Rabies Treatment for dogs

Dog Rabies information

The rabies virus affects dogs and all other warm-blooded animals. In wildlife animals, rabies is  commonly seen in foxes, skunks, raccoons and bats. Each of these species carries a variant strain of the rabies virus. All of these strains can affect animals. Domesticated animals such as cows, horses, dogs and cats commonly act as a source for human infections but people can be infected from wildlife sources as well, particularly bats.

Rabies Control

The first step to controlling rabies in dogs an other pets is vaccination. All healthy pets should be vaccinated. The rabies vaccine is very effective, inexpensive, and is usually given every 3 years. In horses, it is usually given every year. In most localities, the law requires rabies vaccinations for all pets.



The second step to rabies control is a thorough understanding of this terrible disease so that risk exposures or contact can be prevented. The third step toward controlling rabies is cooperation between veterinarians, the public, the public health system, and those government agencies who  monitor and control rabies on a regional level. For example, in some parts of Canada, bait is dropped from airplanes into rural or countryside areas so that wildlife will eat the bait (disguised as food treats) laced with an effective protective vaccine. Public health departments also track and manage human exposures. Rabies moves to and from animals and people through a bite wound or through breaks in the skin or mucous membranes. It’s thought people can become infected by breathing air around bats, such as in bat caves where the virus is suspended in droplets in the air.

Rabies Treatment

Rabies is almost always fatal. However, if a dog or person is bitten by a rabid animal and begins treatment prior to experiencing symptoms, there is an effective post-exposure treatment, which involves an injection of immune globulin and several rabies vaccines given to the infected victim over a 28-day period.

Disease Progression

Once the rabies virus enters the body of the animal or person, it travels to the central nervous system along the nerve fibres. It sets up a base in the brain and spreads back out into the body using the nerves to move around. The virus particles end up in many body tissues. Of particular importance are the salivary glands. Once rabies viruses enter the salivary glands they're present in large numbers in saliva and are easily spread between animals or people via licking or biting.

Rabies Symptoms

Once infected, dogs and other animals may show widely differing symptoms depending on what stage of the infection they are in. Early in the infection they appear completely normal. This pre-symptom phase can last for long periods of time. A bite on the face will tend to lead to a shorter prodromal phase since the virus is close to the brain, while a bite on the tip of the tail or paw may result in a long phase because it takes longer for the virus to travel to and from the brain.



For a few days at the very end of this prodromal or normal-behaviour phase, rabid dogs and animals can pass the virus on to other animals or people. This is the greatest time of risk because the typical rabies behaviours are absent. Once clinical signs of illness start, the animal only has about a week to live. Typically a phase occurs where rabid animals becomes very nasty, and will be irritable and snap and bite without being provoked or bothered. They may attack. This phase is termed furious rabies because the animal seems uncontrollably angry. Finally, the animal becomes progressively paralyzed, termed dumb rabies, and dies because the muscles for control of swallowing and breathing, amongst others, lose their function.
Unfortunately, not all cases follow typical progressive symptoms. For example, rabid cats often become overly friendly and affectionate rather than vicious. They can snuggle up to a child and suddenly lash out with teeth and claws after appearing quiet and nice. A dog may just show what appears to be a paralyzed tongue hanging out. The dog may be quiet, with jaw hanging open and saliva dribbling out of the mouth. One might think he had something like a stick stuck in the roof of his mouth! How about a cow that is restless, foaming at the mouth and when approached, is irritable and grabs a person? Though cows do not have a pile of sharp teeth at the front of their mouth like dogs or cats, this can result in a bite that breaks the skin. How about a pony in a petting facility that gets "nippy" and bites those passing by? Affected animals may also have trouble drinking or eating, and run a fever.
Do these stories sound far fetched? They are all cases veterinarians have seen in practice, so never forget that any animal acting in any unusual fashion can be showing signs of rabies! That is why rabies is called the great pretender. It can look like many other conditions, and can be very different from the vicious biting rabid animal image we hear about.

exercsie for Dogs

                                              Information 

Some daily activity and exercise is essential, allowing freedom to move about in a natural manner. Lack of exercise leads to poor muscle tone, obesity, heart ailments, bone disorders and often results in emotional problems and dog behavior quirks. Dogs with no exercise subjected to overcrowding and confinement in cages for prolonged periods, often their entire lives, develop a great variety of physical and emotional disorders.




An exercised dog may rest more calmly at home and be less nervous when left alone. Exercise can improve dogs bone and joint health, heart, and lung function. Exercise makes show dogs look better and feel better to a judge's exploring hands. (Because a happy dog looks more gorgeous).



The best exercise channels the activity of both mind and body. Some people believe that dogs need a big garden so they can get plenty of exercise. The truth is that most dogs do not exercise when they are outdoors by themselves; they spend most of their time laying in the shadow and waiting for "their people" to play with them.



You do not need to take up marathon running in order to adequately exercise your dog.



Make your walks interesting. Let your dog carry a box, a basket, or a toy while walking. Let your dog jump or balance over a tree, hide his toys, hide yourself, and most important – let him play with other dogs! Open the leash when another dog approaches, to prevent “leash-aggression”. (Don’t worry, they will not kill each other). A dog that tries to "guard" against all strangers is neither happy nor likely to live out a full lifespan. Help your dog learn to enjoy other dogs and people.




Teach your dog to retrieve. A dog who retrieves is easy to exercise. But throw the toy rather far than high. Jumping high in the air to chase it and landing awkwardly may lead to serious knee injuries.



Some games to play



FIND IT

This one is great fun for the dog. Show your dog a treat or his favorite toy, and then place it out of his sight but easily accessible in a dark room. Tell him to SEEK - his success you will praise enthusiastically. Obviously, the rewards for the dog are multiple - he gets a treat or finds his toy plus a very happy handler. If using a toy, be sure to reward his find with some play before starting again.

You can increase the difficulty of FIND IT by hiding the dogs treats in less accessible places, like in a shoe, or on a low shelf. This can be practiced indoors as well as anywhere else!



Alternative exercise:



Tunnel exercise - Make a tunnel or maze with some old cardboard boxes or chairs and encourage your dog to explore and go through it.



Concentration exercise – Hide some treats inside an old wash-glove or in a rolled up towel, this is fun for your dog!



Brain exercise – Turnover a bowl and hide the treats under it. Doggie must use his creativity to turn the bowl and get all treats. That is exciting exercise!

Bullmastiff dog

The Bullmastiff is a dog of incredible strength, keen alertness, and surprising endurance. Although characterized by gentleness, they are a natural guardian of the home and will not back down from a fight. To strangers they are rather standoffish, but they are loving toward their owner. Bullmastiffs are normally very gentle, cheerful and calm. They make a devoted, gentle companion. They are also known as the "gamekeeper's dog" because they were bred to accompany gamekeepers for the ability to track and overpower a poacher.




History/Origin:
Developed in the late nineteenth century by crossing the Mastiff with the Bulldog. He was breed to combine power, speed and a keen sense of smell with the courage and aggression of a bulldog. In 1924 he was standardized and was officially recognized in England.



Height: 25 - 27 inches

Weight: 90 - 130 lbs.

Colors:
Shades of brindle, fawn or red. Slight white marking on the chest is permissible, black muzzle.

Coat:
Short, smooth, dense




Temperament:
Loving, courageous, loyal; Tolerates children; Should be socialized with other animals at an early age

Care and Exercise:
Minimal brushing of his coat. A good rubdown with a rubber brush or massage glove will remove old dead hairs. Nails should be kept short. Diet and daily exercise need to be balanced to prevent obesity. Daily walks or lost of running space is ideal.

Pekingese dog

The Pekingese, Pekinese or "Peke" (also commonly referred to as a "Lion Dog", or "Pelchie Dog" due to their resemblance to Chinese guardian lions) is an ancient breed of toy dog, originating in China. They were the favored pet of the Chinese Imperial court, and the name relates to the city of Beijing where the Forbidden City resides. The breed has several characteristics and health issues related to its unique appearance. Because of its desirable characteristics, the Pekingese has been part of the development of designer crossbreeds, such as the Pekeatese.

Poodle is intellgent dog

Poodles are retrievers or gun dogs, and can still be seen in that role most of the time. The poodle is believed to have originated in Germany, where it is known as the Pudel. The English word "poodle" comes from the Low German pudel or puddeln, meaning to splash in the water. The breed was standardized in France, where it was commonly used as a water retriever.




The American Kennel Club states that the large, or Standard, Poodle is the oldest of the three varieties and that the dog gained special fame as a water worker. So widely was it used as retriever that it was bred with a moisture-resistant coat to further facilitate progress in swimming. All of the Poodle's ancestors were acknowledged to be good swimmers, although one member of the family, the truffle dog (which may have been of Toy or Miniature size), it is said, never went near the water. Truffle hunting was widely practiced in England, and later in Spain and Germany, where the edible fungus has always been considered a delicacy. For scenting and digging up the fungus, the smaller dogs were favored, since they did less damage to the truffles with their feet than the larger kinds. So it is rumored that a terrier was crossed with the Poodle to produce the ideal truffle hunter.



Despite the standard poodle's claim to greater age than the other varieties, there is some evidence to show that the smaller types developed only a short time after the breed assumed the general type by which it is recognized today. The smallest, or Toy variety, was developed in England in the 18th century, when the Havanese became popular there. This was a sleeve dog attributed to the West Indies from whence it traveled to Spain and then to England. The continent had known the poodle long before it came to England. Drawings by the German artist, Albrecht Durer, establish the breed in the 15th and 16th centuries. It was the principal pet dog of the later 18th century in Spain, as shown by the paintings of the Spanish artist Francisco Goya. France had toy poodles as pampered favorites during the reign of Louis XVI at about the same period

The Yorkshire Terrier is a small dog

The Yorkshire Terrier is a small dog breed of terrier type, developed in the 19th century in the historical area of Yorkshire, England to catch rats in clothing mills. The defining features of the breed are its size, 3 pounds (1.4 kg) to 7 pounds (3.2 kg), and its silky blue and tan coat. The breed is nicknamed Yorkie and is placed in the Toy Terrier section of the Terrier Group by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale and in the Toy Group or Companion Group by other kennel clubs, although all agree that the breed is a terrier. A popular companion dog, the Yorkshire Terrier has also been part of the development of other breeds, such as the Australian Silky Terrier.

Basset Hound Dog is a large dog with short legs

These dogs are around 1-foot in height at the withers. They usually weigh between 35 and 50 lb (16 and 23 kg). They have smooth, short-haired coats but a rough haired hound is possible. Although any hound colour is considered acceptable by breed standards, Bassets are generally tricolor (black, tan, and white), open red and white (red spots on white fur), closed red and white (a solid red color with white feet and tails), Honey And White (honey coloured back, light brown spotty nose and legs, light brown tails with white tip) and lemon and white. Some Bassets are also classified as gray or blue; however, this colour is considered rare and undesirable.



They have long, downward ears and powerful necks, with much loose skin around their heads that forms wrinkles. Their tails are long and tapering and stand upright with a curve. Tails usually have white tips so the dogs are more easily seen when hunting/tracking through large bushes or weeds. The breed is also known for its hanging skin structure, which causes the face to occasionally look sad; this, for many people, adds to the breed's charm. The dewlap, seen as the loose, elastic skin around the neck, and the trailing ears, help trap the scent of what they are tracking.

The Basset Hound is a large dog with short legs. They were originally bred to have osteochondrodysplasia, known as dwarfism.[3] Their short stature can be deceiving; Bassets are surprisingly long and can reach things on table tops that dogs of similar heights cannot. However, because Bassets are so heavy and have such short legs, they are not able to hold themselves above water for very long and should never be made to swim.