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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.
This will change as from September??

Local Shows and Fairs

12 & 13 September will see two breed shows at the Kennel Club of Harare. 

NEWS

Geraldine McLaughlin had a nasty fall at the club and broke three vertebrae’s. She was in hospital in traction and is now back on her feet with a big corset on her to make sure all will get into place again.

Our best whishes.
Helen Brown was at St Giles and is now home again. Daily trips to St Giles to help her to get better. Doug takes her each day. She is still in a wheelchair and her speech has improved very well. She has various friends visiting her and enjoys that. The plan is to sell their house [what an awesome place that is with that fantastic view] and eventually move back to the UK so that they will get better help for all.

Maryanne and her partner are also going back to the UK and are leaving on 19 September. This will be a great loss to us all as she was a fantastic Executive Officer doing all the Zimbabwe Kennel club administration. We also will loose a breed judge for our shows. We whish Maryanne all the best in their new life.

Zimbabwe Kennel Club held their Dog Jumping and Obedience Championship show on 16 August. It was fun to watch the dogs jumping. There was a ‘run-off’ in the junior class [Gladys shaking his hand]. Gladys did a great job judging it. The senior class had one entry which was Pippa, handled by Bruce.   Gladys has now gone to the UK for a well earned holiday of 6 weeks, to see all her family and even great grand children. Have a good time Gladys and we look forward to have you back.

Rainbow Bridge

There is a bridge connecting heaven and Earth. It is called Rainbow Bridge because of its many splendid colours. Just this side of Rainbow Bridge there is a land of meadows, hills and valleys with lush, green grass.

Another of our dear animal has passed away: Our thoughts are with you Ritsu and Yayoy.

Another sad loss

We had a very sad incident last Friday, 24th July.

We lost our oldest dog Riki. He was 12 years and 5 months. He could not stand up on Friday morning so we took him to the vet. We were told that his heart beating was too fast and blood pressure was too low and he had an enlargement of the heart. He was on a drip for a few hours and afterwards the doctor said we could take him home and bring him back at 17:00 for another injection.

So we took him home around 12:00 and he passed away after 13:00. We thought he should have stayed at vet and on a drip, but after all we thought it was good for him to be back home and could die in his own garden surrounded by us and other two dogs.

We got him after 6 months of our arrival in Zimbabwe in 1996 and were always with him since then.

We are extremely sad, but feel very different from when we lost Jupiter. We wanted him to live longer, but can accept his death without difficulty because we know he had a good life with us and he lived his life span.

24th of July means really something to us. Rosemary passed away on the 24th July. Our puppies were born on the 24th July. Riki passed away on the 24th July. 

VOMITING

Hi jan cashel,

Last week I told you the number one reason pet owners take their dogs... is vomiting. Can you guess what is #2? Well?... It is diarrhoea. I know that this is not a pleasant subject, but it is so common that I believe all that all pet owners should know what to do if your dog has an on-set of diarrhoea. So please take a minute to read this e-mail so you know what to look for and what to do. Let's get started...A quick medical definition for diarrhoea is a sudden onset and short duration (three weeks or less) of watery or watery-mucoid diarrhoea. Occasionally the faecal material is also overtly bloody. Diarrhoea results from excessive water content in the faeces and is an important sign of intestinal diseases in the dog. Diarrhoea can affect your dog by causing extreme fluid loss, which leads to dehydration, electrolyte disturbances, and/or acid-base imbalances. Diarrhoea is a symptom that can be caused by many different diseases or conditions, and specific treatment requires a diagnosis. Common causes of diarrhoea include:

1.       Dietary indiscretion can include the eating of spoiled food, overeating, the ingestion of foreign materials, and/or sudden changes in the diet.

2.       Intestinal parasites (e.g. roundworms, hookworms, whipworms) are a common cause of acute diarrhoea, especially in young dogs.

3.       Bacteria and bacterial toxins (Salmonella, Clostridium, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, Yersinia, etc.) may cause acute diarrhoea and may be contracted from contaminated food and water, or exposure to the faecal material of other infected animals. Although most cases of acute diarrhoea are short-lived and self-limiting, there are some cases that require diagnostic testing to confirm an underlying cause. This will require that you take your dog into see you vet or to the Emergency Room. How much will going in to see the vet for a dog with diarrhoea cost you? Anywhere from $100 - $300+ depending whether they do faecal studies, complete blood count, radiographs and other diagnostic tests. The good news, is that in many cases the prognosis for cure of self-limiting diarrhoea is very good. When the diarrhoea begins you should feed a bland diet, made from a boiled lean meat (chicken, hamburger or turkey) mixed 50/50 with boiled white rice. Do not use any additives such as butter, salt, garlic, or seasoning. Over a couple days, you can slowly decrease the bland diet and increase is regular food until he is back on his normal food. If the dog that has diarrhoea acts lethargic, weak, the diarrhoea has blood or vomiting begins, the recommendation is to have the dog evaluated by a veterinarian even if you have to pay for it out-of-pocket. Your dog's health is the first priority. Until next time...Dr. Jon  

INCLUDE THE FAMILY

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why.” Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life-- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.” Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like: When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy. Take naps. Stretch before rising. Run, romp, and play daily. Thrive on attention and let people touch you. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree. When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough. Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

A Greyhound Mother

In 2003, police in Warwickshire , England , opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog. It had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished, and had clearly been abused. In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a greyhound female, to the nearby Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary known as a willing haven for animals abandoned, orphaned or otherwise in need. Geoff and the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims: to restore the dog to full health, and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved. They named her Jasmine, and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home. The dog had other ideas. No-one remembers now how it began, but Jasmine started welcoming all animal arrivals at the sanctuary. It wouldn't matter if it was a puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit or, probably, a rhinoceros, Jasmine would peer into the box or cage and, where possible, deliver a welcoming lick. Geoff relates one of the early incidents. "We had two puppies that had been abandoned by a nearby railway line. One was a Lakeland Terrier cross and another was a Jack Russell Doberman cross. They were tiny when they arrived at the centre and Jasmine approached them and grabbed one by the scruff of the neck in her mouth and put him on the settee. Then she fetched the other one and sat down with them, cuddling them. "But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits. She takes all the stress out of them and it helps them to not only feel close to her but to settle into their new surroundings. "She has done the same with the fox and badger cubs, she licks the rabbits and guinea pigs and even lets the birds perch on the bridge of her nose. "Jasmine, the timid, abused, deserted waif, became the animal sanctuary's resident surrogate mother, a role for which she might have been born. The list of orphaned and abandoned youngsters she has cared for comprises five fox cubs, four badger cubs, 15 chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and 15 rabbits. And one roe deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, 11 weeks old, was found semi-conscious in a field. Upon arrival at the sanctuary, Jasmine cuddled up to her to keep her warm, and then went into the full foster mum role. Jasmine the greyhound showers Bramble the roe deer with affection and makes sure nothing is matted in her fur.

"They are inseparable," says Geoff. "Bramble walks between her legs and they keep kissing each other. They walk together round the sanctuary. It's a real treat to see them. "Jasmine will continue to care for Bramble until she is old enough to be returned to woodland life. When that happens, Jasmine will not be lonely. She will be too busy showering love and affection on the next orphan or victim of abuse.