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:

IMPORTANT NOTICE - ZIMBABWE KENNEL CLUB

With effect from Friday 18 September 2009 the administrative functions of the Zimbabwe Kennel Club will be handled from 5 Tinopona Close, New Marlborough, P.O. Westgate, Harare. The following details will apply from that date:
Telephone: 0913-266100 (telephonic enquiries strictly Fridays 1400 – 1600 hours - excluding public) (Miss Jennifer Way)
Email: bonwyn@mango.zw
Deliveries and Collections: 5 Tinopona Close, New Marlborough, P O Westgate, Harare (strictly Fridays 1400 - 1600 hours - excluding public)
Postal Address: P O Box BE 61, Belvedere, Harare, Zimbabwe 

Please note that the ZKC office will not be open on Friday 11 September 2009 to facilitate the various changes but will reopen on Friday 18 September 2009.

Local Shows and Fairs

Saturday 12 September 2009 0830 for 0900 hours
ZIMBABWE MIDLANDS KENNEL CLUB – Judge: Dr Heidi Rolfes (RSA)
KWEKWE & DISTRICT KENNEL CLUB – Judge: Mr Mark Anderson (RSA)
MIDLANDS TOY DOG CLUB – Judge: Mrs J F Schreiber 

Sunday 13 September 2009 0830 for 0900 hours
ZIMBABWE KENNEL CLUB – Judge: Mrs Karen Furk (RSA)
KENNEL CLUB OF HARARE – Judge: Mrs Pat de Coning (RSA)
WORKING & HERDING CLUB OF MIDLANDS – Judge: Mr A H McKinlay (Zambia) 

This guy is a legend..

A shop owner in Brakpan, South Africa, was tired of people breaking into his yard/shop so he came up with the idea of shaving his dog like a lion.  Everyone in SA recognises a lion, now he has no problem with thugs!   South African ingenuity –  " n Boer maak ‘n plan”

Hi jan cashel,

How much should you feed your dog?Too much and your dog will gain weight, too little and he won't get the nutrition he needs. So it is important to feed him the right amount.There is a lot to consider but I will try and give you some simple guidelines that will make it easier to determine the amount that is "just right" for your dog.Let's get started...Every food has different caloric densities and every dog has different caloric need. There are a number of important variables such as the dog's age, innate make-up and exercise level / activity level. Another variable is the type of food that you feed. Many of the more expensive premium foods are more calorie dense and therefore dogs require less. Most all foods have guidelines on the bag but they are just that - guidelines. The amount that works for one dog may be too much or too little for another dog depending on how he burns calories and his activity level. So how can you determine how much you should be feeding your dog? Here are some EASY steps you can follow which will help you feed him the right amount.

1. First, you need to determine if your dog is an ideal weight, too thin or too fat.
2. Second, weigh him and determine a baseline weight.
3. Third, start feeding.
   - If your dog is at an ideal weight - I'd recommend feeding the mid-range recommendations posted on the bag.
   - If he is under-weight - then feed the high-end range on the bag based on his weight.- If he is overweight - then feed him the low range on the bag based on his weight or feed the recommended portion of reducing weight diets
4. Lastly, revaluate. After you feed for 2 weeks, weigh and reevaluate your pet. Determine if his weight went up or down relative to his goal and how much you should feed now. If his weight was ideal and it increased- then decrease the amount you are feeding by 20%. Feed for 2 weeks and weigh him again. If his weight is the same, you believe his weight is ideal, then you are probably feeding the proper amount. If his weight decreased, then increase the amount by 20%, etc. I hope this gives you some guidelines on how much to feed. Remember, every dog is different.

Regards, Dr. Jon 

Learn to Move Correctly

During the growing process of pups, all sort of things could go wrong. Think of HD and elbowdysplasy (ED). GSD’s also could get problems with growing pains’ called enostosis. Blood vessels which supply bloed to the bones run via openings in the boneds. While growing up, these openings sometimes grow slower, so relativesmLLER openings and consequently less blood can run away which will cause stagnation, which causes the pain. The pup alternately can limp in one of the four legs. This problem can be seen on an X-ray and with rest and medication it can be rectified.

Bones grow in length and so get longer till the pup is about one year old. The growing plates make new bone cells till one year old and then the growing plate will harden too and no more grow cells are produced. Consequently muscles also grow in length and during this growing process they will not be strong enough toreally train [jumping ] poperly.

This means that you have to go slowly with training, exercising, but at a reasonable manner. Playing with a ball will be loved by Pup and owner, throwing the bal fast and far will result in the pup running and making sudden twists and ‘braking’ and turns, which is not good at this age. So no ball throwing endlessly, but a few times is good. To stop eccesive turns and twists, hold on to your pup, tillthe ball has come to a stop, before releasing the pup. The pup can then use its nose to find the bal instead of running twisting and braking hard.

The other damage con happen by too early teaching it to go down or up on stairs and or jumping out of a car. Specially going down stairs and jumping down out of a car is not good at all. This should only be done when the pup is a year old. So help him to get out of a car, by carrying him in your arms and put him down. 

"Gastritis"

Dear jan cashel

Is there such a thing as Pepto Bismol for dogs? Unfortunately not. I wish there was, because dogs with upset or inflamed stomachs are a BIG problem. As a matter of fact, vomiting in dogs is the most common reason dogs are seen in veterinary emergency rooms around the country.Let me share a story that is all too common and will illustrate this point. The story comes from the Colucci family and their dog Sara.Here is their story:Sara was a healthy dog and only used to go to the vet for checkups. One day Sara suddenly became ill. The veterinarian wasn't sure if she had an obstruction and suggested running a barium test, which the Colucci's didn't hesitate to do. Sara's is more than just a dog - she is a part of the Colucci family ! Like most of us, the Colucci's would do everything possible help Sara get well. Luckily Sara didn't have an obstruction, but she was diagnosed with Gastritis. "Gastritis" is the medical term for inflammation of the stomach. Most commonly - it is treated with drugs to stop vomiting and fluids. Often, no food is offered until the gastric upset is improved, after which a bland diet is started.Sara's case is not uncommon. This could happen to any one of us. It happens to many, many dogs every single day -- it could happen to you and your dog.Gratefully, Sara recovered and is doing great!.One last thing, many emergencies of this type are caused by owners feeding pet's table scraps and pets getting access to trash. Please be very careful what you feed your dog.

Until next time...Dr. Jon

This guy is a legend.

From Lyz Stewart

I thought you might be interested to see these photos of Carol Appel (previously Abrahams) showing in New Zealand. Quite a change from American Cockers and Shih Tsus!

From Carol

We show Belgians Shepherds. Both dogs do very well at shows which is very lucky as we knew nothing about the breed when we bought them. The Black dog is a lot younger that the grey. I think the years of showing in Zim and presentation is a key. We shall be entering the Nationals this year in Oct