cjohanna

I think the injection is a key part of that finding, though, Mark. Consider that if ten dogs are injected with parvo, all ten will get parvo; but if ten dogs are exposed to parvo in the environment, not all ten dogs will get parvo. The immune system will be able to mount a response, if it can, when the virus enters the body through the dog's skin, nasal passages, etc. Direct injection into the bloodstream bypasses all the defense mechanisms that the body has to rebuff or respond to the disease or pest. This article in Dogs Naturally magazine makes some interesting points, one of which is that "Host immune responses affect the presence of circulating microfilariae." No, it's not correct to say that a healthy dog cannot get heartworm, I agree with that. It IS possible to say that a healthy dog has a lesser chance of contracting heartworm if it is exposed to it, because the immune response in a healthy dog will be very different from that of a weak dog in depleted health. http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/protecting-your-dog-from-heartworm/

There is a good deal of discussion about whether the parasites are developing or have developed resistence to the drugs. Some mentions of that are here: http://www.2ndchance.info/heartwormMedResist.htm And more info, from the 2013 Western Veterinary Conference -- this is a PDF: http://tinyurl.com/kbts9ul I live in Chicago. I have not used chemical heartworm preventives since 2001; I have 6 dogs at present, and have had another 6 who passed away since 2001. (I don't have a high mortality rate, I adopt senior Shelties from rescue.) None of them ever tested positive for heartworm and I test every year. Some of them had been successfully treated for heartworm in the past, when they came into rescue. I use herbal preventives, and I feed a raw/natural diet and do not give annual vaccinations, so my heartworm protocol is part of a larger picture. I work with a local Sheltie rescue and we have quite a few h/w positive dogs that come in to rescue. Almost without exception, they have had very poor nutrition and general care before we got them -- many of them were strays or 'outside dogs'. Their resistence to parasites of all kinds is very low due to that. I don't think that well-fed dogs can't get heartworm, but I think the immune system does play a role in this. I found a reference to that in an article that I can't find now, but will post when/if I do. Interesting topic.

FWIW, my young BC is a puller on-leash and will pull into a prong collar. It slowed him down not one bit, so I discarded it. I walk him now on a ComfortFlex harness, which is not a no-pull but is a nice, sturdy harness with a good design. What worked for my dog was not a collar, it was allowing him to release the emotional tension that built up when he saw 'prey' -- squirrels, etc. -- on a walk. He loves to tug, so I brought his tug on the walk and practiced calling him back to me (yes, while still on leash) and tugging vigorously for a minute when he was wound up. At first he wanted no part of it, he was like 'wait, this is our at-home game!', but I persisted and he caught on (no pun intended). We use a knotted fleece tug, or a ball on a rope, something I can stash in my pocket for the rest of the walk. When a dog gets amped up, they want to discharge all that emotion and the most common way dogs do that is through their mouths. The toy or tug will allow the dog to 'catch' the squirrel or whatever else he's seen. That's a really simple explanation and a much fuller version can be found at http://www.naturaldogtraining.com With my Shelties and also with my BC, I have found that restraining does not solve the problem and make the behavior turn into something I want. Restraining IS what I do when they might run into a street, but it's not training. JMO. ETA: forgot to add that over time, my dog now pulls on leash almost not at all and doesn't need the tug on the walks, either. He seemed to learn how to handle the excitement/emotion produced by the prey objects and the tugging helped him to do that. It was a management tool, not a long-term feature of our walks.

My BC jumps on people and hugs them. And I never really tried to break that habit, which he had when I got him from the rescue at 10 months of age. I just warn people that he jumps, and then I figure they're on their own. (Usually I say, "just pretend his name is OFF.") My BC also pulls on the leash and I think he will never not pull on the leash. I just use a ComfortFlex harness, and try to have him off-leash as much as possible for the sake of my sanity. My dog is off-leash a lot. Last week two people in the course of one walk asked 'do you need me to help you catch your dog?' Gah. However, my dog DOES come when called, so that's something, right?

Update: Amanda was able to find a person willing to take Scout, out of the area where he was in hot water with ACO, and Scout is 'vacationing' there while his ACO file is reviewed and while an attempt is made to find him a new permanent home. He dodged the bullet thanks to the big heart of a rescuer who responded to a friend's share on Facebook. All of Scout's fans are very relieved!!

The owners of Scout pretty much neglected him since about a year or so after they got him. He has no fenced yard, he is not walked regularly, he is an energetic and smart dog and not being part of his family, he has made his own program of escapes, excursions, etc. This has been going on for years and every attempt to address it by my friend has been met with resistance from Scout's owners. They're not a good home for any dog. I'm old enough to remember Barbara Woodhouse, the British dog trainer, and she used to say, "If you want to know what your dog really thinks of you -- open the door and stand aside!" I think of that when I encounter situations like Scout's.

Thank you -- I passed that info and the links along to Amanda. I don't know what rescues she's contacted so far but I know she's trying everything that she can think of to get Scout out of this mess. I don't know what his mix is; he was adopted as a puppy from a shelter in another state and has been with this family his whole life. I sure hope they don't get any dogs in the future.

Posting this for a friend whose in-laws have taken such poor care of a very nice BC mix that the dog is now on death row. "Can you help? Scout needs a rescue to take him by this weekend (8/25). Scout has been able to get out of his family's home and has chased the neighbors as border collies are prone to do. Due to the laws in his city, if someone feels threatened by the dog twice in 12 months, it is considered attacking even though there is no injury. Scout will be declared "vicious" this weekend, even though he is not aggressive. Due to this declaration and the circumstances in his home, he has no where to go and will be put to sleep unless an adequate home can take him. He is 9 years old, neutered, and in good health. He is not aggressive. His chasing behavior outside the home is typical of the border collie breed. Please share and contact me if you know of someone that can help. Amanda" amandahudgins@gmail.com Photo of Scout here: http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/523167_10150979795521290_1196955387_n.jpg The friend is 8 months pregnant with two small children and two large dogs of her own, so she and her husband cannot keep Scout in their rental house. If anyone knows of a rescue that can help, we would be so grateful.

The owner has been found. My friend e-mailed me: "They are reunited!!!! I got a call from Sharon about an hour ago. The owners have a ranch, but have been staying in town, and the old girl thinks she can be just as footloose in town as she is out at the ranch. Owner picked up dog and called Sharon to thank her. Please thank all your BC board people for all they were about to do! Dog people are AWESOME." Relief.

Yes, please crosspost anywhere it might help locate the dog's owner. Thank you! I wondered if the USBCHA would keep records of entrants?

A friend of mine in NM notified me that last Friday, after the big storms they had, a BC was found in Clayton, NM; the dog is wearing a tag that says "National Sheepdog Trials 2003 Competitor." No other ID. The BC is currently being boarded at the Clayton Veterinary Clinic, Phone: (505) 374-2332. Any suggestions how to go about locating the owner would be appreciated. Mods, sorry if this is in wrong forum, feel free to move.