Canine Obesity

We all know that many of us could "stand to shed a few pounds" 

       --- and how hard it is to diet and exercise ! 

Just like with humans, carrying extra weight can  contribute to a lot of health

issues including :

* pancreatitis 

*diabetes

*congestive heart failure

* worsening of arthrits, hip dysplasia , and other skeletal problems

*shortness of breath / decreased energy

But how do we know how to tell if our dog is overweight ???

And what can we do to help???

Try cutting back on "treats" , table scraps, and canned food 

Try feeding your dog twice a day and if they are a "gobbler"

feed them in a bundt pan or special dish sold to help

slow down there eating.

Making sure they have plenty of clean water

Daily exercise, even when it's cold out

If they are still begging and you can't resist, one treat my vet has reccomended is green beans ! They are filling but not fattening and the fiber aids in digestion. 

  You should be able to easily feel your dogs ribs, but not see them. 

Older dogs, specific breeds, and dogs with health problems may be heavier .

The Humane Society of the United States does NOT support your area shelter !

HSUS is NOT 
affiliated with any local humane societies or SPCAS ! 


They are directly affiliated with the following animal rights organizations:

Humane Society Legislative Fund

Humane Society International

Doris Day Animal League

Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association

The Fund for Animals

Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust

Many people are led to believe that their HSUS donations are going help animals in shelters and to rescue groups...These multiple entities successfully provide a smokescreen
for their main agenda... Animal Welfare and Animal Rights are NOT THE SAME POLITICALLY OR LEGALLY ! Know the facts . 

Only 1% of donations to HSUS actually go to animal
shelters ! 

PLEASE DO NOT BE FOOLED BY SLICK ADVERTISING AND POWERFUL LEGAL LOBBYING ~ YOU DESERVE TO KNOW THE TRUTH WHERE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY  ACTUALLY GOES AND THE ANIMALS DESERVE THE HELP YOU MEANT TO GIVE! 

Kudos to a NYC shelter that Welcomes Pets !

 70% of pet owners who enter a shelter say the abuser has threatened, injured, or killed family pets, and as many as 48% of domestic violence victims stay in abusive situations out of concern for their pets.

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URI PALS Project - People and Animals Living Safely - launched in June 2013, gave families at Urban Resource Institute (URI), NYC's largest emergency shelter, a safe, private retreat to heal with their cats and other small animals.

Among the 50 domestic violence shelters in NYC, URI is the only one to accommodate pets in residence.

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To learn more about URIPALS and for tips on keeping your family safe in domestic violence situations, visit www.urinyc.org.

Every Dog Deserves An Education !

On behalf of the Rusk County 4-H Dog Project,

Jennie Kottke will again be offering a 10 week Dog Obedience Class

Orientation Meeting : 

May 22nd, 2014 

no dogs needed, register and find out about the classes

7PM at the Memorial Park gazebo in Ladysmith

First Class :

May 29th, 2014

7PM at the Mount Scenario ballfields parking lot - acrosss street from Wal-Mart 

Equipment Needed:

*8 foot leather or cloth (no rope or chain) leash

* proof of rabies vaccination

* chain training collar - measure snug but not tight around your dog's neck and add 2 inches...you can

show at the fair using a flat nylon or leather collar, but I strongly recommend a training collar for 

classes

Cost :

$45 per dog/trainer team, with a cap of $75 per family

4-H youth will receive a $5 discount 

A portion of the fees will be donated to the Rusk County Animal 

Shelter with the remaining funds used to cover project expenses at the fair

For more information please contact Jennie at:  715- 532- 0204 or jennielaatsch@hotmail.com

Dangerous Garden Mulch

 Even if you don't have a pet, please pass this to those who do.
Over the weekend, the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. The dogs loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog (Calypso) decided the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn't acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk. Halfway through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.

Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company's web site,

This product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.

Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey's, and they claim that "It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won't eat it."

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Snopes site gives the following information:http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp .asp>

Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and other garden supply stores contains a lethal ingredient called 'Theobromine'. It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks.

Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker's chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.

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**PLEASE PASS THIS ON** Please note, while I have looked into this and believe it to be accurate, I can not take credit for the writing of this post or it's contents. This information was copied from a FB post. Thanks! 

Dogs Detect Cancer

Studies have shown that dogs can successfully detect cancer in the early stages 

 with 88% specificity, and 99% sensitivity. Dogs could  provide an accurate, low-cost, non-invasive,  screening for cancer.  This awesome website features an organization that is dedicated to  training dogs to detect cancer in humans. Check it out to get the facts and be inspired by their amazing stories !

http://www.dogsdetectcancer.org/

The Triangle ring Pattern for a dog Show

Hello everyone. One of the more popular posts on my blog has been 

about dog show ring patterns. If you go to this YOU Tube video page, you will

see she also has the "L" pattern and a "down and back" video demos....The L is rarely used, but 

is great practice for getting you and your dog's teamwork as fluid as possible. There is some debate as

to if the dog should be switched to the handler's RIGHT side to always keep it presented to the judge

(the famous never get between your dog and the judge rule ), but unless you are preparing for 

advanced Jr Showmanship competition, in my opinion this is not something to stumble over. This

would also apply to doing a "T" pattern....Hope this is useful information for everyone ! See you in 

the ring ! :)

Teach show dogs the triangle pattern, which is used in dog competitions, in this free video. Expert: Gretchen Brown Contact: www.commanddogtraining.com  00:01:48

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWtrqs70wwI