“Cuchi is a Cocker Spaniel/Collie Mix and she is the cutest thing – which is what her name means in spanish. We were lucky enough to get her through a coworker who’s friend had just had puppies ( well not her, her dog, LOL!). She was born on Valentine’s day this year, which is very funny because when she was very small she had a heart shaped spot in her mouth. Now she has a little paw-shaped spot on the right side of her nose. She’s been a wonderful addition to the family. By her first year she’ll be speaking English, Italian and Spanish. We are very blessed to have her in our lives.” – Cuchi’s mom, Maria.

Please take a moment to read the article on the Ottawa Citizen’s Website. Teddy, a large brown lab, was nearly killed – our thoughts are with him while he recovers.

Thank you to reader Debbie who sent this in.

This video made me all teary-eyed. This little guy’s determination is awesome – he wants to go see his best friend, a kitten! This video makes me smile. Friendship transcends all.

“I’d like to introduce you to Piper. Piper is an 18month old Pharaoh Hound who lives in Kanata. Piper is a great family dog who is loyal, loving AND protective. She has a super gentle temperment with a little bit of a devil mixed in(what dog doesn’t). She is full of energy and enjoys expelling it off-leash at Bruce Pit with her doggy friends.

Likes:

• Running
• Lying in the sun
• Jumping
• Sleeping
• Did I mention running?
• Playing rough with her human “daddy”
• Walking through water(creeks,etc..)
• Tug O War with just about anything
• Oh yeah, running!!

Dislikes:

• Getting a bath
• Being “ignored” AKA: Not play with her when she wants you to

She also LOVES Lure Coursing with other hounds.” – Piper’s human, Ronnie.

Check it out here.

This just blows me away. And I thought my dogs were smart…

The video is really quiet so you’ll have to turn up your speakers on this one.

I’m not going to lie and say that I am pretty stoked that he is coming to Ottawa on tour! Although I cannot locate any pricing information for tickets, I wanted to post for anyone else who is interested that a presale begins TONIGHT!

Show information:
City: Ottawa
Date: Wednesday November 3
Venue: Scotiabank Place
Doors open: 6.30pm
Show commences: 7.30pm

From the Cesar Millan Live Blog:

As a fan of Cesar Millan you have the opportunity to lead the pack and take advantage of an exclusive Pre-Sale opportunity.

YOU CAN PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS before they go on sale to the general public at 10.00am (local times) on Monday August 30.

Click here and you can then use the code word PACKLEADER for your chance to get pre-sale tickets from 10.00am (local times) Thursday August 26 to 10.00pm (local times) Sunday August 29. Don’t miss out!

If you are going to expect your dog to spend any length of time in their crate and be happy to do so, you have to make it a safe and pleasant place for them.

Firstly, give your dog something comfortable to lie on. This will be much nicer than a cold plastic or metal floor. If they are a senior citizen and are a bit stiff and sore, they will particularly appreciate a soft bed.

Having said that, some dogs like to chew their blankets and if this applies to your dog, it will be safer to give the soft bedding a miss. The floor won’t be as comfortable, but they won’t get an upset stomach from swallowed fabric.

Toys are always good to put in your dog’s crate so they have something to play with. These toys must be kept very special, so keep them out of your dog’s reach, and only let him play with them while he is inside the crate.

It’s a great idea to put some chew toys in the crate with your dog. Make sure these toys are durable, and aren’t easily destroyed by a sharp set of teeth. A Kong filled with yummy treats will keep your dog occupied for hours. Soft toys and teddy bears are cute, but not at all appropriate to leave in a crate with your dog if they like to chew things.

Every dog crate should contain a water bowl, and it should be checked regularly to make sure there is still water in it. It’s a good idea to buy a bowl that is easy to attach to the side of the crate, so it doesn’t get knocked over.

One way of helping your dog to develop a positive attitude towards their crate is to feed them their meals inside it. Make sure you clean up any spills, and never leave your dog in their crate unattended with a bone.

It’s important to make sure that your dog stays safe when they are inside their crate. Don’t leave their collar on while they are not being supervised, especially if your crate is made of wire. It is possible that the collar could get caught on the wire. This is likely to choke your dog, and make them panic, which could be a recipe for disaster. (*side note from Liz: this is VERY important. I know of dogs who have died while in their crates because their collars were left on…)

Your dog’s crate should be their sanctuary, their escape from the hustle and bustle of your household. If they choose to go into their crate for some peace and quiet, the whole family should respect that. Don’t disturb them when they are resting in the rate. After all, even dogs enjoy some time out! If you would still like them nearby, consider dog crate furniture. The crates are a bit more expensive but serve as a piece of furniture in addition to being your dog’s crate.

Make the effort to add some “creature comforts” to your dog’s crate, and ensure that the time they spend in it is pleasant. By doing this you’ll have a contented dog, who will be happy to stay in their crate when you aren’t able to keep an eye on them.

During the winter of 2008, my Shepherd/Lab mix, Ginger, began to experience bouts of diarrhea which I attributed to a change I had made in her diet. I went back to her old food, but the diarrhea persisted with accidents in the house – something that hadn’t happened since she was a puppy. I brought her to the vet, and she was put on antibiotics as the vet felt that perhaps the original bout of diarrhea had upset the natural balance of bacteria in her bowel. It seemed to work for a few weeks. By spring, I was alarmed by the sheer volume of poop in the yard as the snow melted and noticed that Ginger was losing weight very quickly. She began to do things that were very out of character for her – namely stealing food off the counters and getting into the garbage can with a little help from one of the cats. I brought her back to the vet clinic and the vet I saw that day – the clinic owner – thought it was wonderful she had lost 15 pounds in two months with no change in activity, persistent foul smelling diarrhea and an out of control appetite! I felt I had no where to turn. The first vet we saw during the winter mentioned a rare disorder that affected Shepherds, but said it was so rare and with Ginger being a mix breed it would be the last thing she would consider.

I got online and found an article from the University of Prince Edward Island’s Veterinary School about Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency – EPI. Most of us are quite familiar with the endocrine function of the pancreas – it produces insulin that it releases into the bloodstream that allows the cells of the body to use glucose. Lack of insulin causes diabetes. EPI is not diabetes. The pancreas also secretes digestive enzymes that it releases into the digestive tract. These digestive enzymes break down starches, fats and protein & without them, anything ingested simply goes roaring through the digestive tract undigested causing foul smelling diarrhea that actually looks oily from the undigested fat. Without pancreatic enzymes, a dog, cat or human would simply die of starvation no matter how much food they consumed.

I work as a Registered Nurse, and had a colleague who was also a veterinary technologist. I showed her the article and she agreed that based on the symptoms it was a possibility Ginger had the disorder. Ginger was still losing weight at an alarming rate. She is a very fluffy girl, so she hid her emaciated frame well, but to feel the bones of her spine and hips broke my heart. She was 37 pounds down from a plump 65. I knew I had to do something, but I was incredibly frustrated by my vet clinic and I did not have thousands of dollars to spend in diagnosis. On a hunch, I started to make Ginger food to see if I could control the symptoms and then make them return based on what she was eating. I started with rice and then added her favourite vegetables. No diarrhea. I added egg whites for protein. No problems at all. I then boiled skinless chicken breasts, her stools got softer, but tolerable. Then I boiled chicken with skin on it & used the fat infused water to make the rice and the diarrhea returned. It was quite apparent that she could not tolerate the fat. Armed with this knowledge, my colleague drew some blood to check Ginger’s TLI and it came back on July 4, 2008 at 2.3 which confirmed our suspicion that Ginger had EPI.

I returned to my vet clinic, test result in hand, to see the original vet who had EPI in the back of her mind that day months before when Ginger had been symptomatic for only a few weeks. Before Ginger’s diagnosis I decided that if it was EPI, I would treat it unconventionally because the cost of treating with prescription veterinary medications was prohibitive. I had read about a dog in England who was happy and healthy eating food mixed with pureed pig pancreas. I live in a rural area and figured that getting pig pancreas wouldn’t be too difficult. I just had to figure out how much pig pancreas! My research led me to Yahoo! Groups: K-9 EPI Global – support from dog owners all over the world and pancreatin 6x powder: pancreatic enzymes I could buy without a prescription. For the first six weeks, I treated Ginger with prescription meds because she was suffering from severe malnutrition while I waited for my first shipment of pancreatin 6x to arrive. I then switched her to the pancreatin 6x and she has been living well with EPI ever since. Within 6 weeks she gained 4 pounds, and today as I write this she is a healthy weight with a couple of extra pounds to spare.

The costs of treating EPI can be astronomical if treated with prescription meds and sadly many choose to surrender their dogs to shelters or rescue organizations. The biggest cause of death in these dogs is euthanasia because owners feel they can not afford the cost of life long treatment. There are ways to treat these dogs in a cost effective manner. Ginger’s medication costs me about $170 a year – compared to $70 every three weeks with prescription medication available through my vet. Through the EPI Awareness Project we want to spread awareness about the disorder in the hope that fewer dogs will needlessly suffer. Contrary to what my vet had learned in school, while common in the Shepherd population, EPI is now turning up in all breeds.