(The painful reality of Heartworm as experienced by one of our Guardian's and her foster)

Sue Bickford

It seemed Stiller’s luck had taken a turn for the better in March when he came into Crested Guardians from Texas. He was visibly thin & shy when he arrived at his foster home in Maine, but this appeared to be nothing an abundant healthy diet and some TLC would not remedy. Unfortunately, his initial exam with the vet brought some bad news. Through the ELISA test, the blood test that checks for heartworm, Stiller was found to be heartworm positive. He had contracted it while in Texas. The prevalence of heartworm is greater in warmer climates, as the breeding season for mosquitoes is longer than in cooler climates, though dogs are at risk in any area where there are mosquitoes.

Without aggressive medical treatment, Stiller would die. A chest x-ray indicated that Stiller had most likely had been infected with the parasite since he was a puppy. The worms can grow up to 2 feet in length and eventually will destroy the heart, lungs and other vital organs. The vet also surmised that this was the reason for Stiller’s weight loss. Luckily for Stiller, he was spared other symptoms, such as coughing, shortness of breath and fainting that can occur with advanced heartworm disease.

Treatment is generally successful, with a 95% survival rate, but it can be very hard on the dog and is very expensive. The vet opted for the type of treatment Stiller received based upon the involvement in his heart according to the chest x-ray. His treatment schedule consisted of three injections of a medication called Immiticide. He received one the first day of April followed by two more on consecutive days a month later. This medicine needs to be given very deep into the lumbar (lower back) muscle, thus is very painful. The injection site remained warm, red and tender for several days, evidence that the life saving treatment caused discomfort despite the pain medicine he received. During the month following treatment, it was imperative that Stiller remain as calm as possible, as any excessive activity could cause pulmonary embolism (occlusion of the artery of the lungs with the dying heartworm) which could be fatal. So, Stiller spent a lot of time in his crate after treatment. Out for cuddles and to do his business, but little more. Then, 30 days

later, 2 more injections and another long month of inactivity. In June, Stiller will finally be allowed to romp and play, as he desires. He will still need to be tested in 6 months be assure that treatment was successful. It is sad that because he was not tested and given heartworm preventative, he has been thorough a very unpleasant ordeal. If Stiller could speak, I am sure he would be telling everyone…test your dog for heartworm every year and give that heartworm preventative as directed!



For much more information about heartworm prevention and treatment, go to:

www.heartwormsociety.org

Question:
I have a newly rescued dog and would like to work with a trainer, but I have no idea how to find a good one! Do you have any tips on what to look for in a good dog trainer?
--Anonymous

Answer:
That is a great question and a very important one! All too often people don't know what to look for in a dog trainer so they just hire the first one they hear about or see in the phone book. There are several things to consider when looking to hire a trainer and they are all very important.
First, what education or credentials the trainer has should be taken into consideration. Unfortunately all it takes to call yourself a dog trainer is the desire to do so. Any person can call themselves a dog trainer, set up a business and charge you money for their services whether they really have the skills for the job or not. There are dog training schools all over the country designed to train people to be dog trainers and the quality of those schools varies. Ask anyone you intend to hire if they went to school and what that schooling entailed. Many schools offer certificates, diplomas and all types of initials to follow after a person's name once they have completed that program however you should remember that since there are no formal requirements to be a dog trainer those schools are only certifying that the person has graduated from their school of training using their curriculum which varies from school to school. There is only one national independent certification program and it is administered by the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers. People who have passed the standards set by that council use the initials CPDT after their names. Many trainers have not gone to school or attained any certifications but they have years of experience in the field as well as keeping up with seminars, watching videos, reading books and even doing apprenticeships. Schooling does not necessarily make a good trainer, but experience doesn't necessarily either. If a trainer has 30 years of experience but hasn't learned anything new in the past 25 years chances their methods and ideas may be outdated. A trainer's level of experience and education is something you should ask about and feel comfortable with.
Another incredibly important aspect to consider is the methods that trainers use. There is no need to use force, physically harsh methods or lots of yelling and silly noises to train dogs. There is a long sad history of choke chains, prong collars, electric shock, yelling, hitting and lots of other potentially abusive methods used to train dogs. But modern science has shown and proven that none of that is necessary! Positive reinforcement has been proven to be an effective method with little to no potential fall out. Many trainers say they use positive reinforcement training, but that involves more than just giving a biscuit every once in a while for good behavior. Avoid trainers who give collar corrections, talk a lot about being "dominant" over your dog, physically correct the dog (hitting, ear pinching, "alpha rolls," etc.), use noise or yelling to scare or intimidate dogs or generally do anything to your dog that you don't feel comfortable with. Look for trainers who focus on teaching your dog how to behave nicely rather than ones who focus on correcting bad behaviors. Trainers who use lure and reward training or clicker training are probably positive reinforcement trainers.
One more important aspect to consider is if your trainer is a good fit for you and your dog. You and your trainer do not have to be best friends, but you need to like the person and their style of training in order to get results. If you dread the training sessions and don't practice because you don't agree with the methods you will not accomplish much. Also, does the trainer work with or specialize in the type of training you need for your dog? There are many specialties within dog training. If you hire a trainer to help you with a behavioral problem your dog is having but they specialize in competition level agility training you may not get the help you need. Does this trainer know about and like your breed of dog? Some dog trainers have never seen or worked with certain breeds of dogs before (often through no fault of their own). Also, I have met some dog trainers who really just do not enjoy working with some breeds of dogs. We are all human and that does not necessarily make them a bad person or trainer, but if you are looking to hire someone to help you with the 4 legged member of your family it should be someone who recognizes how important your dog is to you.
Some web sites that may help you locate trainers in your area are www.APDT.com, www.CCPDT.org, and www.IAABC.org
I hope this information is helpful to you, and I wish you good luck with finding a great trainer!

Sarah Althen, CPDT

Sarah Althen is a member of the APDT, a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and an AKC CGC evaluator. To submit a question to Ask The Trainer please e-mail Sarah at S616Sarah@aol.com with Crested Guardians Newsletter in the subject line.

SOFT DOGGIE COOKIES
Submitted by Hawk VanWandelan

3 (2 1/2 oz. each) jars of baby food; either beef or chicken
1/4 cup Dry milk powder
1/4 cup Wheat germ or cream of wheat

Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix well. Roll into small balls and place on
well-greased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake in preheated 350F oven for 15 minutes until brown. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate to keep fresh or freeze. Great for older dogs with teeth problems.

I use cream of wheat because the wheat germ, while very healthy is a fiber and can cause a little too much motility. And I feed them sparingly so when a batch is done, I freeze most and give small cookies or halves to everyone to keep from overdoing it. But they love the
taste and it is as you can see easy to make as long as your dogs have no allergies to wheat or milk, beef or chicken. I have also used other
baby food meats as well.
_____________________________________________________________
MUTTBALLS
Submitted by Winnie Barten

1 lb. ground beef
2/3 c. grated cheese
2 carrots, finely grated
2 eggs, whisked
1 T. tomato paste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Scoop out by teaspoonful and roll into small balls. Place the balls on a cookie sheet sprayed with no-stick spray or covered with foil. Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Store in refrigerator.
Recipe can be doubled or tripled.

Crested Guardians

Each year thousands of dogs are needlessly poisoned by unsuspecting owners. Our continuing education about what is good or bad for our pets never ends. Our pets depend on us to keep them safe and one way we can keep them safe is to know what is not good for them. Here is just some of the many things we should know … to aid in keeping our pets safe.
Prescription human medications (unless directed by your vet) should not be given to your pet. Over the counter painkillers, cold or flu remedies for humans should be well out of the reach of a dog or cat. Where, under the direction of your vet, a buffered aspirin may be prescribed for pain, Tylenol, Motrin or Advil can be lethal.

Foods to avoid feeding your Pet:

Alcoholic beverages, Coffee,
Avocado, Fatty Foods,
Chocolate, Macadamia Nuts,
Moldy or spoiled foods, Onion, onion powder,
Raisins and grapes, walt,
Yeast Dough, Garlic,
Products sweetened w/ xlitol,

OTHER HAZARDS

Toads, insects, spiders, snakes and scorpions,
Blue-Green Algae in ponds, Citronella candles
Cocoa mulch, Compost piles,
Flea products, Plant bulbs,
Pool supplies, Snail/Slug bait traps, Fly traps, rat/mouse baits, Antifreeze,
liquid potpourri , Ice Melt products,
Fabric softener sheets, Mothballs,
Post 1982 pennies, Silica gel,
Poinsettia, Cat Litter,
Water based paints , Batteries,
Magnets, Glow jewelry,
Ribbons/tinsel most often with kittens

These are just a few of the potential hazards known to pets. When in doubt, don’t.

*ASPCA