Articles published in this Newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor. Nothing may be copied unless the Editor grants permission. 

Dates & News:

ZimDog News, can be accessed from: www.vanerp.net.

Zimbabwe Kennel Club:
The Zimbabwe Kennel Club office will now only be open on a Friday each week, 14.00-16.00 CAT. 

My apologies for this late and short newsletter. I would like to point out for you to read the two articles on food poisoning at the end of this as that sounds rather horrific to me. 

Natalie Hallowes Exhibition
1 April saw me going to her exhibition at Richard Rennies, where there were about 14 of her pictures of animals. The media used was chalk on colored paper and they were just awesome. She does study the animal and will go to people’s homes to see them and then takes pictures to work on the painting at home. She has done owners pet animals, horses and dogs and so it will be a challenge to use her being a local artist. 

Hi Jan cashel,

Does your dog LOVE to chew? Most dogs do. If you don't give your dog his own personal things to chew, he will be forced to satisfy his natural instincts by chewing the things around him. And trust me, he'll find plenty of things that are pleasing to chew ... like your favourite shoes, those new throw pillows or the living room sofa! Bummer. Destructive chewing behaviour can really test your undying love for your four-legged pal...But did you know that it could also cause a lot of serious health problems for your dog? Eating the stuffing in those pillows and sofa cushions can lead to serious gastro-intestinal problems. Painful splinters from chewed wood can cut your dog's gums or become deeply lodged in his paws or gums. Once swallowed, those buttons from your favourite cardigan sweater can become stuck in your dog's throat, causing him to choke. Yes, dogs love to chew. It can be a very soothing activity that brings your dog a lot of comfort ... or a very dangerous one that threatens his very life. You can't change your dog's biology. The fact is, he's driven to chew. What can you do? Well, to begin with you can make the activity safe for him (and easier on you) by getting him his very own chew toy. Every dog needs a great chew toy. It can bring your playful pup tons of fun! A good chew toy will satisfy his natural urge to chew, help keep his life interesting and keep him contentedly entertained for hours on end. It can also help break your dog of those destructive chewing behaviours. When you're shopping for a good chew toy, choose wisely. The wrong chew toys could lead to serious health problems for your precious pup, including choking, gastro-intestinal blockages and painful dental damage. Here are some important safety tips for choosing chew toys.• Size matters. Make sure the chew toy is the right size. Avoid toys that are small enough for your dog to swallow or too large for your pup to play with comfortably. • No spare parts. Make sure the toy has no pieces that can be chewed off and swallowed. Don't buy toys with sewn-on eyes. Some dogs will even tear toys apart to find the squeakers inside ... and swallow them! • The right stuff. If your dog tends to tear stuffed toys apart and eat the stuffing, look out! It can make him really sick. Look for durable toys that will be hard for your dog to chew apart.• Get involved. When you first give your dog a new toy, supervise his play to make sure he plays with it appropriately.• Keep it clean. Between the dirt and drool, your dog's chew toys can become pretty disgusting ... not to mention a natural breeding ground for unhealthy bacteria. Choose a toy that can be washed and keep it clean. My staff and I are always on the lookout for the best new dog toys, so we've tested plenty of chew toys over the years. Recently, we found a very inventive new chew toy called Bottle Crunchers. The idea behind this toy is very smart ... and dogs just LOVE it! Has your dog ever chewed an empty water bottle? Lots of dogs do. They can't resist the popping/crunching sound the plastic makes when they chew it. But the sharp edges from the bottle's broken plastic can create a real health hazard for your dog, often slicing his gums and mouth. Bottle Crunchers were designed to give your dog all of the fun of chewing empty water bottles ... without the danger. These brightly colored protective "sleeves" look like cute little critters - an adorable alligator and one very cool cat. They fit snuggly around an empty water bottle. As your dog chews, the bottle inside makes all those wonderful crunching noises he loves ... but the protective sleeve keeps the sharp edges from cutting his mouth. Secure Velcro closures keep the empty bottle tucked safely inside while your dog chews to his heart's delight. It really is an ingenious idea. And Bottle Crunchers can be refilled. Just listen ... when they toy gets "quiet," you'll know that your dog has pretty much destroyed the empty water bottle inside. Just pull open the Velcro tabs and pop in a new bottle. And Bottle Crunchers clean up nicely. When they become soiled with slobber or dirt, just pop off the covers and throw them in the wash. Until next timed. Jon

FOOD NOT TO GIVE

Hi Jan cashel,

You know that I a big believer in nutrition as one of the keys to having your dog live a healthy long life. Not just a long life, but one full of energy and vitality. Just as important as what you feed your dog are the things you should NOT feed you dog. Following is a list of 5 foods that you should NOT feed your dog.

1. Alcoholic Beverages. Ethanol is the component in alcoholic beverages that can be toxic when an excessive amount is ingested. Pets are much smaller than us and can be highly affected by small amounts of alcohol. Exercise caution when drinks and pets are together. Toxicity can cause a wide variety of signs and symptoms, and may result in death. Signs may include odour of alcohol on the animal's breath, staggering, behavioural changes, excitement, depression, increased urination, slowed respiratory rate or cardiac arrest and death.

2. Apples, Apricots, Cherries, Peaches and Plums. Ingestion of large amounts of stems, seeds and leaves of these fruits can be toxic. They contain a cyanide type compound and signs of toxicity include apprehension, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, hyperventilation and shock.

3. Avocados . The leaves, fruit, bark and seeds of avocados have all been reported to be toxic. The toxic component in the avocado is "persin," which is a fatty acid derivative. Symptoms of toxicity include difficulty breathing, abdominal enlargement, abnormal fluid accumulations in the chest, abdomen and sac around the heart. The amount that needs to be ingested to cause signs is unknown. Do not feed your pet any component of the avocado.

4. Baking Powder and Baking Soda . Baking soda and baking powder are both leavening agents. A leavening agent is a common ingredient in baked goods that produces a gas causing batter and dough to rise. Baking soda is simply sodium bicarbonate. Baking powder consists of baking soda and an acid, usually cream of tartar, calcium acid phosphate, sodium aluminium sulphate or a mixture of the three. Ingestion of large amounts of baking soda or baking powder can lead to electrolyte abnormalities (low potassium, low calcium and/or high sodium), congestive heart failure or muscle spasms.

5. Chocolate . Chocolate, in addition to having a high fat content, contains caffeine and theobromine. These two compounds are nervous system stimulants and can be toxic to your dog in high amounts. The levels of caffeine and theobromine vary between different types of chocolate. For example, white chocolate has the lowest concentration of stimulants and baking chocolate or cacao beans have the highest concentration. Depending on the type of chocolate ingested and the amount eaten, various problems can occur.

So to keep your healthy avoid the bad stuff and feed them a superior diet. To see the benefits that a superior diet can make in a dog's health, check out a website called feedingisbelieving.com . Until next time...

Dr. Jon

RAISIN TOXICITY

Laurinda Morris, DVManville Veterinary Clinicanville , OH

This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at MedVet. My patient was a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix that ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't call my emergency service until 7AM. I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal failure but hadn't seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet, and the doctor there was like me - had heard something about it, but ... Anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give IV fluids at 1 & 1/2 times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the next 48-72 hours. The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal less than 27) and creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids. At the point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as overnight care. He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values have continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn't control his vomiting. Today, his urine output decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220. He continued to vomit and the owners elected to Euthanize.This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners who had no idea raisins could be a toxin.

Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very serious risk.

Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handler's. Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern. Onions, chocolate, cocoa and macadamia nuts can be fatal, too.