My English Springer Spaniel

Did you know that the peanut paste recall includes pet food products? The recall is part of an FDA investigation of salmonella contamination at the Peanut Corporation of America’s plant in Blakely, Georgia. The FDA has a website that lists the pet food brands that have been affected. The website is updated as the investigation continues and more products are proven to be affected by the recall.

The FDA has reported many people have become ill due to the contamination, however, no pets at this time have been reported ill. Pets that consume food with salmonella may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, vomiting, decreased appetite and abdominal pain. The FDA advises that if your pet has consumed a recalled product or has these symptoms to contact your veterinarian.

The current list of recalled pet foods can be located at the following website; www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm#PetFood. You can also find the list of human food that has been recalled due to the salmonella contamination on the website.

Westminster Kennel Club will hold their 133rd annual dog show at Madison Square Garden Center in NY on February 5 through February 11, 2009. This is the Super Bowl for Dogs!! The dog show has been televised since 1948! USA Network will air part of the first night of the live show of judging of the hound, terrier, non-sporting and herding groups on Monday, February 9, 2009 from 8 to 9 pm Eastern Standard Time and then CNBC will finish airing the rest of the judging from 9 to 11 pm (EST). On Tuesday, February 10, 2009, USA Network will air the second night of judging of the sporting, working and toy groups from 8 to 11 pm (EST) ending with the Best in Show finale!

Every year Westminster invites the top dogs in each breed to compete in the show. The English Springer Spaniels that were invited this year are CH Amilyn Fanfare, Ch Cerise Jesse James (call name Jesse), CH Cerise Signature of Telltale CD RN (call name Dustin), CH Crossroad Crownroyal Miracle (call name Bloomie), and CH Tara’s Master of D” Game. You can see the majority of these amazing Springers in the Volume 10 number 2 issue of The Springer Showcase or at www.springershowcase.com. You can also see some of them at www.essonlinemagazine.com, volume 3 issue 3.

Overall, there are 27 English Springer Spaniels entered to compete for Best of Breed and the winner will later compete in the Sporting Group. Dogs for all over United States are entered to compete and also several dogs from foreign countries. California has the most entries with 265, followed by New York with 235 and Pennsylvania with 180 entries. Canada has the most entries for a foreign country of 74.

I will be faithfully watching and rooting for the English Springer Spaniel that wins Best of Breed to go all the way!!!!! “Go Springers!”

Are you a busy working family? Do you occasionally need a pet sitter or a dog walker? If you are like most families, both parents are busy working and the children are busy with school activities. Where does that leave the family pet? Did he/she get companionship or a walk today? If you are searching for pet services but not sure where to start, look no further than Sittercity.com.
No matter where you live, you just enter your zip code and the website will find you several pet sitters / walkers that are within several miles of your home!

Sitter City is a free service that helps you find the perfect dog sitter or dog walker for you. But, I was skeptical, after all, these things usually work best in big cities, but for me, in the middle of rural PA, I didn’t think I’d find much of a selection of dog walkers.

My request of 10 miles within my zip code provided me with 25 dog sitters / dog walkers! I was surprised! Each dog sitter was listed with references and reviews, work experiences, skills and certifications and job preferences!

Some of the sitters have provided a background check that verifies legal name, current address, social security number, aliases, and previous addresses. It also provides a check for criminal records. With all this information, you can feel secure about your new pet sitter / walker!

There are also links to child care, senior care, home care and tutoring.

I recently found this website that carries all natural pet remedies, and it has a very helpful A-Z index of pet diseases that covers everything from the symptoms of abdominal cramping in your dog, car sickness (one of our springers got car sick, and some of the tips that Native Remedies provides may have helped us get through many agonizing trips with several plastic bags stashed for emergencies.  The A-Z index also addresses issues like Dull Coat, Skin Condition, Allergies, Sinus Infections, and many other dog health issues.

Check out their website and glossary today to learn about how to help pet common conditions & ailments using natural methods Pet Health A-Z Index!

Do you ever wonder what a certain breeder’s dog look like? Check out this website; www.springershowcase.com. This site shows you all the Top 10 Springers that are currently in the show ring. You can follow the breeders through the different shows through the year and see which dogs and breeders that are dominating the show circuit.

If you are looking for an English Springer Spaniel puppy, you can go to the “Cabbage Patch” and find litters of puppies that available. If you would like to get involved in showing Springers or just want to watch, this website tells when and where the upcoming dog shows are scheduled. If you would like to adopt a Springer this site also has a link to the Springer rescue. Or if you just love English Springer Spaniels like I do, this website has lots of great pictures of beautiful and handsome Springers!

All puppies and young dogs love to chew and if they do not have their own items to chew they have no problem finding something to suit their chewing desires. That chewing desire can be a disaster if the dog chooses furniture, doors, kitchen cabinets, etc to fulfill that chewing need. Therefore many dog owners shop for dog treats that will occupy their dog for a long period of time, and there are lots of choices including many shapes and sizes of rawhide!

A rawhide can occupy a dog for many hours, but beware of the hidden dangers of rawhide! A rawhide is actually a raw piece of animal hide that has been chemically scraped, chemically dried and smoked to make dog treats. The majority of rawhide treats are NOT made in USA. If they are not made in USA, there are no regulations for processing of these treats. They may be chemically dried and preserved with arsenic, formaldehyde, lead, antibiotics or insecticides and include salmonella! The animal hide can also be that of another cat or dog!

Even if you are careful and only buy rawhide that is processed in the USA, you should still be aware of other hazards! Your dog can bite off and swallow a chunk of rawhide that is too large for his body to digest! When your dog chews on the rawhide, his saliva rewets the rawhide and it slowly returns to its original size. This can swell up to be FOUR times the size that you purchased! Large pieces can block a dog’s digestive tract and lead to surgery and even death!

Check with your vet for a safe alternative or choose treats like dehydrated sweet potato treats, jerky treats, or a Kong filled with peanut butter or biscuits. It is unfortunate that there are so few regulations for treats for the animals that we love so dearly!

With all the concerns about products from China, it really makes me worry about items I give my precious pet. In early 2008 wheat gluten that was shipped from China contained melamine (a plastic) to increase the protein level and was used to make dog food. Several pets died of kidney failure as a result. Melamine contains nitrogen and adding it to any food can incorrectly suggest and inflated protein levels. Then just recently, some Chinese manufacturers were adding melamine to their infant powdered milk also to increase the protein levels, which lead to kidney failure and the deaths of several toddlers and babies. This issue also left several thousand babies with kidney stone problems.

I am very concerned about everything I give Eliot, from his food, treats, toys and also the bowls I use to serve him his meals. It makes me think that plastic bowls might not be the best thing for my pet, with all the information circulating about eating and drinking from plastics. Also plastic bowls are more likely to be chewed or spilled by your best friend. While stainless steel is a good choice for dog bowls they are also light weight and can easily be pushed around your kitchen floor.

I think a better choice is a stoneware bowl and I found a manufacturer in the good old USA! Yes, you read that correctly, they are made in Zanesville, Ohio to be exact! No need to worry about lead paint or toxic chemicals when your dog licks his bowls clean! These stoneware bowls are dishwasher, oven and microwave safe! And you can also be safe about your dinnerware too, for they not only make pet bowls but a variety of stoneware for your table to suit everyone’s taste! You and your pet can also have a matching set of dinnerware. Go to www.hartstonepottery.com and you will find a variety of sizes and designs for your precious pet! These safe bowls will give you one less thing to worry about for your pet in today’s world.

The pros for dogs living indoors with the family are a safe, healthier, and happier dog. Dogs are social animals that depend on companionship and thrive in the safe living environment of their pack. They bond with their owner and they are more likely to obey commands. If you are using your Springer for hunting purposes, he/she will do their best in the field to please you. You will be more aware of any health issues that might occur with your dog. Dogs find comfort in familiar surroundings such as dog odors are also a concern if someone in the home has allergies.

Pros for an outdoor dog is from a human perspective, shedding, dog hair and dog odors especially if someone in the home has allergies.

However, there are many cons for a dog living outdoors. Outside dogs have a lack of human contact and are insecure and more anxious. They are less social, due to long periods of isolation. They tend to have behavioral problems, and are more aggressive and territorial of their small area. Outdoor dogs tend to be excessive barkers and are more difficult to train. They can be subject to teasing and taunting, shot or poisoned. They can not defend themselves while being chained and can be injured or killed by other dogs or animals. If they are in an enclosed area, they tend to concentrate on ways to escape, putting them at risk being hit by a vehicle or lost. An outdoor dog tends to be less healthy and sunburn, heatstroke, frostbite, exposure, and dehydration can be a devastating health problem. They are also more likely to catch diseases. Theft can also be issue.

A dog reacts well to living indoors but having an area outdoors, such as a fenced yard for play and napping in the sun. An electronic fence may work well for some breeds, but be aware that a Springer is a hunting dog and his/her hunting instinct may ignore the shock of the electronic fence. Never leave your dog outdoors while you are not at home, they are like a small child and must be supervised. Their actions will surprise you!

Advantage Flea Medication is considered by some to be more successful than Frontline for killing fleas. It’s the second most popular flea product after frontline and is manufactured by Bayer. The downside of Advantage is that it is not safe for children, and it does not kill ticks. 

The most important thing about Advantage is that it is fast acting and will stop fleas from multiplying quickly.  By stopping the spread of fleas and killing the fleas that try to bite your pet, you will be able to work at ridding your pets and home of these troublesome pests. It is very important the fleas are removed from your home, as they can carry diseases and cause discomfort to dogs, cats, as well as humans.

Advantage flea medicine is easy to apply. Either in pill or lotion format, you treat your pet with the medications. The pet then absorbs the medication into their blood stream. When a flea bites them or comes in contact with the medication, they are poisoned. This prevents them from reproducing, as well as resulting in the death of the flea. By cutting their reproductive cycle and the number of fleas, you can use your pet as a flea removal tool.

Advantage flea medicine can be used year round, but it is suggested that for those who do not want to treat their pets all of the time, it is applied several weeks prior to the start of flea season. Flea season usually begins in April, so it is suggested that you start treatments in early march. Medication should continue until after flea season has ended, which occurs in December. As such, only January and February are realistically safe for your pets to go untreated.

If you have a flea problem, Advantage flea medication can help remove the problem. However, this method takes time. If you have a serious infestation, you may need to use flea foggers or other products to quickly remove fleas. As flea bites can linger for up to two weeks, fleas can cause a great deal of discomfort for both yourself and your pets. As fleas will bite anything warm with blood, they are also prime candidates for spreading disease. While they are not quite as good at transmitting diseases than an airborne carrier such as the mosquito, it is still a concern worth addressing.

What Advantage flea medication can do for you is prevent an infestation from occurring. This is particularly important if your pet goes outside, as the majority of flea infestations begin with a pet who has gone outside and has brought so much as a single flea indoors.

If you are trying to remove a flea infestation, you should take care to dispose of any items, such as vacuum bags, where fleas may breed.

If you ever wondered where all those lovely and cute puppies you see in pet stores ever came from, look no further. A very few of them might have come from parts unknown and a very few of them might be able to trace their ancestry back to the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, but most of the puppies you see in pet stores, come from various different puppy breeders. 

These people are the ones who make it their life’s work to breed certain type of pets. If the puppy breeders breed only one type of puppy, or they specialize in a certain type of breed, perhaps to use as a show dog, then the value of these puppies do tend to go up in price. Such was the case with Eliot. These, of course are the better breeders. Often, you’ll need to put your name on a waiting list with an elite puppy breeder and wait months or years to have a top bread show dog. 

Other breeders may breed their dogs in a barn, such as where our second dog, Spencer, was born.  You may find these puppy breeders in a newspaper or some place like craigslist.  A friend may even know of someone who had a dog that just had puppies. 

If you’re actively looking to get a puppy, and a pet store is your easiest option, you will first want to do some investigating into the background of your intended puppy. Where did it come from; what is its lineage; what illnesses can it have; have any genetic flaws or disease been bred out if it; and most important of all, where does it come from? 

These are all valid questions, and should be asked before you buy a puppy as it will help you to make a decision with a clearer understanding of the situation. For example, my daughter thought a bull dog would make the perfect low maintenance pet for her until she learned that they have a short life span of just 5-7 years.

The last question, “where does your pet-to-be come from?” is especially important if you care about such things as puppy mills. In these places, animals are churned out like in factory and the puppy have no proper care. They aren’t ill treated physically, although some can be, instead they are ill treated in the manner in which they are forced to live. This is why it’s always a good idea to check up on where your pet came from, and whether it came from suitable puppy breeders, or puppy breeders without a conscience who only care about the last dollar.

Not all puppy breeders are like that of course. Most love their pets, and breed them only with the best care and attention given to them. These puppies live in humane conditions, and enjoy a good life. 

Pet store puppies often look somewhat unhealthy in comparison to a puppy that you might buy from a local breeder, so know what a healthy puppy should look like.  Notice features like red, irritated eyes, runny noses, and an unhealthy coat that may be a sign of an underlying problem that could plague a new puppy through a very short life span.  

In this day and age it’s not so difficult to find the information you need, and a little judicious hunting around can help you to find pet breeders who are known and respected in the puppy breeding community, and who provide their puppies with only the best care.