Rottweilers

Again, the kennel website (25 of 31/60 of 274)

March 25, 2009 by kathi

I know this is a recurring theme, and it really shouldn’t be. I shouldn’t be so “stuck” on this, yet here I am, still with a digital stack of comps and photos and not much else. Yes, sad to say, I still don’t have a kennel website.

I guess it’s good then that I also have no breeding plans (not that I would ever breed a dog whose health checks aren’t yet complete, but not all of you know me well enough to take that for granted), because I’d have no place to promote them.

By the way, this is also my proof that having all the whiz-bang digital tools you could ever want at your disposal means nothing if you can’t or don’t use them to best advantage. I upgraded very recently to Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium so I really have no excuse for slacking, do I (well, except for having to learn to use it but as a Photoshop user since v3 and a DreamWeaver user since Studio 8, I guess it won’t be too convincing)? This also reminds me that I haven’t yet talked about that upgrade here, and I’m sure at least a few of you are interested in how I’m liking it. Not to mention that I still need the opportunity to vent about the circumstances that caused me to upgrade this month, rather than at a more financially feasible moment.

Axel wants to be like all the other show dogs and show dog wanna-bes, and have his own page full of brags and plans. All right, fine, Axel doesn’t really care. He doesn’t get online much that I know of. I want him to be like all the other show dogs with pages full of brags and plans and beautiful pictures.

Kick me, hard, so he… umm… I… we? can have this.

Note to self after the fact: No one will see your posts if you do not PUBLISH them and make them PUBLIC. Kick me, harder, for this, too.

Giving information: canine parvovirus (18 of 31/53 of 274)

March 18, 2009 by kathi

Oprah Winfrey’s loss of one of her two recently-adopted cocker spaniel puppies to canine parvovirus is a sad story on many levels. Although I have disliked Oprah for years, I do truly sympathize with her loss. Parvo is a horrible thing for both dog and owner to go through, and it is a sad fact that even those with the financial means to provide the expensive and intensive care needed will sometimes have to face the loss of their beloved pet. The fact that canine blood bank Hemopet was contacted suggests that no expense was spared to provide excellent treatment.

There have been questions regarding whether the shelter followed proper quarantine protocols, as the timeframes involved suggest that the puppies contracted parvo at the shelter. Parvo is highly contagious and lives for a long time in the environment, so it’s not impossible that the puppies got it somewhere else either.

As a psycho dog person, I also wonder about things like why a shelter would adopt out two puppies of the same age to the same person, even (or should that be especially) a famous person. Or why puppies that were basically too young to have received more than one vaccination in the recommended series of 3-4 shots would be allowed to go to the filming of a television show, where they would come into contact with who knows how many people.

I am not a veterinarian and thankfully I have no first-hand experience with parvo. Rottweilers are one of the breeds that are most susceptible to parvo, so it is definitely a major concern of mine until my dogs are over a year old and getting their first annual booster.

Oprah’s sphere of influence means that many more people are now aware of parvo and how serious it can be. I hope there will be some follow-up to also make them aware of how to prevent and treat the disease as well. Here are some links if you don’t want to wait:

Adopting puppies can be devastating: Dr. Patty Khuly’s commentary on the incident from her excellent “Dolittler” veterinary blog.

How my puppy survived the PARVO VIRUS: The BAM Parvo Treatment: Sina Norris is a veterinary technician and a Rottweiler breeder. This is a day-to-day medical diary detailing the treatment that saved puppy Jarci’s life.

Intervet’s Progard vaccine is the vaccine of choice for many Rottweiler owners as it is the one that appears to be most effective in preventing parvo when administered on the proper schedule. If you do have parvo on your premises, be aware that even with proper disinfection with bleach or Parvosol, most veterinarians will recommend that you not bring a new puppy (or an older dog whose immunization history is unknown) in until at least 6 months to a year have passed.

Giving in (15 of 31/50 of 274)

March 15, 2009 by kathi

I generally try to keep a positive attitude, but I am giving in to some negativity today. I’m disappointed that Axel and his pal Jules didn’t do better at the Kentuckiana dog shows this weekend. Not disappointed in them (they are wonderful dogs and must never ever think that they are not), but just that they didn’t get their turn in the spotlight on this go-around.

For me to feel that way about Axel’s showing is not even right, because he wasn’t supposed to even be there, let alone win anything. So for him to bring home even one ribbon (which is what he is doing) is over and above what he was originally supposed to be doing, which is being at home and wrestling with his sister Freya in our own back yard.

Jules is very young still, and her time will most definitely come, probably sooner rather than later. I just wish it could have started this weekend.

If you refer back to Tuesday’s post, I was inconveniencing most of my circle of dog friends just to ensure that Axel didn’t break the major and thus ruin his good karma. Sometimes I am just too impatient about waiting for that good karma to cycle around.

Speaking of bad karma, I did not think I could hate Mayor Daley any worse than I already do as the wife of a Chicago firefighter. I was wrong. On Saturday he spoke out in favor of a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance which is currently in committee, and on which a vote was postponed this past Thursday.

Understand that I am not against spay/neuter. I am against government making the decision to make it mandatory, and against government involvement in a decision that really belongs with pet owners and their veterinarians. Especially in a time when the city of Chicago has so many other critical challenges to face, the idea that this ordinance would be pushed partially as a solution to gang crime and dogfighting is so ludicrous it makes me laugh even as I should be crying. Yeah, I really see gangbangers being affected by this one. They don’t abide by the laws on the books now, such as registration and leash laws which are underenforced. And obviously committing felonies doesn’t bother them if they are fighting dogs in the first place.

If you are a pet owner in Chicago and haven’t yet done so, please check out AKC’s bulletin on the ordinance and send your letter against it before it comes up for a vote again. If you are reading this blog and think that mandatory spay/neuter is a good idea… why are you even here?

Giving up calories (14 of 31/49 of 274)

March 14, 2009 by kathi

Freya went to the vet today for her annual immunizations and checkup. She is a favorite at the clinic and basks in the adoration of the staff whenever she visits. She received a clean bill of health, except for the approximately 10 pounds she has put on since she was spayed 2 years ago. She weighed in at 92 pounds today. Her ideal weight is somewhere between 82-85 pounds, which is how much she weighed the last time I showed her, and on her spay date.

It is apparently not a myth that a dog’s metabolism may slow down somewhat after spaying or neutering. However, that did not happen with any of my prior Rottweilers, so this is a new experience for me. I’ve had much more experience putting needed weight on a dog, rather than taking it off.

Quite honestly, I could stand to lose about the same amount of weight, so the first thing we’ll do is add some walks of the exercise type rather than the wandering type. I don’t want to cut back on Freya’s food, nor change it right now. She gets 2-2.5 cups a day, which according to the vet’s calorie analysis today, would be about right for her current food. She has a very mild case of IBS, and after one entire summer of experimenting with many different foods to find one that worked well for her, I’m not eager to repeat the process.

One thing we’ll have to do is cut back on the treats. Like most Rottweilers, Freya is extremely food motivated, so training time involves treats as well. This is not going to go over well.

To add to the fun, Axel needs to put on a few pounds during his break from the show circuit. I have always hated that whole deal where show weight is about 10-15 pounds heavier than working weight for a typical adult male Rottweiler, but I have to admit that he does look good at his show weight.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a canine fat transformer, so I could just take those pounds off Freya and give them to Axel?

Nothing for Axel at today’s show, so please hope with me for at least one day of Axel love on Sunday. He’ll be home either Sunday or Monday, win or lose, and then I win since everyone’s home again!

Kittyweiler (13 of 31/48 of 274)

March 13, 2009 by kathi

I never thought I’d have a more doggy cat than Random. Random was a large gray tabby cat that I owned from the time he was about 3 months old until we finally lost him to the effects of chronic renal failure at age 16. He was very affectionate, would come when you called his name, and he’d have actual conversations with me every morning while I was getting ready for work. He was a very doggy cat, especially compared to our more typically aloof girl cats.

Oliver has far surpassed Random’s dogginess and taken it to an art form. I’m sure it was because he was raised by a Rottweiler. I sometimes catch him eating food out of the dogs’ bowls, occasionally at the same time as a dog. He wrestles with the Rottweilers as if the size difference doesn’t matter.

Here he is, trying out a Rottweiler-sized crate and believing it to be just right.

Oliver is also fascinated with money. Well, who isn’t, really. But again, he takes it to an art form. When Dan was counting up the proceeds from a club event, Oliver sat nearby, and you would swear he was counting the money right along with Dan. Oliver would not leave until the task was complete.

Right now, Oliver is helping me write this post. He’s pressed hard against my left arm, making it a bit difficult to type, but he’s determined to help me get this done and complete yet another NaBloPoMo day in March!

Axel show update: nothing for today, and nothing for his pal Jules. Hoping for better days tomorrow and Sunday; please think good thoughts for the team!