Blog

Plain City Animal Hospital
Dr. Daniel Lynn

Is it spring yet? With the crazy mixed-up seasons we have had this year we may never really know what spring is! It is time to begin to think about the external parasites that will begin to bug our best four-legged friends.

Ticks will begin to show up soon in the weeds and tall grasses all around our great state. While Lyme disease is not a huge issue here in Ohio, we did have 48 cases of it reported last year alone. The best way to prevent the spread of any tick-related disease is to begin using a preventative product before we even begin to find ticks. Products sold by your veterinarian have been safety tested and proven effective. The over-the-counter products do not work as efficiently and many may even have dangerous side effects, especially if they are applied to animals that they are not intended for or are accidentally ingested.

Fleas are another parasite that we all wish we never had to deal with. Unfortunately, fleas live just about anywhere. They love to hide in the dark crevasses of your home or your dog’s kennel area. One adult female flea on your pet can lay over 50 eggs a day! This is the beginning of a maddening cycle. No matter how many times you wash your dog or how clean your house is, the fleas have a way of hanging on. The best way to prevent fleas is to begin to use a flea control product before they are a problem. This type of preventative comes in many different varieties, such as topical applications and oral pills. Each product controls fleas in a different way, so it is important to talk to your veterinarian about what type of product is best for you, your family, and your hairy friend! Once you have a flea infestation it will take a lot of work to get the problem under control, but it can be done. It is definitely better to prevent than to treat.

Mosquitoes make us all crazy and send many of us running for the shelter of our homes on warm summer nights. They are just as bad for our four-legged companions. Dogs and cats both can get a disease called heartworm from these annoying little bugs. All it takes is a bite from a mosquito to introduce the larvae into the bloodstream and cause a heartworm infection. The larvae then begin to breed and grow and move into the heart chambers where they cause many problems with blood flow. They can even overflow from the heart into the lungs and cause breathing difficulties. This is why animals who have heartworm will have exercise intolerance and just seem depressed and lethargic. The heartworm prevention medications work retroactively. That is, they kill the larvae that the animal may have contracted in the prior month. This is why it is so important to give the medication on time every month. The new recommendation now is that all animals should be on heartworm preventative every month of the year. This is necessary because of the resistance that is beginning to build due to stopping the medication for a few months in the winter. Lucky for us, there are many choices in heartworm prevention for our pets. There are options for topical, chewable oral bars or pills, and even an injection that lasts for six months!

Fleas, ticks and mosquitoes…we have your number!

Posted in Additional Services

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Bully sticks, pig’s ears, cow hooves, marrow bones, rawhides and antlers.  Sounds like a yummy smorgasbord for your dog, doesn’t it?  I bet many of you use these treats to satisfy your dog’s chewing and keeping them occupied; but should you?  Have you ever given deep thought to these animal “pieces parts” that we give to our pets??
First where do these things come from and why are they used as chew toys? I think it is obvious that these are all parts of animals that we eat.  Not that we want to think about it but these are waste byproducts from the meat industry.  Some entrepreneur decided this would be an easy way to make money so…. a new industry was born.
•    Cow hooves and pigs ears are what the name implies.
•    Marrow bones are from the long bones of cows and pigs.
•    Rawhides are the skin of cows.
•    Antlers come from either deer or elk.
•    So what do you think bully sticks are?  Think about this one.  Give up?  They are bull penises! Hmm.
There are some dangers with all of these items. All of these have the potential and can cause intestinal obstructions, but equally important are the dangers that come from the way these are processed.  They are first soaked for hours in a caustic lye solution to digest the undesirables off the skin and then to remove the lye the skin is then soaked in bleach solution.  Sounds yummy. Many of the rawhides come from China where they have been known to use arsenic compounds to preserve them.
There is no regulation of rawhides or pigs ears.  You really have no idea where these come from.
Marrow bones and antlers cause many broken teeth.  A good rule of thumb is if you don’t want me to hit you in the kneecap with it, your dog should not be chewing on it. I can not tell you how many expensive extractions are the result of dogs chewing bones.
Another concern of mine is the potential introduction and spread of disease to naive areas.  Many of the elk antlers come from Wyoming where the elk migrate and drop their antlers each year. These are collected in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, by Boy Scouts who sell them to support their troop. Many are used to make decorative pieces but others end up as chew toys. Wyoming has a devastating disease call Chronic Wasting Disease and is caused by a small protein subpart called a prion.  Prions have the potential to be in antlers and other body parts and thus may be introduced into deer populations in other parts of the country.  Much like the devastating Ash Borror that was introduced into my state of Ohio in firewood brought in from Michigan, the infestation is quickly depleting the Ash trees in the state. .
My biggest concern though with all these chew toys is the potential for passing harmful bacteria to your pet and YOU.  There have been many cases of Salmonella and E. Coli contaminations directly linked to rawhides, pig’s ears and other animal product toys. The FDA has published an advisory warning of this risk and urges those who come in contact with them to wash their hands thoroughly.
Sorry for the disgusting facts in this blog, but hopefully I have educated you, so you can pick the safest products for your beloved pet.
Dr Riggs is co-owner of Best Friends Veterinary Hospital in Powell, Ohio. He is also on the board of the North Central Region of Canine Companions of Independence, a board member of The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Society and Small Animal Practitioner Advancement Board at The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Riggs lives in Lewis Center, OH with his wife Nancy, their dogs Maggie, and two cats Franklin and Speeder. Outside of work, Dr. Riggs is an avid cyclist, golfer, enjoys travel and photography.

Posted in Additional Services, Not Just Training

It seems that spring weather has already jumped right in our laps and excuses for putting off all the yard work and outdoor plans are quickly running low.  There is no better time of year to get out and enjoy the fresh air and rejuvenated wildlife and there is no better adventurer with which to do it than your dog.

Throughout the months of May & June, Acme Canine will hold Woofie’s FunWALK Challenge.  Everyone and their dog are encouraged to sign up by April 30 and see if they are up to the task.  It is essentially a walkathon that consists of earning points per steps with your dog.  Acme Canine will announce who completed the challenge on June 30.  Participants can win prizes based on combined pounds lost, best dog photo and on completing the challenge.

The cost to participate is $25, but it includes several benefits with the package.  Participants will receive a dog walking booklet with access to track their steps on the web, an Acme Canine leash, and the opportunity to attend either the obstacle course held on May 2 or June 6, or a Walking without Pulling workshop held on May 6, May 23, June 13 or June 24.

Americans have unfortunately become well known for the obesity epidemic and overall sedentary lifestyles we live.  It’s no surprise that many of our pets are suffering from the same poor diet and inactive behavior as well.  Canine obesity leads to the same types of health and quality-of-life issues that the human variety does.  Acme Canine hopes to shed some light on the issue while helping dog owners build better relationships with their dogs on the FunWALK Challenge.

For those interested in joining this funWALK challenge, contact Acme Canine at (740) 548-1717 or training@acmecanine.com.

Posted in Additional Services, Not Just Training, Workshops

Stuffed Sweater Toys

Materials
• Old sweater, long sleeved shirt, or sweatshirt pants (acrylic washes easier)
• Pack of Squeaks
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Straight pins
• Stuffing
• hand needle
• Scissors
• Pattern

Cut up the shirt or pants so they lie flat. 
Pin on the dog bone pattern or make up your pattern.
Cut around the pattern. Make sure you have two of each shapes for a top and a bottom.
Pin the top and bottom together so the pattern you want on the outside of the finished toy is facing in.
Sew around the edge leaving a 2 inch hole.
Turn the toy inside out and add stuffing and add a squeak.
Hand sew the hole shut.
Give to your dog.

Modification: if you plan on using the same pattern multiple times, cut it out of card stock and trace around the pattern with chalk or marker. Use your imagination, for the pattern Hearts, Circles, or it does not have to look like anything (your dog won’t mind)

Sock Toy

Materials
• One Sock (big enough for you bottle to fit in)
• Plastic drinking bottle (empty and without cap)
• Needle and Thread

Put the plastic bottle in your sock.
Sew up the end of your sock and give it to your dog.

Modification: Sew on Velcro to the end of your sock so you can reload plastic bottles
Rope Toy

Materials
• Old Jeans, fleece or sweatshirt
• Scissors
• Needle & Thread

Cut the jeans, or material into nine 1 inch strips.  The finished product will be smaller so if you want a about a 12 inch rope toy, cut the strips to be about 24 inches long (will vary depending on thickness of fabric and tightness of braid).
Stack the strips on top of each other and sew one of the ends together. 
Braid the strips, three at a time.  Then braid the three braided strips together.
Sew the end pieces to prevent unraveling and trim off excess.
Modification:  Sew the end two inched in from the edge of the fabric, and end the braid two inches from the end for a “frayed” end look. 

Plastic Bag Leash

Materials
• About 20 of the heavy plastic bags
• metal leash clip (saved off of an old leash)
• Scissors
• Iron (and ironing board)
• Aluminum foil

Cut the bags in three sections.
Braid the bag together adding more bags by tying or looping them thru the previous bags.
Continue braiding and adding bags till you have a long strand about 7feet long. 
Repeat till you have three braided strands. Then braid the three braided stand together, forming one long rope. 
At one end loop one of the strands thru the metal leash clip and loop the other two stands the other way thru the leash clip. 
Wrap the loose ends with unbraided, sections of the cut bag and tie off.  Form a loop and the other end (for the handle) Keep in mind how long you would like the leash to be. 
Cut off the extra bags, to your leash length leaving a two or three inches overlap to wrap the handle with. Wrap the loose end to the leash base with some more bag strips to form the loop handle.
Turn you iron on to high.  To finish you’ll need two sheets of aluminum foil, if you have some pre-used foil use it (you will end up destroying it anyway). 
Between the two sheets place the parts of the leash were you wrapped the bags (either the handle or the clip, you will do this for both.) and iron it.  The point is to melt the plastic, keep turning the leash till all the wrapped bag has fused together. The bags on the inside of the braid will still be flexible.
Be careful the iron and the metal clip will be hot! Cut off any hanging bits and test out the strength of the seams indoors before you go on a walk outside. 
Jean Leash

Materials
• old pair of jeans
• metal leash clip (saved off of an old leash that was destroyed)
• Heavy duty needle and thread
• Scissors

Cut along either side of the seam of a pant leg.  You want a long strip of the part of the jean that has been stitched together. 
Repeat this with the four seams. 
Sew the seams together to create one longer strip of fabric.
At this point determine how long you would like you leash to be, standard leashes are 5 or 6 feet long.  Add 10- 12 inches on to your desired length for the handle. 
Loop one end thru the leash clip and over itself; then sew it shut.
With the other end, measure about 10 inches and loop the jean over itself. 
Sew it together so it forms a handle.  
Test out the strength of the seams indoors before you go on a walk outside. 

You can sew this on a sewing machine; just make sure you have the correct needle and machine setting.

Stepping Stone

Materials:
• Portland cement
• sand
• bucket
• stirring stick (we use the paint sticks)
• water
• molds (use plastic containers fro frozen food or vegetables, paper buckets, anything that can be ripped apart if the stone does not come out)
• Things to put in the stone (broken plates, glass…)

Mix the cement and the sand thoroughly together with a 1:1 ratio.
Add water, about a cup at a time, it will look “dry” when it is mixed.  It will be crumby but when squeezed in your hand form a loose ball.  It is better to be too dry than too wet.

Scoop it out into your molds and level off with your stirring stick. 
Add your design; write in the cement, make a mosaic with the glass or plates bits.  Be creative)
Let dry 48 hours before removing the mold.  Keep out of the sun when drying- the top will cure unevenly and can lead to breaking.  If planning on keeping outdoors in the winter paint on concrete sealer to keep it from cracking.

Posted in Not Just Training

By Jan Ensign, CPT, Acme Canine

I attended a seminar on February 25 called “Structure in Action.”  Author Pat Hastings (Structure in Action: The Making of a Durable Dog) spoke about canine body structure and movement.  I found this seminar riveting to say the least.  While the focus was on the skeletal structure of our canine friends, what I took away from the day was to be much more aware of soundness in our dogs or the lack thereof.  Some of us ask an awful lot from them (agility trials, hiking, biking, retrieving, hunting, etc.) and do not know we were inadvertently tearing down our dogs.
Let’s take, for instance, a Retriever who has a yew neck.  If you point his nose in the air, physically it should only be able to point to 11 o’clock.  If this dog’s nose can point all the way up to 12 o’clock, or further touching his back, this is a yew neck.  This indicates weakness in the neck and you would see the dog compensate by holding his head up higher in order to gain support from the shoulders, rather than letting it out in front of the body.  Now imagine you are asking this dog to retrieve a duck or, even worse, a large goose from the water.  Since this dog does not have the strength in his neck to support the weight of the water fowl very well, he will continue to try to hold the bird up in the air again using his shoulders, thus preventing him from being able to see where he is going.  This dog will also splash a lot with his front legs, trying desperately to keep his head above the water so as not to drown.  A dog with a correct neck will swim quietly and his jaw will lay on top of the water out in front of him. He will carry the bird with much more ease.
Another example would be a dog with a rear that is higher than his front end.  Some breed standards do call for this such as the Chinese Shar-Pei, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and Havanese. So, in those breeds only, it would be considered correct structure. A high rear will put more stress on the front end assembly, however, making jumping much harder on this dog.  Not only is there more pressure on his joints when landing the jump, but he also has to work harder to lift up his front end to get over the jump.  In addition, a high rear causes the hind legs to be more under the dog causing diminished rear drive and thus decreased power to take off efficiently for a jump. It is easy to see that this type of structure is not made for agility or running along side the bicycle for example.
It is so very clear to me that structure is something we should always take a look at so we can select more carefully what our dogs can do for us, not what they are willing to do for us.

Posted in Additional Services, Not Just Training