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.

Local Shows and Fairs

Sometimes when you are angry with someone,      it helps to sit down and think about the problem  . . . .

Get well wishes

End of April Helen Brown had a stroke and she is in Athol Evans. She is slowly recovering and friends take it in turns to go and visit her.

Ursula McKinlay was knocked over by sheep, while training. She now is also nearly back to normal and can walk better.

Working Breeds Club of Mashonaland

Champion Obedience show

Novice Class First place	Novice Class Second place
Novice Class Third place	Novice Class Fourth place

“Just a Dog”

From time to time people tell me,”Lighten" up, it’s “Just a dog”, or, “That’s a lot of money for “Just a dog”.

They don’t understand the distance traveled, time spend, or costs involved for “Just a dog”.

Some of my proudest moments have come about with “Just a dog”. Many hours have passed with my only company being “Just a dog”, and not once have I felt slighted. Some of my saddest moments were brought about by “Just a dog”. In those days of darkness, the gentle touch of “Just a dog” provided comfort and purpose to overcome the day.

If you too, think its “Just a dog’, you will probably understand phrases like “Just a friend”, “Just a sunrise”, or “Just a promise”. “Just a dog’ brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust and pure unbridled joy. “Just a dog” brings out the compassion and patience that makes me a better person. Because of “Just a Dog’ I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

For me and folks like me, it’s not “Just a dog”. It’s an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment. “Just a dog” brings out what’s good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday people can understand it’s not “Just a dog”. It’s the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being “Just a man or woman”.

So next time you hear the phrase “Just a dog”, smile, because they “Just Don’t Understand”.

Author Unknown

TOO MUCH LICKING?

Hi jan cashel,

Dogs naturally lick for a number of reasons. They do it because something "itches" or to try to soothe a wound. In nature, many dogs lick to help remove debris or thorns from their hair or skin. There are times licking can be a normal grooming behaviour and there are other times when it can be harmful. For example, if your dog is licking and causing skin injury - that is a problem. It is also important for pets to not lick their surgical wounds to help aid healing and prevent damage. Severe (disastrous) things can happen from inappropriate licking of a surgical wound. There are no perfect methods to prevent licking in these instances. One method is to cover the area. Depending on the location of the wound, you can sometimes use a bandage to cover the area. This works well on lacerations or wounds on the legs. Abdominal incisions or wounds can be covered with a "t-shirt" that some pets will tolerate. Other pets will require an E-collar - which is a device that looks like a lampshade that goes over the dog's head and attaches to the collar around the neck.

Traditionally, E-collars are hard plastic that many pets hate. A new product called the Comfy Cone is a nice alternative. It is a soft "E-collar" that allows a dog to be comfortable but prevents them from licking or chewing on incisions or bandages. It provides unrivalled comfort for pets that are healing. Remember, if your pet has a wound, make sure he or she can't lick. This is extremely important.

Until next time, Dr. Jon

DOG EMERGENCIES

Hi jan cashel,

Last week - I told you about four very strange dog emergencies. As strange as they were - all of them were relatively preventable. I want to reinforce how important it is to protect your dog from exposure to glues, toxins, and medications. Keeping your dog confined to your yard or on a leash is very important to prevent common traumas. I told you a few weeks back, spending time in some emergency rooms is allowing me to give you the best and most useful information. Today I have another strange one for you. I was talking to a couple emergency veterinarian friends and asking them what are the weirdest emergencies they have seen. A couple weeks ago, I told you about a few of them and today I want to tell you about a few more! I thought you might be interested in what I learned and also pick up some tips on how to prevent these problems in your pet.

1. Trouble breathing . A cute 6-year-old bulldog named "Bully" came in. This dog had a tracheotomy 2 years prior because of breathing problems in his upper airway. This means he had basically a hole in his neck that allowed him to breathe. The dog had been doing great. In fact - he had gone to the pet store that morning and got a new toy, cute little bandana and some treats. Bully was RUSHED in because he was having trouble breathing. What was the problem? The owner had put a cute seasonal bandana on him and it was covering his hole. The treatment? We removed the bandana and he was fine. Their total bill was the emergency fee, which was $95.00.
2. Cat ate 42 hair bands. Yes, A cat came to the clinic for vomiting and was last seen chewing on the owner's hair bands. You know the little stretchy things used to tie back hair? Well - the cat had an x-ray, which suggested there was something in the stomach. The owner opted to go to surgery and 42 hair bands were removed! This cat must have been eating them and eating them and eating them! Some cats cannot be trusted with string, ribbon and other objects! The cat recovered from surgery and did fine. Their bill was $1,375.00! 3.
3. Dog ate tennis balls . This is hard to believe but a basset hound named "Barney" came in because he had a laceration on his foot. He was in the yard and somehow got cut. The laceration was minor and was easily "fixed" with a few sutures. However, during the exam - the veterinarian felt the abdomen and thought the stomach felt "funny". They asked if Barney had any vomiting or digestive problems and the owner said that he vomits occasionally but no real problems. The veterinarian felt strongly that something was not right and recommended an X-ray. The owner agreed. The X-ray showed the dog had 7 tennis balls in his stomach! Yes! - this is very strange indeed but the dog had eaten seven tennis balls. The owner said they often saw him playing with them, then never saw the ball again! Unbelievable. Although these were not actively causing the dog a problem, the vet recommended that the tennis balls be surgically removed. They were and Barney did fine. The owner did not give him any more tennis balls. As you can tell - dogs and cats getting into things is a common problem. This emphasizes the great need to monitor your pets. They can eat and ingest toys, string, ribbon, and just about anything else. Underwear, panty hose are other favourites of dogs. Monitor your dog closely.

Until next time...Dr. Jon