where if I had the authority, I think Iwould ban very aggressive dogs from the city.

Massey said he is watching some other communities around theUnited States that are trying to ban certain breeds of dogs fromtheir towns to see how effective their efforts are and whether theordinances hold up in court. If those communities are successful,Massey said he would consider presenting such a proposed ordinanceto the Waterville City Council in the future.

Dog Bites A Constant Problem Across State. - The Monitor (McAllen, TX)

Byline: Sabrina Hamilton

Jun. 17--Esara Rubio grabbed Chico and huddled over her Chihuahua to shield it from a pit bull German shepherd that began barking at them.

The bigger dog charged toward 10-year-old Esara, who jumped on her and bit her on the back.

Esara started screaming. Fortunately for her, the dog's owner came running, yelling at the shepherd and hitting it with a newspaper.

She was lucky. The dog's bite marks did not leave major scars and she didn't bleed very much.

But the Pharr girl is one of more than half of all Texas children who are victims of dog bites by age 12, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Even though last year's reported dog bite cases in McAllen and Edinburg do not reflect an increase in the summer, animal control supervisors and health officials say there are more opportunities to be bitten during this time.

Last year, 138 dog bites were reported to the McAllen Police Department. Forty-nine of those were between May and August. There were 64 dog bite incidences in Edinburg in 2005, and 14 of those were between May and August.

'Most (reports) are serious, but many (people) wait or don't report incidences,' said McAllen animal control Supervisor Chris Sanchez.

Walking, bicycling, barbecues and pool parties all increase outdoor exposure and interaction with animals.

'Dogs are more prone to bite or be aggressive during their mating season in February or March,' said Eddie Olivarez, Hidalgo County Health Department chief administrative officer. 'But there may be a higher incidence of dog bites in the summer when children are out of school and there are more opportunities for an encounter with a dog.'

In Texas, dogs bite approximately 400,000 people each year; 40 percent of severe dog bite victims are children. Children are almost five times more likely to be bitten by a dog than adolescents and adults, according to the TDSHS Web site.

Pit bulls, rottweilers and German shepherds are commonly considered violent dogs. Dog biting is based not on breed, but on how a dog is socialized, said Laural Powell, executive director for the Humane Society of the Upper Valley.

She said the chow chow is the state's leading breed reported for dog bites.

'Every year a different breed is bred for specific traits for those who are looking for aggressive types of dogs,' Powell said. 'Each dog breed gets a reputation for being a bad or aggressive type of dog.'

'The incidence of dog bites is directly related to the encroachment of space,' Olivarez said. 'The more open spaces in the country make it less likely for a dog bite to occur. The odds are more likely in town because there are more people interacting.'

Children often play with dogs, many times getting them too excited and get bitten, Sanchez said.

'Children are small and although dogs have been domesticated for years, dogs may still think of them as prey,' Powell said.

Puppies that are taken away from their mothers and littermates do not learn how to play, said Albert Gonzalez, pet trainer for PetSmart in McAllen. Owners are then responsible to teach their dogs when their 'play biting' is too hard. Learning proper bite conduct is essential to a dog's development.

Texas is a 'one-bite state,' where owners are not held responsible if their dog bites someone once, unless they are negligent. For each case after the first incident, the dog's owner is held responsible, according to dogbitelaw.com. McAllen, Mission, Edinburg and Pharr all have laws requiring dogs to wear identification tags and be on a leash or contained on the owner's property, according to local animal control supervisors.

Spaying and neutering dogs helps reduce aggression, but not protectiveness. Unaltered dogs are up to three times more likely to bite as those that have been sterilized, according to TDSHS.

'Unaltered males are more likely than neutered dogs because of their increased amount of testosterone,' Powell said.

There is not a major difference in bites between male and female dogs, but males tend to be a little more aggressive, said Joe Cruz, Mission's animal control supervisor.

Reporting dog bites ensures not only the affected individual, but the rest of the community, Olivarez said.

'Rabies is lethal in humans,' he said. 'It's rare that a person can survive rabies without the proper medical attention.'

Hidalgo County has a large population of coyotes, skunks, raccoons and bats and they frequently carry rabies.

'You have a greater chance of contracting rabies from those animals,' he said. 'But stray dogs that interact with these animals can contract rabies from them.'

----

Sabrina Hamilton covers general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4463.

Copyright (c) 2006, The Monitor, McAllen, Texas

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business

News.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

BREEDER CHARGED WITH SHOVING SHELTER OFFICIAL - The Record (Bergen County, NJ)

JOHN CHADWICK, Staff Writer
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
09-09-1997
BREEDER CHARGED WITH SHOVING SHELTER OFFICIAL -- WAS VIDEOTAPING AREA WHERE
DOGS ARE KEPT
By JOHN CHADWICK, Staff Writer
Date: 09-09-1997, Tuesday
Section: NEWS
Edition: 2 Star, Also in 5 Star, 4 Star, 3 Star, 1 Star

The dog breeder who had nearly 50 German shepherds confiscated by
authorities has been accused of shoving an animal-control officer while
trying to videotape the shelter where some of the dogs had been taken.

Bloomingdale Animal Control Officer Deborah Hoskins said that she
called police and filed harassment charges against Joseph Petracca. A
police dispatcher said Monday that a Municipal Court summons has been
issued against Petracca in connection with the incident.

Hoskins said Petracca showed up at the shelter Friday with a video
camera and became agitated when told he could not enter the area where
the dogs are kept.

'I asked him to leave, and he starting flaring up, cussing me and
the whole nine yards,' Hoskins said Monday. 'He then pushed me right out
of the way and proceeded to the back of the shelter.'

Petracca, of 116 Highland Ave., Riverdale, began breeding dogs 30
years ago, but admitted in court that he has become obsessed with
creating the perfect German shepherd. He could not be reached for
comment Monday afternoon.

Petracca had as many as 105 shepherds last month before a Superior
Court judge ordered that he give up his breeding business and turn over
all but four of his dogs to authorities.

Forty-nine dogs were seized on Aug. 27, and about five were being
kept at the Bloomingdale facility when Petracca showed up there on
Friday, Hoskins said. The rest were taken to other area animal shelters.

Hoskins said she believes Petracca was videotaping the shelter to
show the court that the dogs were better off in his care.

A lawyer for the Riverdale Board of Health said Monday that
Petracca has filed an appeal to the judge's last order, but there has
been no response yet from the court.

Hoskins said that, after Petracca shoved her out of the way, he
shot footage of the shelter and left before police arrived.

In court, Petracca has argued previously that shelters are nothing
more than 'concentration camps' for animals.

'I guess he is trying to make a case that his dogs were in better
care with him,' Hoskins said.

She said, however, that nothing could be further from the truth.

'We are feeding them twice a day, and walking them four times a
day,' Hoskins said. 'That is more than he did for any of them.'

Of the 49 dogs seized by authorities, all but 13 have been adopted,
said John Barbarula, the lawyer for the Board of Health. Five or six of
those are receiving medical attention, and at least two have serious
health problems.

Petracca still has approximately 20 dogs on his property, and has
until Sept. 18 to remove them. About 30 puppies were moved by Petracca
to a location outside Riverdale immediately after the judge's order was
issued, Barbarula said.

Keywords: BLOOMINGDALE. ASSAULT. ANIMAL. BUSINESS

Copyright 1997 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.

At shelter, barking up the wrong tree. - The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, MD)

Byline: John Woestendiek

May 15--As reporters, we're not supposed to fall in love with those we write about -- no matter how soulful a set of eyes they flash at you.

So sue me.

I was working when I first laid eyes on Ace, visiting the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter, known as BARCS, on a Saturday in October for an article about people who spend their weekends volunteering.

He was enjoying some outside time with a volunteer; later, I saw him again inside as I walked down a row of pens. He was in the first one, and unlike the rest of the inmates, he wasn't yelping.

Back home, even once my article was done, I kept seeing him -- in my head. I spent the week debating whether I really wanted another dog and all the responsibility that entails.

The Saturday that the article on volunteers appeared on the cover of The Sun's Today section -- with a photo of Ace and a BARCS volunteer -- I headed back to BARCS, my mind made up. I left with a partner.

What exactly did I come home with, though? Then, as now, it was anybody's guess. His official shelter documents called him a 'hound mix.' Several workers at the shelter called him a 'shepherd mix.' On the Web site petfinder.com, where he had been viewed 302 times, he'd been listed as a 'Labrador mix.'

That confusion -- and the possibility that it could be scientifically resolved with a newly available DNA test -- is what led Ace and me back to BARCS 18 months later. It was Step 1 of my quest to trace his roots, a journey that would later include sending his DNA to California for analysis in hopes of finding out what breeds are in him.

First, though, I wanted to see if the shelter knew more about him than it told me at the time I got him, which was basically that he was a 6-month-old stray.

BARCS Executive Director Jennifer Mead was amazed at how big Ace had become in 18 months, and she was as stumped as ever over what breeds he might be.

'We had him down as a hound mix, but I kept thinking shepherd mix, too. He had a hound look to him,' she said. 'But looking at him now ... I don't know that I see the hound. He's so tall, and his ears are so short compared to most of the hound ears, and he's got such a big block head -- as thick as a Rottweiler head.

'If I had to pick two, I would say Rottweiler and something else for a bigger size and a curled-up tail ... either shepherd or Akita.'

AA[acute accent]A

ACEACE[From Page 1C]

When it came to Ace's history, it appeared that was going to be a guessing game as well.

Shelter records showed that he was a stray, found by someone who called animal control to come pick him up.

I asked Mead for the name of that someone, but she declined.

'I'm legally not allowed,' she said. 'But what I could do is call him and give him your number, and he could call you. Whether he'll know any more, I highly doubt it. He may have just found him that day and called us.'

We left it at that, with Mead promising to let me know when she reached him.

Ace was one of the 5,000 to 6,000 dogs -- who are found on the streets, abused, neglected or given up by owners no longer able or willing to care for them -- that end up at BARCS each year. Another 3,000 a year wind up at the private, nonprofit Maryland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Baltimore and thousands more at other local and regional humane societies and rescue organizations.

At BARCS, where up to 98 percent of the 10,000 to 12,000 dogs and cats that came through each year were euthanized in the past, about half now get out -- either they are adopted or turned over to rescue groups, Mead said.

Formerly known as the city animal shelter, BARCS, on Stockholm Street south of M&T Bank Stadium, took on nonprofit status in 2005. It is now operated by a board of directors headed by the city's health commissioner, is able to raise money to supplement its city funding and has put more emphasis on finding homes for pets.

Mead, who has two mutts of her own, said about 90 percent of dogs entering the shelter are mixed breeds.

'We don't get a lot of purebreds in, and pretty much any breed has a rescue group that's very willing to take them when they are purebred. There are not many groups that take mixed breeds.'

For Mead, though, mutts have a special appeal and a few advantages.

For one thing, crossbreeding seems to cut down on the genetic problems that can arise in purebreds.

All three breeds Mead mentioned as possibilities for Ace, for example -- Rottweiler, Akita and German shepherd -- have reputations as dogs that can, in some instances, be aggressive.

Ace, though he appreciates a good wrestling match, has shown no evidence of that.

'Not all Rottweilers are bad. Not all Akitas or German shepherds are bad. A lot of it is how they're raised, and some of it is genetics,' Mead said. 'But also I think when you start mixing them you don't always see the same concerns you do when you have a purebred.'

She added, 'Mixes are one of a kind, you'll never get another dog exactly like it. ... The majority of the world says, 'I want that look,' and goes for the purebred. But these guys, their personality, the mix of different things, it's fun. Like the puppy I got. I have no idea what she will look like in the end. Mixed breeds need to become more of a fad.'

I left BARCS not knowing much more than I did when I arrived, but with the hope I might still be able to get in touch with the man who found Ace and called to turn him in. Beyond that, there wasn't any more Mead really knew about Ace's background.

What she couldn't tell us, though, maybe his DNA could.

john.woestendiek@baltsun.com

Tomorrow: Testing Ace's DNA

Copyright (c) 2007, The Baltimore Sun

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Ticks turning warm weather into neighborhood nightmare - The Beacon News - Aurora (IL)

Kandra Breyne of Aurora with her German shepherds Loki (left) and Odin. Odin contracted Lyme disease last year from ticks that have plagued her neighborhood.

AURORA -- Kandra Breyne and her neighbors are getting a little ticked off about ticks.Several residents of Andover Drive -- all dog owners -- say they are experiencing an infestation of the pesky parasites, which seem to have made a home of a ComEd right-of-way that backs up to their yards.The number of ticks here was unusually high last summer -- and seems to be again this spring -- prompting consternation in this quiet neighborhood on Aurora's far East Side.

Breyne, who has contacted her alderman and is waging a campaign to get rid of the ticks, is particularly worried because her German shepherd contracted Lyme disease last year.

DuPage County and Illinois public health officials say there is no cause for panic.

They advise the residents are most probably seeing the American dog or lone-star ticks. Not that these ticks are harmless -- they can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, although cases away from the illness' namesake region are rare -- but they are not the same as the deer ticks (smaller in size) that can transmit Lyme disease. There are only isolated numbers of these deer ticks in the Chicago metropolitan region and collar counties, health officials say.

Nonetheless, the dog did test positive for antibodies to both Lyme disease and another tick-related illness ehrlichiosis, said Naperville Animal Hospital veterinarian Dr. Anthony Walley. While tests can be inaccurate, the dog also presented with clinical symptoms -- high fever and lethargy. Dog's don't get the characteristic 'bull's-eye' rash that humans with Lyme disease develop.

Breyne's dog, who had to be hooked up to an IV for a couple of days, is faring better now. And both her dogs are now vaccinated for the illness -- a precaution she encourages all dog owners to take -- along with applying tick preventative ointment to dogs as an additional measure.

Lyme disease rare

Still, Breyne remains concerned about catching the disease herself.

Again, county and state officials say not to worry too much.

There were two human cases of Lyme disease in DuPage County last year that were not traced back to out-of-state travel, as with other cases in the past.

Neither state nor DuPage County health agencies have received a large number of calls about animals dying of the illness, which would be a likely precursor to humans contracting the disease.

'It would be pretty big news if we had an established population of deer tick like in northwestern Illinois,' says Linn Haramis, an entomologist with the Illinois Department of Public Health. 'Although, it might be possible for a deer tick to fall off a migratory bird.'

Lorrie Nimsgern, an administrator at VCA Aurora Animal Hospital, adds that many dogs don't get Lyme disease because they have been properly protected by their owners with flea and tick preventive ointments. But they would be more prone to being infected by the few deer ticks around than would humans.

'If it is a hunting or a camping dog,' she said, 'then it is possible.'

Grass too high?

Lyme disease aside, the neighbors along Andover Drive say they are alarmed by the sheer number of ticks they are seeing.

'It is so bad that we have the dog on the prescription stuff for the vet, although she rarely goes out,' said another neighbor Melisa Raketic. 'They are crawling on our baby; they are crawling on me.'

Indeed, the folks at both Naperville Animal Hospital and VCA Aurora Animal Hospital have noticed it's a bad year for ticks.

Several of these neighbors are asking for the grass to be cut along the utility right of way -- and there is disagreement between some who believe in spraying pesticides and those who don't.

'(The problem) is huge and it is all because of the tall grass,' said resident Dave Burgeson. 'Also, people are dumping crap out there because they can.'

Aurora Alderman Leroy Keith contacted ComEd, which has referred the matter to its 'vegetation management' department.

Complicating the matter is that some of the residents say the grass was planted there five years ago and left to grow on purpose by ComEd as part of a prairie restoration project.

'I don't like the mowed suburban lawns,' said an undecided Suki Baldwin, also of Andover Drive, 'but the ticks are a great problem.'

Meanwhile, a ComEd spokeswoman was not able to find anybody who knew if the grass had been left to grow on purpose.

Anyone wanting a tick identified should call Rick Daugherty, environmental program manager for the DuPage County Health Department, at (630) 682-7979, Ext. 6111.

Tips for tick control

Wear light-colored protective clothing -- long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, boots or sturdy shoes and head coverings. Tuck trouser cuffs into socks.

Apply insect repellent containing DEET primarily to clothes. Apply sparingly to exposed skin.

Walk in the center of trails so weeds don't brush against you.

Check yourself and your children and family members for ticks. If your pets spend time outdoors, regularly check them for ticks, too.

Remove any tick promptly. Do not burn the tick with a match or cover it with petroleum jelly or nail polish. Do not use bare hands to remove the tick because tick secretions might carry disease. The best way to remove a tick is to grasp it firmly with tweezers as close to the skin as possible and gently, but firmly, pull it straight out. Do not twist or jerk the tick. If tweezers are not available, grasp the tick with a piece of tissue or cloth or whatever can be used as a barrier between your fingers and the tick.

Ticks can be safely disposed of by placing them in a container of soapy water or alcohol, sticking them to tape or flushing them down the toilet. If you want to have the tick identified, put it in a small vial of alcohol.

Make sure the property around your home is unattractive to ticks. Keep your grass mowed and keep weeds cut.

Monty's got his illness licked. - Birmingham Evening Mail (England)

A CANINE copper is back on the beat with a Midland police force after a wonder cure saved him from being pensioned off.

Staffordshire police dog Monty is now fighting fit just weeks after being diagnosed with a potentially serious illness of the pancreas.

Animal health firm Pharmacia and Upjohn Ltd came to the rescue and the police are now satisfied that Monty will remain in the peak of health as long as he keeps on taking his medicine.

The seven-year-old German shepherd is a crack member of the Staffordshire police dog squad and, with his handler Pc Chris Hewitt, has represented the force in regional competitions.

It was feared that the dog's police career was over when he became ill. But Chris Johnson, Midland sales representative with Pharmacia and Upjohn, heard of the problem and offered to supply suitable medication for the rest of Monty's working life.

He said: 'German shepherds are one of my favourite breed of dogs. After hearing of Monty's good track record with the police it seemed a shame not to help him to keep working.

'His condition is something to which German shepherds can be quite susceptible.'

'We are very grateful for the help that Monty is being given,' PC Hewitt said.

'He has never missed a day's duty, but without treatment he might have reached the stage where he would have had to retire early.